IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Dickinson County commissioners made critical appointments to NorthPointe Behavioral Health’s board, shaping the future of mental health care in the region.
While the courtroom’s benches were packed with NorthPointe representatives, including the CEO, commissioners voted 3-2 for the re-appointment. The CEO took the floor during public comment, armed with materials aimed at addressing the board’s concerns, marking a pivotal moment in the dialogue between the county board and NorthPointe.
Kevin Pirlot, the re-appointed board chair, expressed satisfaction with the progress during the board meeting, stating, “Now I’m starting my second 3-year term, but Ralph Kramer is new to our board, but he’s not new to behavioral healthcare. So he has experience and understands the processes that are going to be in place, so he’s going to be a good asset to the board.”
Meanwhile, NorthPointe announced a series of public town hall meetings across counties, emphasizing transparency and community engagement. Ralph Kramer’s appointment, met with 3 votes in favor, 1 against, and one abstention, marked a step forward in the board’s composition and expertise.
Reflecting on the meeting’s outcomes, Pirlot remarked, “I’m happy with tonight’s meeting. We actually had some very good dialogue for the first time in recent weeks with all the accusations of different things that are going on. We finally sat down and started talking about them, and we’re working all of those issues out.”
He emphasized the challenges ahead, particularly regarding cross-border healthcare services, stating, “Our social workers need to be able to go across the river, into Wisconsin to provide the services in that emergency department, but we have to be able to take our entire toolbox with us…”
As Northpointe serves as the Community Mental Health provider (CMH) to 3 counties in the region, Pirlot highlighted the unique geographical challenges faced by Menominee County, adding, “This is the only county that their geographical hospital is in another state, and that makes it very difficult to work around.”
However, amidst challenges, Pirlot remained optimistic, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and collaboration in moving forward. “I’m just really glad tonight’s meeting, that we started a dialogue and talking back-and-forth. Questions were asked and answers were given. We’re getting into that process of solving what the misconceptions are, or what people feel are our problems. We started that process of healing, and getting it all done and squared away, so that’s the best thing of all today.”
Northpointe will host Dickinson County’s informational town hall meeting, open to the public in Kingsford this Wednesday, March 27th from 10-12.
Northpointe’s Iron River office will host a town hall meeting on Thursday, March 28th from 10-12. Northpointe is asking those planning to attend to RSVP.
Menominee County’s town hall meeting is yet to be announced.
For more information or to reach staff to RSVP to a town hall meeting, visit:
