Located in a historic Great Lakes town 110 miles northeast of Duluth, North Shore Health’s  hospital and care center is one of the most rural and remote in Minnesota.

Serving a wilderness region of several hundred miles, North Shore Health is essential for emergency and hospital services. Small hospitals and urgent care centers like North Shore Health face great economic challenges to keep up with technology and maintain revenue streams. This campus also has a 37-resident care center and a privately owned clinic.

In creating a long-term master plan, DSGW led a series of weekly workshops over the course of a year for multiple groups including patients, doctors, staff, neighbors and many others. Ultimately, DSGW led nine groups in shaping the master plan.

By building a broad sense of community “ownership” of the master plan, the hospital had the political and local support to continue its phased expansion and renovation. Double hospital rooms are replaced with a new addition for private patient rooms. The emergency department has expanded into three treatment rooms and a trauma room. These improvements increased staff efficiency, patient care and the range of services that the hospital can provide to maintain profitability. The care center was renovated and increased in size, resulting in all private resident rooms.