Grand Opening - February 18, 2006

Bigfork Valley: Who we are

As of Jan. 1, 2004, the many parts of Northern Itasca Health Care Campus came under one name and logo, Bigfork Valley. The Bigfork Valley logo represents its location: two rivers extending through forested hills that also appeared as the head of an eagle. Under its name are the words "hospital · clinics · communities" which represent Bigfork Valley's health care, outreach and senior living missions.

Associated with the logo is the phrase "Where skill meets compassion." That phrase summarizes the ideal that the approximately 200 employees of Bigfork Valley strive to produce. Through their initiative, new technology is brought to a rural community, but the new technology is framed by the compassion of a home town atmosphere, where patients and elders are treated like friends that live next door.

Recently the board of directors updated the mission statement of Bigfork Valley to reflect its community focus and goal of excellence: "The mission of Bigfork Valley is to provide a continuum of quality healthcare, housing and community services rooted in excellence and delivered with skill and compassion."

Today Bigfork Valley is connected to the wider medical community through many cooperative initiatives and progress in telecommunications. But when the hospital first broke ground in 1938, Bigfork was a remote rural community. Building a local hospital was the product of a group of visionary citizens and was funded through popular subscription and the Works Progress Administration Project sponsored by the Village of Bigfork. Many hours of pledged labor also went into building that first 8-bed hospital.

In 1965, a newly built 20-bed hospital opened at the present location, and ten years later the ownership moved from the Village of Bigfork to a hospital district. The district initially included the village and the townships of Marcell, Stokes, Liberty and Bigfork.

Today the Northern Itasca Hospital District includes seven organized townships, five unorganized townships and two cities in Itasca County, and unorganized territory along Highway 6 as well as the city of Big Falls in Koochiching County. Fourteen board members represent the voters in these areas, including two at-large positions. Each board member serves a two- or four-year term and may be re-elected.

The hospital service area includes much of southern Koochiching County and northern Itasca County, larger than the actual hospital district. Residents of the hospital district, however, have made a commitment to ensure continuing local hospital and health care services, and they receive preference in admissions to Bigfork Valley Villa and access to home health services, even when they live in remote areas.