IRON MOUNTAIN — A contract that will put Dickinson County Healthcare System under the umbrella of Marshfield Clinic Health System is on track for completion before the start of 2022, DCH CEO Chuck Nelson said Monday.

“We look to close that by the end of the year,” Nelson said of a planned affiliation agreement first announced Oct. 12.

Nelson’s report came as the DCH Board met Monday for possibly the last time. Once the deal closes, facility operations will be turned over Marshfield with input and oversight from a local advisory board.

Margaret Minerick, board chair, thanked “everyone at the hospital” for persevering through a financial restructuring three years ago, the emergence of COVID-19 and now the transition to joining Marshfield.

“We appreciate the extra work, the hard work,” she said.

Marshfield plans a $26 million capital investment over the next five years at Iron Mountain to include construction of a regional cancer care center. The Wisconsin-based provider is taking responsibility for pension funding with a commitment to retaining core services and medical practices at Dickinson for at least 10 years.

Marshfield is also expected to focus on expanding local outpatient surgeries as well as pediatric, primary and emergency care.

The Dickinson County Board approved the arrangement during a joint meeting with the hospital board Dec. 6.

In other action Monday, the hospital board:

≤ Received a COVID-19 update from Meghan Rossato, director of operations, who said DCH has six active cases among hospital patients. The omicron variant will likely become the dominant strain within the next few weeks. About 88% of COVID patients in critical care in Michigan are unvaccinated, Rossato said.

≤ Reviewed a report from Brian Donahue, chief financial officer, who said the hospital has 57 days cash on hand. The months of October and November both were positive, with net income of $328,000 in October and $272,000 in November. Also, the hospital continues to seek resolution with its insurer after a malware attack disrupted operations in October 2020.

≤ Heard Minerick thank Kim Van Osdol for his services on the board. Van Osdol, who recently stepped down as finance chair, “did a good job in helping us to get where we’re at,” she said.

≤ Heard Trustee Dan Wender likewise thank Minerick for her work the past two years as board chair. Minerick first led the DCH Board as it debated building a new hospital in the early 1990s. She later chaired the county board when the U.S. 2 facility opened in 1996. After an absence from county service, she was appointed in October 2018 to fill a trustee vacancy and was elected as chair in January 2019.