“Being homeless is incredibly traumatic and it is very stressful,” said Dr. Danielle Robertshaw, medical director of the county’s health care program for the homeless. “There are a lot of patients who just aren’t able to fully address their health needs when their lives are just that chaotic.”Good Question: What happens to your body during a hangover?
WCCO 4, 12/29/16
“A hangover is a couple of things,” said Dr. Gavin Bart, an addiction medicine specialist at the Hennepin County Medical Center. “It’s basically a huge inflammatory response. So it’s kind of like having the flu.”Minneapolis woman feels “blessed” by EMS Pathways Academy opportunity
KSTP 5, 12/26/16
Back in the spring, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS started following Thomas’ journey, along with a couple dozen other students in the EMS Pathways Academy, a new partnership with Hennepin EMS and Minneapolis Fire to train EMTs and recruit new firefighters.
Extreme cold affects Holidazzle, takes over Twin Cities
WCCO 4, 12/18/16
Dr. Ryan Fey, the burn director at Hennepin County Medical Center, said: “The number of (cold weather) injuries we see is directly proportional to how cold it gets and so sure enough last night we had a very busy night.”
Betty Ford comes to San Diego with new focus on opioid addiction
San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/16/16
Dr. Gavin Bart, director of addiction medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and a professor at the University of Minnesota, pointed to several peer-reviewed studies in medical journals that indicate tapering of these medications is ineffective.
Dangerous cold looms, HCMC doctor urges caution
NW Cable 12 TV, 12/15/16
The dreaded polar vortex has descended upon the Twin Cities, forcing people to bundle up as the temperatures plummet. But doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center say not everyone has gotten the message.
“Since about Saturday really, we started to see a kind of slow, steady trickle of frostbite patients coming in,” said Dr. Ryan Fey, medical director of HCMC’s Burn Center. “Having the deepest part of the cold snap hit us on the weekend is worrisome.”
Winter Institute Book Drive to benefit three Minneapolis-based organizations
American Booksellers Association, 12/14/16
The Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) is a public hospital in the heart of Minneapolis featuring a robust Children’s Literacy Program that distributes thousands of books to patients and visitors annually. Now established in all of the center’s primary care clinics, HCMC’s Children’s Literacy Program started out by implementing Reach Out and Read, a national program promoting early reading and school readiness in healthcare clinics across the country.
Health Check: Holiday Heart Syndrome
NW Cable 12 News, 12/6/16
Before holiday celebrations begin, there’s a warning about your health. It’s that time of year where the food and drinks flow freely. While there are plenty of reminders of what the extra calories can do for your waistline, Hennepin County Medical Center Cardiac Electrophysiologist Dr. Rehan Karim says binge drinking can hurt the heart.
Patients at HCMC Burn Center receive gifts from local firefighters
KSTP 5, 12/6/16
Patients in Hennepin County Medical Center’s Burn Center received a special visit Tuesday from local firefighters.
The nonprofit organization Firefighters for Healing delivered gifts to the patients and food for the staff. The group says it works all year to raise money so they can bring comfort to these families.
Firefighters for Healing spread holiday cheer at HCMC
WCCO 4, 12/6/16
A group of people who know the dangers of fire are helping spread cheer this holiday season.
With their sirens blazing, this special group of firefighters responded to a different type of call for help at Hennepin County Medical Center. The group “Firefighters for Healing” supports patients and their caregivers at the hospital’s burn center.
As Fridley man recovers he reaches out to hit-and-run driver
KSTP 5, 12/5/16
Blaine police are looking for a driver involved in a hit-and-run Saturday morning.It happened about 1:30 a.m. at the intersection of 85th and University Avenue near the Northtown Mall.That’s where 56-year-old Bob Johnson was severely injured. Johnson has been at HCMC since the crash.
Is “screen time” affecting teens’ sleep patterns?
WCCO 4, 12/5/16
With the help of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, WCCO tracked the phone usage of three teenagers. As we discovered, doctors were even surprised by what did and didn’t happen.
Doctor Ranji Varghese at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center at Hennepin County Medical Center equips each teenager with what’s called an actograph.
HCMC hammers health and wellness into local expansion
The Northerner, 12/5/16
In the HCMC addition, there will be a skyway that connects the AOSC to the already busy Level 1 Trauma Center, which serves for adult and children emergency, surgical and pediatric needs 24 hours a day.
“At this point of the project, we are at 40 percent completion; within the next 90 days, we will continue to enclose the structure,” said Nicholas Balagurchik, AOSC project executive lead, in an email. “Look for metal panels going up in the first week of December.”
Hennepin Co. seeking HIV-infected people in need of care
MPR, 12/1/16
“It’s been hard to find folks who, for whatever reason, have either moved or dropped out of care,” said Nick Vogenthaler, medical director of Hennepin County’s Red Door Clinic and the Positive Care Center at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Victim in daycare owner hit-and-run incident speaks out
WCCO 4, 11/29/16
He was dragged for more than eight blocks by a woman on the run after an incident in her Uptown daycare center, and now Salvador Lema is speaking out about how he survived.
