The NHS Northstar Blog
DSP Appreciation Week!
Hello NHS Employees! September 13, 2026 is the start of National Direct Support Professional Week and we want to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for the invaluable work and dedication you give to impact and change the lives of the individuals we support. As a small token of our appreciation, each day (Monday-Friday), we will randomly draw the names of 2 direct support workers (10 in total) who will receive various themed prizes. The winners will be announced on this blog. Directors will also be stopping by each of our homes and offices during the week to deliver ‘sweet treats’ to all staff working and leave extra behind for staff that aren’t (information on approximate times will come out [...]
September 2026, Employee Milestones and Welcomes
NHS Northstar wants to celebrate our staffs' milestones! We would like to recognize the following employee anniversaries and their years of service: September Anniversaries Shannon Saari, Jones - 13 years Tracy Duffney, Hibbing Community - 9 years Karin Lindmark, Accounting - 5 years Abbie Moberg-Maki, Hibbing Community - 4 years Cassandra Mettler, Sierra - 4 years Madison Walters, Kingston - 3 years Laura Berg, Crescent - 3 years Leah Carls, Keewatin Community - 3 years Aaron Foss, Keewatin Community - 3 years Bobbie Highland, Deerfield - 3 years Leslie Holappa, Fernwood - 3 years Terrie Jensen, Deerfield - 3 years Jennifer Maish, Deerfield - 3 years Tammy Maish, Residential Services - 3 years [...]
August 2026, Shining Star of the Month: John Bickford
Maintenance Technician III Employed with NHS Northstar: 4.5 years Nominated by: Joan Niskanen John shows up at houses to take care of maintenance tickets, always smiling. He askes for staff input and tries to trouble shoot issues with them. He never acts like what we are asking is too much or unnecessary. He is a joy to work with! We are proud to have John here at NHS Northstar! Congratulations, John! Take-Five We ask each of our Shining Star winners to complete a quick, “Take-Five” questionnaire so we can get to know them a little more and hopefully inspire others to shine! What motivates you to do your best work every day? It [...]