NorthPoint CEO Kimberly Spates puts patients at the center of care

“Fifty-one percent of our Community Board of Directors is made up of patients,” notes Kimberly Spates, CEO of NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, adding that this model is vital to the agency’s impact as “the folks that come to us for services also help to guide our work, make sure we’re meeting their needs, and hold us accountable.”

And while this level of engagement proved a little more difficult during and just after the COVID-19 pandemic, NorthPoint is ramping up new programs and initiatives, particularly in the wake of H.R. 1, which was signed into law last year and significantly encumbers access to Medicaid and other healthcare subsidies.

One recent event was the NorthPoint Community Conversation billed as “Meeting the Moment Together,” featuring Hennepin County Commissioner for District 2 Irene Fernando and Minnesota State Representative for District 59B Esther Agbaje. Their discussion centered on the shifting healthcare landscape and how local organizations like NorthPoint can help residents navigate the confusion and stress brought on by these policy changes.

Breaking down silos

Before taking over as CEO in the summer of 2024, Spates served as NorthPoint’s chief operating officer, and before that worked in administration for Hennepin County. Her experience with government and helping lead a Federally Qualified Health Center, coupled with a master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management, has served her well.

“At NorthPoint, there have always been these two separate pieces: human services and our clinical operations around medical, dental, behavioral health, and other things,” Spates explains. “As COO, I was always thinking about the need for these two areas to support one another, to break down those silo walls. Now I’m in the position to make this concept a reality and put the structures in place to create one NorthPoint.”

When Spates first arrived in North Minneapolis some 20 years ago, she wasn’t immediately sure what to make of her new home. But working closely with the African American Men Project and other key initiatives gave her a sense of the neighborhood and, soon, the realization that “this is where I should be.” She notes, with a smile, the serendipity of having grown up on North Point Road in her native Texas.

Asked how her values and experience influence the organizational culture she’s creating, Spates says, “Keep it simple. It’s all about serving others, and if you ensure that principle remains front and center, you can do some good in this world. But being of service means you have to show up, stand in the gaps. It’s our responsibility to speak truth to power, advocate for our community, translate when necessary, and understand that there might be some things we can’t do. Our community knows what it wants and needs. We just have to partner with others to provide the tools and resources for them to access those things.”

Prioritizing youth behavioral health and disparities

For decades, both the Twin Cities metro and the North Star State have ranked at or near the top in almost every quality-of-life measure imaginable. However, when those indicators are broken down along racial and ethnic lines, the region maintains some of the most glaring inequities in the nation. Progress has been made to close those gaps, but one of the more alarming trends in recent years is the significant increase in both the suicide and overdose death rates among Black adolescents and young adults.

“We have to continue dismantling the negative perceptions around behavioral health,” Spates declares. “NorthPoint is partnering with North Community High School, PCYC, and other school-based clinics to make sure our young people have the support they need.”

Helping parents, teachers, caregivers, and peers understand the warning signs is vital, Spates said. But there is much more to the effort, from building protective features into youth programming to connecting young people with mentors and mitigating the negative effects of social media.

Spates also emphasizes the need to reach young people at an early age, which is why NorthPoint partners with groups like PICA (Parents in Community Action). “We must continue to be in these spaces,” she said.

A generational space for the Northside and beyond

In 2018, NorthPoint expanded and modernized its campus with the opening of the Regional Acceleration Center on Plymouth and Penn avenues North, something Spates expresses deep appreciation for. “It’s given us the opportunity not only to enhance the health care services, but to build on the economic activity and creativity that has been generated in this space.”

Spates revels in the possibility of replicating this development elsewhere, and wants people excited about visiting the space. “When they walk through the doors, I want everyone to say to themselves that ‘this place was built for me.'”

In addition to the health services NorthPoint provides, the campus includes a wellness studio, a daycare center, displays of public art, cultural events, and the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum & Gallery.

NorthPoint plans to launch its new strategic plan in 2027. Perhaps more than anything else, Spates’ vision for the agency in the 21st century is to become the provider of choice for whoever needs services.

“It doesn’t matter if they live on the Northside or not, or whether or not they have insurance,” says Spates. “We are here for everyone. NorthPoint is a generational place, and I want to be sure we’re around another 50 years and beyond. We have to take care of home and, whenever possible, grow to other places where people are underserved.”

Tony Kiene is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He welcomes reader responses at tkiene@spokesman-recorder.com.