Dr. Jim Heise has become more than the Chief Medical Officer at Door County Medical Center since March 2020. Mask or no mask, Heise has been one of the faces and voices of Door County’s fight against COVID-19 since even before the area saw its first positive case. Partnering with Door County Public Health’s Sue Powers, Heise did weekly Facebook Live sessions for several months before eventually paring them down to an as-needed basis. His communication efforts are done in between his already full workload which can ebb and flow with patients at a moment’s notice. Heise admits the task has been both redeeming and frustrating at times.

Heise takes great pride in the fact that Door County has the third-highest vaccination rate in the state and that the pandemic has only strengthened its bonds with other community partners such as school districts and the public health department. You can listen to our full interview on our Podcasts page.