For many in Menominee County they are battling some form of Mental Health crises. However, there are some significant barriers for accessing mental health services in Menominee County; perhaps, the most significant is the lack of a hospital being in the county. This barrier was magnified with Northpointe made the decision to no longer provide crisis services at Aurora Medical Center – Bay Area, the nearest hospital for more than three – quarters of Menominee County’s population. County Administrator Jason Carivou says, “this issue comes back to that Menominee County doesn’t have a hospital it’s in Wisconsin. It also doesn’t make sense to us that our nearest hospital is OSF up in Escanaba.”

Carivou says, “this decision, by Northpointe, has had a significant impact on the mental healthcare and services provided to the resident of Menominee County.”

After 20-plus years, Northpointe is no longer providing crisis services at Aurora Medical Center Bay Area, which has left the access and quality of mental health services available to Menominee County residents significantly diminished. However, Menominee County is actively working to find a way for Northpointe to resume providing these services.