Media Releases

HANCOCK – Portage Health is proud to introduce Stacey Carpenter, DO, as the newest member of its family medicine team. Dr. Carpenter will begin seeing patients in September.

Trained in osteopathic medicine, Dr. Carpenter will provide a full spectrum of primary care services at Portage Health’s main campus, with a special interest in pediatrics, women’s health, manual medicine and skin care.

“In addition to the multiple areas that the family medicine field encompasses, I have a special interest in dermatology and dermatologic procedures,” she said, adding that it’s important to have a close relationship with her patients. “I try to create a comfortable atmosphere so that my patients feel that they can be open and honest with me.”

Dr. Carpenter was first introduced to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1998 while looking at colleges.

“I immediately fell in love with the area,” she said. “I’ve been looking to move back to the U.P. ever since I left for medical school.”

Dr. Carpenter attended undergraduate and graduate school at Northern Michigan University before attending Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania. She completed an internship and residency at Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky, Ohio.

Learn more about Dr. Carpenter by visiting portagehealth.org/carpenter, or call (906) 483-1060 to schedule an appointment.

HANCOCK – Get up, get out and get walking on Monday, Sept. 3 for the Portage Health Labor Day Bridge Walk. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Kestner Waterfront Park (Chutes and Ladders) in Houghton, with the five-mile walk beginning at 9 a.m.

“We hope everyone will come out an join us for a walk across our beautiful lift bridge on Labor Day,” said Emily Kunnen, who’s organizing this year’s event. “The past couple years have been a lot of fun, and we’re hoping this year will be more of the same.”

The walk is free, and sponsored by the city of Hancock, city of Houghton, Portage Health, Michigan’s Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Farm Bureau Insurance.

Walkers across the state are doing similar events, inspired by the annual Labor Day five-mile walk over the Mackinaw Bridge.

“This is a fun event for the whole family,” said Kunnen. “There’s no competitiveness to it, just a fun morning of walking with hundreds of others locally and thousands of others statewide.”

Preregistration is not required, but we ask participants to arrive early enough to register at the event. For more information, visit portagehealth.org/bridgewalk.