Why Give?

And how do I do it?

Why Give?

NorthLakes continues to invest in its core mission of response to healthcare needs and access to healthcare for everyone. We have challenges with hiring enough medical and dental professionals, the epidemic of youth mental health disorders, the underlying causes of poverty in rural Wisconsin, and the high cost of building materials as we expand access. However, we must do our part to keep up with the region’s high demands for affordable health care. 

We need allies in our other community and healthcare investments to keep our mission alive. We are always grateful for donations that allow us to invest and expand our efforts to address the profound human challenges and barriers to wellness that remain our calling. Below is a list of our community and healthcare investments; we welcome your help. Let us know if you want to discuss further before donating.

Pediatric Lending Closet

The lending closet increases access to home-based treatment options for children with sensory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, speech disorders, and developmental and learning challenges. The lending closet is available to over 250 children receiving pediatric occupational and/or speech therapy services at many of our clinics. By borrowing equipment through the lending closet, families can determine if the equipment is helpful to their children’s treatment by trying it before purchasing it. This ability to give it a trial run prevents many families with limited financial resources from making costly investments in equipment.

Farm to Patient Program

NorthLakes Community Clinic’s Farm to Patient Program elevates health care experience to a place of community connection and abundance for over 100 households in rural Wisconsin. In 2023, we bought 106 CSA shares from five farms, serving over 200 members of patient households living in poverty across 14 Wisconsin counties. Our clinics in Ashland, Washburn, Iron River, Hayward, Minong, Turtle Lake, Hurley, and Lakewood offer the program. Beyond transactions, the program directly involves patient care through case management and relationship building.

Community Health Workers

Our Community Health Workers (CHWs) assist patients in achieving their wellness goals by identifying risks, services, and resources that can support their whole health journey. Examples of their work may include helping with transportation needs, food insecurity, housing, safety, and social isolation. We frequently need funding for these resources for our neighbors in a temporary financial bind. More information on Patient Supports can be found by clicking here.

Reach Out and Read

NorthLakes sponsors a literacy program based on The Reach Out and Read Program. It gives children of all ages a foundation for success by incorporating books into health care and encouraging families to read. The program builds on the unique relationship between parents and healthcare providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning in infancy and beyond, by providing the family with books. 

For today, this childhood literary program is a concrete investment to help the families and children that we serve. We hope you share NorthLakes’ values in building a foundation for literacy success.

NorthLakes Indigenous Health Care Scholarship

Our communities have experienced how longstanding injustices have created economic barriers for Native Americans. Many of these barriers stem from the generational impact of colonization, forced assimilation, and the removal of resources, causing many native communities to suffer from disproportionately high child poverty rates, mistrust of educational institutions, and many other roadblocks to economic success. 

We must add chronic health disparities to that list,  exacerbated by the fact that the healthcare industry’s workforce does not accurately reflect the communities it serves. The leadership at NorthLakes recognizes how disparities in educational opportunities uniquely impact our neighboring Native communities. As healthcare providers, they are especially interested in creating better access to healthcare careers for Native Americans. To address this, we are raising money for our NorthLakes Indigenous Health Care Scholarship. To donate to this endowment scholarship, please email: DKhouri@collegefund.org or go directly to the American Indian College Fund site.

Farm-to-Patient-Program
Community-Health-Workers-at-Chequamegon-Food-Co-op
Reach-Out-and-Read-Program

School-Based Behavioral Health

NorthLakes Community Clinic provides School-Based Behavioral Health care services in 20 school districts across 10 counties. Our School-Based Behavioral Health program ensures that students receive the mental health care they need during the most convenient time based on their course schedule. There are many benefits experienced by those in School-Based Behavioral Health, which include:

  • Improved access to consistent services and treatment
  • Ability to remain productive in academics and improve school performance
  • Immediate opportunity to apply newly learned skills
  • Reduced travel time and cost to and from appointments
  • Improved ability for parents/guardians to remain at work and earn income
  • Diminished missed appointments for therapy

Funding at this time for our outreach Behavioral Health program would be used for psychodrama therapeutic toys for the schools. Some of our clinics that serve schools have these tools, however many do not and it would be greatly appreciated.

NorthLakes Care

Our Patient Financial Advocates (PFAs) have reported an increase in both the need for the Sliding Fee Scale and our in-house program called NorthLakes Care. Many families of lower income are strapped with the type of crippling debt caused by high percentage interest rates on top of our raging inflation. This state of abysmal debt creates a state of hopelessness and paralysis, which doesn’t help with their overall health outcomes.

We offer a Sliding Fee Scale based on the Federal Poverty Level. If they do not qualify for the Sliding Fee Scale yet are still unable to afford care, we look into NorthLakes Care. There are two qualifications beyond financial need: if their health care needs are chronic and actively being treated. We also measure patient engagement in working towards a state of well-being. Many times, we have providers referring patients to NorthLakes Care since lack of healthcare treatments due to lack of resources will be detrimental to the patient and their wellness along with the ability in their future to lead a self-sustaining life.  

Once our Patient Financial Advocates have their financial information, they review and encourage applications for food sharing, health assistance, transportation, and workforce education. We work to ensure the patient’s financial situation is sustainable so there is no ongoing healthcare debt and hopefully lower overall debt.

Our NorthLakes Care program is used often to assist our neighbors with limited resources. We welcome any size donations to ensure your neighbors receive health care and remove barriers such as low income and a limited budget to receive medications and health care.

Use Where it is Most Needed:

Just as the title implies, we will let you know where we put your donation and the benefits to the community.

100 Who Care Giving Circles

We are raising funds for our fellow nonprofits with our 100 Who Care Ashland & Bayfield Counties and 100 Who Care Sawyer Counties. These two giving circles are NorthLakes’ vision of healthy, prosperous, engaged communities where everyone thrives. The work from our fellow nonprofits benefits us all and increases the capacity for healthy lifestyles for everybody.