Network & Team

The Town of Presque Isle is in northwest Vilas County adjacent to the border with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Like other Northern Wisconsin towns, Presque Isle (which used to be called Fosterville) was a mill town and the home of the famous Winegar works.

Based on 2020 census data, Presque Isle currently has a population of 808 full time residents, many of whom live on the numerous lakes found in the area.  Most of the businesses within the town are now tourist related with the population doubling or tripling in the summer months.  Presque Isle is a year-round tourist destination for snowmobiling, fishing, boating, hiking, and paddle sports.  Among the many attractions in the area are the Van Vliet Hemlock State Forest and the Katherine Wolter Wilderness Area.  Due in large part to its woods and water, Presque Isle is known as “Wisconsin Last Wilderness.”  According to USGS data, approximately 17% of the town’s land base of 74 square miles is water, which makes the township unique.  The Town of Presque Isle joined the GIVN network in 2022 and is the current location for network services.

Winchester is an unincorporated community of 546 residents located in the Northwest corner of Vilas County, Wisconsin.  Winchester was originally a mill town located on the Turtle Lake chain, that supported hundreds of millworkers and their families.  In the 1950’s, Winchester became a resort community with many local businesses including the bar and restaurant of the world famous archery expert, Art Laha.  During the summer months, Winchester attracts as many as 3,000 tourists.  In addition to the Mary Lake and Caterine Lake state designated natural areas, Winchester is the home of Winman, an outdoor recreation area operated by a non-profit that provides exceptional hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing experiences.  Winman attracts 50,000 or more visitors each winter.  Winchester is working closely with other towns in the area to develop paramedic emergency medical services.  Over the past decade the population of Winchester has increased by 40% (from 383 in 2010 to 546 in 2020) with much of this growth being new retirees moving into the community.  The Town of Winchester was a founding member of the GIVN Network, agreeing to join the network in 2023.

The Aspirus Ironwood Hospital is a community-based general medical/ surgical hospital located at N10561 Grandview Lane in Ironwood Michigan.  The hospital  is a fully accredited 25 bed inpatient facility that has a staff of 49 physicians who practice in 25 specialty areas.  These include cardiology, family medicine, oncology, orthopedics, geriatrics, podiatry, OB-GYN, as well as providing full service lab, radiology, and physical therapy.  The hospital also operates a fully staffed 10 bed emergency room. Ironwood hospital was established in 1923 to serve the Iron Range of Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin and is recognized by residents for its excellent quality of care.  The Aspirus Ironwood Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission  and its clinic is fully accredited as a patient centered medical home.  Based on this record of performance, Aspirus Ironwood Hospital has been named by the National Rural Hospital Association as one of the top 20 rural hospitals in the nation for the past four year.  The hospital became a member of GIVN in January of 2023.

KM dental provides general dentistry services for Western Gogebic County and is located at 600 Putnum Street in Wakefield, Michigan.  Dr. Kelli McWilliams, who owns and operates KM Dental, has 27 years of dental experience, and is committed to providing the highest quality of care for her patients.  She strongly believes that patients need to be fully informed to be able to make decisions about their dental needs.  This also extends to her commitment to work with community organizations such as GIVN.  KM Dental joined GIVN in November of 2024.  The GIVN Board of Directors has strongly supported network membership for dental providers due to the ongoing lack of services and an inadequate number of dental professionals in Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin.  GIVN plans to work closely with Dr. McWilliams and her staff in the training of additional dental professionals and developing long overdue dental prevention and education services for the network’s service area.  

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UW-PRI) joined the GIVN network at the request of the network’s membership in December of 2023.   Started in the UW Department of Population Health Sciences in 2005, the Institute builds organizational capacity to advance health equity and racial justice.  It accomplishes this mission by assisting communities and non-profit organizations to identify, evaluate, track, and shape the numerous factors that influence people’s health and well-being.  The 100+ staff of the institute have a solid history in developing organizational capacity and are committed to building equitable healthcare systems, structures, and policies.  The UW-PRI is currently serving as the evaluator for GIVN’s rural health network planning grant.  The institute is expected to play a significant role in future data collection, applied research,  leadership training, and implementing quality improvement for communities and partners served by GIVN.

The Generations program was originally established as the Lakeland Senior Center in 1977.  Since its founding, the Generations senior services program has provided a broad range of services to residents of the communities of Arbor Vitae, Hazelhurst, Lac du Flambeau, Lake Tomahawk, Minocqua, and Woodruff, Wisconsin.  These include educational programs, hosting of local organizations and governmental agencies, recreation, local transportation, a nutrition program, and grief counseling, among others.  A 2017 survey found strong local support for building a new senior center.  Since that time, Generations has completed the planning for this facility and is in the process of arranging the funding required for construction.  Generations joined GIVN in December of 2023, and has taken an active role in the development of the organization.