Vital North stands ready as a collaborative partner working with Cook County community members, local leaders, partner organizations, and subject-matter experts. The next generation of innovative health programs begin with dialogue, exploration, and coalition building. Vital North wants to hear from you! What issues and areas of change would you like to see for improved community health and wellbeing? Contact our Executive Director to share your ideas.

The Rural Lab focuses on research and solution-development for the most challenging issues that affect the Cook County community. With an emphasis on collaboration and empowerment of local residents, the Rural Lab seeks to understand and build knowledge for impactful solutions related to community wellbeing.

Since its inception in 2023, the Emergency Workforce Solutions Program has endeavored to reduce critical staffing shortages in emergency response services, and bring state of the art medical training to Cook County. Through an ongoing coalition with North Shore Health Hospital, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and Grand Portage Health, along with Cook County Public Health & Human Services and Care Partners of Cook County and Cook County Higher Education, a local training center was created to train and certify new emergency responders and update a variety of essential skills for medical staff through continuing education classes.

Vital North selects individuals and organizations with a track record as innovators, changemakers, and leaders in health and wellbeing for Community Impact Awards that honor and support their important work.

The Caring Connections Award is granted annually to an individual or organization working to support health transportation access (especially in the area of cancer treatment) and/or dementia-related support services for local community members.

Celebrating ten years as an independent non-profit! Care Partners of Cook County provides vital support and services to help clients and their families address the transitions of aging and end-of-life with safety, dignity, and confidence.

Winner of the 2024 Minnesota Rural Health Team Award! The Oral Health Task Force is a homegrown solution unique to Cook County that works to provide dental care to the children of Cook County and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.