Northern Pines Health Center is an independent rural healthcare clinic located in Buckley, Michigan, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare to individuals and families throughout Northern Michigan. For more than two decades, our clinic has remained committed to delivering accessible, patient-centered care close to home while continuing to grow alongside the needs of the communities we serve.
Founded by Dr. Mitzie J. Hewitt, Northern Pines Health Center was built on the belief that rural communities deserve strong, comprehensive healthcare delivered with compassion, continuity, and respect.
Dr. Mitzie Hewitt was raised in Benzie County and returned to Northern Michigan after completing her education at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Following her Family Practice Residency at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, she began practicing medicine in the Buckley area through the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, which supports healthcare access in underserved rural communities.
What began as a commitment to fulfill a service obligation quickly became a lifelong dedication to the families and communities of rural Northern Michigan. Recognizing the need for expanded local healthcare services, Dr. Hewitt and her husband purchased the original clinic and later built the current facility to better serve the surrounding community.
Today, Northern Pines Health Center continues to operate as a locally owned rural health clinic focused on providing personalized, relationship-based healthcare for patients of all ages.
Northern Pines Health Center offers primary and preventive healthcare services for infants, children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Over the years, the clinic has expanded both its services and care team to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the region while maintaining the personalized approach often lost in larger healthcare systems.
Services include:
The clinic has also expanded its provider team over the years to include additional medical providers and support staff, helping ensure patients in rural communities have access to coordinated, high-quality care close to home.
Northern Pines Health Center strongly believes that healthcare is most effective when physical health, mental health, and patient support services work together. This team-based philosophy has remained central to the clinic’s mission since its founding.
In addition to primary care services, the clinic has continued to expand care management and behavioral health support programs to better assist patients navigating chronic medical conditions, mental health concerns, life stressors, and complex healthcare needs.
Northern Pines Health Center shares its building with additional healthcare resources, including Munson Laboratory and Dynamic Physical Therapy, helping improve convenience and access for patients within the community. These services operate independently from Northern Pines Health Center.
As a rural healthcare clinic, Northern Pines Health Center understands the unique challenges faced by patients and families in underserved areas, including transportation barriers, limited access to specialty care, and growing mental health needs.
The clinic has worked continuously to adapt and expand services while preserving the personal relationships and continuity of care that are essential in small communities. Dr. Hewitt has also remained active in medical education, clinical research initiatives, and advocating for rural health and improved healthcare access for underserved populations.
At Northern Pines Health Center, we are proud to continue serving the families of Northern Michigan with compassionate, community focused healthcare close to home.
Northern Pines Health Center remains committed to:
At Northern Pines Health Center, we believe quality healthcare should be accessible, personal, and community focused and we are proud to continue serving the families of Northern Michigan with that mission at the center of everything we do.
