Grants are awarded quarterly to "qualified health care providers" who submit grant application forms for consideration by the Charitable Funds Distribution Committee.

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Grants awarded

NSHCF Grants awarded –



Cook County North Shore AmbulanceCook County North Shore Ambulance was the recipient of a grant from the North Shore Health Care Foundation 

The grant provided funds to purchase specialized equipment and supplies that will be used by the Paramedics on advanced life support ambulance runs. In early 2011, the Ambulance Service established a Paramedic Program and became licensed as a
part-time Advance Life Support (ALS) Service. The Paramedics have advanced skills that allow them to use equipment, supplies and drugs that have never been previously able to use in the Ambulance. The following equipment was purchased with the grant funds: one Ventilator that is used to breathe for patients, two SPO2/CO2 Monitors that are used to measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, two Emergency Pneumothorax Sets that are used to help a patient with a collapsed lung and two Advanced Life Support Cases that carry all the medication and supplies used by the Paramedic. Darrell Smith, Director of the Cook County Ambulance notes that “the ambulance service is always working to improve our skills and training so we can provide the best care to our patients and community, we thank the Foundation for helping us expand our abilities.”


2nd Quarter Grants - 2011

On June 13, 2011 , the North Shore Health Care Foundation awarded seven grants totaling over $17,000.

Each recipient is an organization that helps achieve the mission of benefitting health care for those who live, work and visit in Cook County. This is the largest amount ever given in a single quarterly cycle, and it brings the total awarded since 1995 up to $443,677.


1. Grand Marais Fire Department $1850
First Responder Training

2. Grand Marais Fire Department $300
Fire Safety Education in schools

3. Cook County Extension Service $601
Nutrition Education Kits

4. Cook County North Shore Hospital $10,161
Advanced Life Support ambulance equipment

5. North Shore Collaborative $1000
Books and supplies – LOTS program

6. Cook County Higher Education $2300
Technology Expansion project

7. Colville Fire Department $819
Medical Supplies


The hospital/ambulance equipment grant provided funds to purchase specialized equipment and supplies that will be used by the Paramedics on advanced life support ambulance runs. In early 2011, the Ambulance Service established a Paramedic Program and became licensed as a part-time Advance Life Support (ALS) Service. The Paramedics have advanced skills that allow them to use equipment, supplies and drugs that have never been previously able to use in the Ambulance. The following equipment was purchased with the grant funds: one Ventilator that is used to breathe for patients, two SPO2/CO2 Monitors that are used to measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, two Emergency Pneumothorax Sets that are used to help a patient with a collapsed lung and two Advanced Life Support Cases that carry all the medication and supplies used by the Paramedic. Darrell Smith, Director of the Cook County Ambulance notes that “the ambulance service is always working to improve our skills and training so we can provide the best care to our patients and community, we thank the Foundation for helping us expand our abilities.”

Cook County Higher Education received funding to expand its technology equipment and resources to support distance learning students in the community. Specifically, nursing students and others will now be able to produce and distribute video resumes online, as well as presentations or speeches required for class work.


1st Quarter 2011

On March 14, the NSHCF board voted to award five grants totaling $10,321.

The Grand Portage Health Clinic was granted $4753 for a new High/Low exam table. This is the electric type that patients and staff at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic have come to rely on since they were installed a couple of years ago. It makes it much easier for elderly or incapacitated patients to comfortably get into a position to be examined by the medical staff.

Cook County Schools, ISD 166, requested $491 for several items to be used by the school nurse in nutrition education, as well as a noise level indicator. The ‘Yacker Tracker’ looks like a stop light that can be mounted on a wall and stays green until noise levels reach a set level. The yellow or red lights clearly show everyone in the room (like the elementary gym) when the sound is dangerously loud.

The after school lounge program for 3rd – 8th graders is a joint project of Cook County KIDS PLUS, Cook County Extension and Cook County Community Education. Now a new partner has joined the mix by donating $2175 to provide healthy snacks for a full year. NSHCF is proud to be in a position to help with a successful program like this when it is faced with budget pressure.

At the other end of the age spectrum, the Cook County Council on Aging requested support for their new Water Fitness Class at the Grand Marais Recreation Area Pool. $902 will buy a variety of Aqua joggers, Aqua gloves and square noodles that will make the classes safer and more fun, and maybe move some students out of the shallow end of the pool.

Finally, Cook County Emergency Services was granted $2000 to support their annual Emergency Services conference. Personnel from many of the agencies the foundation regularly supports come together each year for training including live practice with simulated disasters. This year the plan is a plane crash in Grand Marais harbor. As usual with all emergency services, we hope they never have to use this training, but if a situation did develop we want to be sure everyone is well prepared.

4th Quarter 2010

Sawtooth Mountain Clinic received $1000 to start the planning and needs assessment for our new oral health program. For over a year the foundation has been leading and instigating a coordinated effort in Cook County to be sure that every child gets a dental exam and evaluation and also access to needed care. A series of meetings has been held to try to include all schools and childhood programs, and everyone agrees that this is an important problem to address, but specific needs are hard to determine from anecdotal evidence. This grant will cover a part of the cost of doing surveys to quantify the needs so that effective strategies can be designed.

Sawtooth Mountain Clinic also requested help with a well established program of Childbirth Education that serves an average of forty families per year preparing for new babies. $3052 was awarded to replace worn out cushions, buy new materials such as books, handouts and CD’s and pay for some staff training and community outreach events.

The Colville Volunteer Fire Department was awarded $241 for an adult traction splint for their rescue truck.

Care Partners of Cook County was granted $5000 in our ongoing effort to improve comfort care (palliative care) for those with advanced illness as well as those at the end of life. A matching grant from the Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services has given this program a big boost, but local matching funds are part of the formula.


NSHCF Grant Awards 3rd Quarter 2010

This quarter we awarded $3000 to the North Shore Hospital’s “Cook County Head and Butt Fund,” to fund car seats, bike helmets and related education. Our congratulations to the fund’s organizers for coming up with such a great idea: “To create a sustainable program... that will provide safety equipment to all children in Cook County
who need it.”

$300 was awarded to the Grand Marais Fire Department to fund materials for their annual fire safety educational program for children. Working with area schools, the department helps children understand the danger of fire and how to protect themselves against it.

$1000 was awarded to the North Shore Visitation Center to help cover the costs of transportation and materials to allow safe, supervised visits for children whose parents are involved in child protection or domestic violence cases.

$2700 was awarded to Cook County Higher Education, to help fund a six-week college prep course for students starting health-related degree programs. The last two registered nurse programs offered by CCHE have seen higher than usual attrition and this course should give students the study and time management skills to help them
successfully complete their degrees. 



Click below for a list of all grants awarded.



Grants awarded since 1995

Grant application form

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