About Us
Improving Together
We are proudly funded by the Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant. SHIP was launched in 2008 as part of Minnesota’s bipartisan health reform effort. The Minnesota Legislature must renew the funding biannually and MDH awards grants to counties and cities across Minnesota.
Local communities decide how to focus their efforts to prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Those efforts are coordinated by SHIP staff who live in the communities they serve and informed by Community Leadership Teams who provide guidance and oversight in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating activities.
Staff
The Northeast chapter of the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) is built on a team of dedicated public health professionals that center community voice to promote healthy choices in the Northeast region.
Community Health Board
Taylour Blakeman
Regional SHIP Coordinator
Jenna Olson
Public Health Communications Coordinator
Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board
Stephany Medina
Program Manager & Public Health Planner
Stacie Blair-Nelson
Program Assistant
Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board
Susan Michels
Director
Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board
County coordinators
Hannah Colby
Public Health Educator
Aitkin County Health and Human Services
Kristina Mattson
SHIP Coordinator
Cook County Public Health
Emily Morrison
Public Health Educator
Carlton County Public Health and Human Services
Jayme Gabler
Public Health Educator
Itasca County Public Health
Linnea Imhof
SHIP Coordinator
Koochiching County Public Health
LaReesa Sandretsky
Community Health Educator
Lake County Public Health
Josh Gorham
Program Coordinator
St. Louis County Public Health
Partner Coordinators
Andrea Crouse
Community Development Manager
Zeitgeist (St. Louis County SHIP)
Adam Kurowski
Community and Energy Projects Manager
Ecolibrium3
Gavin Bukovich
Associate Planner
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
Kristina Mattson
Regional Lactation Coordinator
Samantha Martin
Public Health Educator (Tribal SHIP & Tobacco Coordinator)
Fond du Lac Public Health
Rachel Thapa
Full Service Community School Coordinator
Duluth Schools Collaborative
Community Leadership Team
The purpose of the Northeast Regional Community Leadership Team (RCLT) is to collaborate and align resources to address health inequities and create collective positive impact on the health and well-being of NE MN residents. The role of the RCLT is to provide guidance and oversight in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating activities, under the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) in the region.
The Northeast Regional Leadership Team will:
- Develop shared goals and values among the members that reflect local priorities in each of the 7 counties of the Healthy Northland region.
- Be connected to SHIP staff and projects across the region and state.
- Review community health assessments and community health needs assessments to align efforts, measurement, and outcomes.
- Collaborate, alignment of resources, and work towards collective impact.
- Support SHIP Statewide Activity and locally led evaluations.
- Meet 4 times per year (primarily virtually).
The Northeast Regional Leadership team will unite around five core roles of the Community Leadership Teams:
- Advisor/Decision Maker
- Connector/Networking
- Articulator of a shared and inspiring vision
- Advocate
- Hold the effort accountable to the shared goals and values
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