Emergency Department Doctors Resign, YMCA Deals with Sensitive Issue, More Changes at TV6, Cognition Opens One and Closes Another, and the Brownstone Blues
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
TWO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT doctors at UPHS have announced their resignations, to take effect within the next few months. Uncertain whether others will follow…This comes after an MAT report last month detailing some of the dysfunction and inefficiencies within the hospital’s Emergency Department…Good news? “Things have gone fairly smoothly in the Emergency Department in the last few weeks,” says one ED doctor. “It might be because we’ve had a low volume of patients…”
So far, there’s been no retaliation taken against the outspoken, though unnamed, doctors quoted in the article. In fact, there’s been some outreach to get the ED doctors more involved in Board meetings…Progress? Maybe.
UPHS has formally responded to the resignations and criticism:
“UP Health System values our excellent providers and is disappointed when any team member seeks employment elsewhere. Like all health systems, we are continuously recruiting new providers to our markets across the Upper Peninsula and are confident we will be able to fill any vacancies created by these departures with board-certified emergency medicine physicians…”
There had been speculation by critics that the hospital might fill the physician vacancies in the ED with Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. Apparently not.
As for the possibility of contracting the entire ED out to a third party, UPHS says No, that’s not the plan: “UP Health System-Marquette…is not looking to move from our current model to a national provider of emergency medicine…”
So, that’s good news. Better communication between the ED doctors and the Board and administration is also promising…Now, it’s a matter of filling the doctor vacancies, and avoiding more resignations from genuinely concerned doctors in the future…
THE MARQUETTE COUNTY YMCA, like other public institutions in Michigan, is dealing with a sensitive issue—namely, a recently passed amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The new law forbids any place of public accommodation from denying goods, services and facilities to anyone on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex….and sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. So what exactly does that mean for locker rooms?...The Y’s Board is working through the issue now, with the intention of following the law, while respecting the rights and concerns of all of its members. The amendment officially takes effect next year.
A difficult issue in difficult times.
But maybe it’s not that big of a deal. NMU says it’s had a non-discrimination policy in effect for years toward sexual orientation and gender identity. No problem…And Jonathan Ringel, the executive director of the YMCA’s in Iron Mountain and Escanaba, says their boards officially adopted the non-discrimination policy a month ago. No problems so far. “I hope we can remain accommodating to everyone and level-headed,” says Ringel. “I have talked to some of our transexual members and they have all been discreet.”
MORE CHANGES AND promotions at TV6 which, until recently, had boasted a remarkably stable anchor lineup…Grace Blair, who’s been the weekend anchor, will start co-anchoring the 6 pm news with Cody Boyer in June… “She has a great connection with our viewers and she really cares about Upper Michigan,” says news director Andrew LaCombe.
A new sports director, Kevin McNulty, fresh out of the University of Maryland, will soon be arriving on the scene, taking over for the recently departed Mike Ludlum…And Kent McLeod, the Iron Mountain reporter, has been promoted to weekend anchor…And there’s more! Mandy Koskela, now graduating from the University of Rhode Island, will soon be joining the Morning News as a third co-anchor with Elizabeth Peterson and Pavlina Osta…
UPPER MICHIGAN TODAY, the locally produced lifestyle show on TV 6’s sister station Fox UP, will be expanding from a half hour to a full hour later this summer. “There’s been tremendous interest in the show,” says LaCombe, “and great viewership.”…Another half hour? Whew! That’s a lot of time to fill, a lot of responsibility…The key to the show has been the endearing relationship between co-hosts Elizabeth Peterson and Tia Trudgeon, and their connection with their viewers.
TOO BAD ABOUT the imminent closure of the Cognition Brewery in Ishpeming…A lease disagreement, apparently. “It’s kind of sad, but it is what is,” says owner Jay Clancy, who will now be able to focus his energies on his newly opened Kognisjon Bryggeri (the Viking version of Cognition Brewery) on Third Street in Marquette…”We love the location, and the brewing system is incredible,” says Clancy. “And we’ll be milling our own grains!”
ROTATIONS, THAT HIGHLY regarded sandwich shop that recently closed downtown, may have a future life… “We’ve got several people interested in buying the space as a restaurant,” says Cliff Jacobson, the Rotations owner who decided to get out of the restaurant business. “Nothing definite. We should know more in the next couple of months.”…Uncertain whether a new owner would keep the Rotations name.
MUNISING BUSINESSMAN TOM Dolaskie is no fan of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)…Dolaskie and his partner bought the Brownstone Inn last year with the expectation of reopening the restaurant in December or January…Didn’t happen… “It’s a goddamned shame that the state of Michigan has empowered one or two individuals from EGLE to screw us over,” says a…uhh…disappointed Dolaskie.
The problem is the water. Dolaskie contends that the well water at the Brownstone has not tested bad in 45 years. EGLE, apparently, says it’s iffy…In any case, while a 12-month study of the water is undertaken, water will have to be hauled in. However, before he can do that, Dolaskie has to redo the water-hauling infrastructure at the Brownstone—new tanks, new trailer, certification, etc…A bureaucratic nightmare…
With luck, the Brownstone may reopen by July. No guarantees…And likely, EGLE officials will not be invited to the soft launch, whenever it occurs.
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I have to say, the UPHS response was disappointing. "We're sad we lost some doctors, but we're sure we can hire more." NOTHING about addressing the core problems.
Trans women are women. This cis woman will be happy to share the women's locker room at our wonderful YMCA with ALL women.