Bicyclist feels for day care provider, hit-and-run driver
KARE 11, 11/29/16
Using a ladder any time soon? Take it easy up there
Star Tribune, 11/28/16
At Hennepin County Medical Center, doctors treat about 80 people per year who are injured in ladder falls, and a comparable number hurt by falling off roofs, said Dr. Jim Miner, the emergency medicine chief at the Minneapolis hospital. His recommendation: Don’t work on a ladder alone.
Man hurt in hit-and-run was part of woman’s 13-minute rampage
WCCO 4, 11/20/16
A Minneapolis man was recovering at Hennepin County Medical Center Sunday night after he was the victim of a hit-and-run on his bike on Friday morning
HCMC celebrates topping out ceremony at new clinic
KSTP 5, 11/10/16
The last and highest beam was put into place at the new building in Minneapolis. The 377,000-square-foot building will house surgery and cancer centers, primary and specialty care facilities along with physical and occupational therapy suites.
Man who survived Big Lake house explosion says he’s lucky to be alive
KSTP 5, 11/8/16
Just 24 hours after the explosion, Shelton is recovering at Hennepin County Medical Center and says the pain is not as severe and he’s even tried walking around.
Man burned in Big Lake house explosion shares his story
WCCO 4, 11/7/16
Burned and bandaged in the burn unit at Hennepin County Medical Center, Rodney Shelton counts his blessings.
Vikings bring burn victim into the huddle
WDAZ TV, 11/7/16
“2nd column to the left, towards the middle,” Gabe Schwarzlander said as he pointed to his room at Hennepin County Medical Center where he spent a month this summer after he was critically burned in an ATV accident near his home in Bemidji.
The Drive: Get your sleep before you drive
Star Tribune, 11/6/16
A lack of sleep can sneak up on you, said Ranji Varghese, medical director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Methadone is helping Minnesota addicts but leaving its own dangerous trail
Star Tribune, 11/5/16
Dr. Charles Reznikoff of Hennepin County Medical Center said the state’s opioid death toll would be far worse if methadone weren’t available. The addiction specialist said HCMC’s outpatient methadone clinic sees 300 patients a day — more than its emergency department.
Hennepin County Medical Center creates new space for psychiatric patients and families
Star Tribune, 11/2/16
“This will be a space where people can talk about mental illness as openly as they talk about diabetes or any other health condition,” said Megen Coyne, senior director of psychiatry at HCMC.
Eight big and small ideas for building resiliency
Minnesota Medicine, 11/1/16
Mark Linzer, MD, director of general internal medicine at HCMC and a national authority on physician well-being, says hospitals, clinics and health care systems are recognizing they have an “organizational imperative” to care for the well-being of their staff. “We’re getting calls and notes from all over the country from people who wish to do this,” he says, referring to the work HCMC is doing to foster resiliency among staff.
‘Like Flipping a Switch’: Minnesota man finds solution to struggle with sleep eating
WCCO 4, 11/1/16
Doctor Ranji Varghese diagnosed Jason Carney with a sleep-related eating disorder.
“He kind of knew his diagnosis before he even came into the sleep clinic most patients don’t have that knowledge,” Varghese said.
Fixing the system to fight burnout
ACP Internist, 11/1/16
Certainly, the pressures on doctors can’t be eliminated, said Dr. Mark Linzer, who directs the division of general internal medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
How sleep disorders affect our lives
WCCO 4, 10/30/16
Dr. Ranji Varghese of Hennepin County Medical Center, spoke with Esme Murphy about the sleep disorders that affect 40 million Americans.
The heart of care
Msp/StPaul Magazine, 10/26/16
Meet our 2016 Outstanding Nurses Award winner – Nurse Practitioner Luann Johnson, and finalists Pamela Noone and Mary Meeks from Hennepin County Medical Center. They are making a difference at bedsides, in clinics and classrooms, and around the world.
Teen reunited with man who saved him after ATV accident
WCCO 4, 10/20/16
Josh Bouley was airlifted to HCMC Level 1 pediatric trauma center, where doctors did an emergency surgery to remove his spleen and stop the bleeding.
Group vying for more doctors to prescribe naloxone to combat opioid overdoses
Fox 9, 10/17/16
“We’re starting to prescribe naloxone to a lot of these patients that we’re prescribing opioids to,” said Dr. JoAn Laes, who treats addiction patients at Hennepin County Medical Center. “I think it’s great we are able to have these kits because it does help spread the awareness of opioid addiction.”
Good Question: What’s so bad about being lonely?
WCCO 4, 10/13/16
“It’s pretty rare that I come across a patient who is coming to me for psychiatric treatment that doesn’t have some degree of loneliness,” says Dr. Matthew Syzdek, a clinical psychologist with Hennepin County Medical Center. “Loneliness is often not a choice. It’s often a consequence of life situations.”
Lifting children out of food insecurity
Medical Xpress, 10/11/16
“By increasing the purchasing power for nearly a half million people, we’re giving these families a fighting chance at providing healthy meal options to their loved ones,” said Diana Cutts, MD, Children’s HealthWatch co-principal investigator and medical director of the Children’s Growth and Nutrition Clinic at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Climbing the ladder: New Minneapolis Fire Dept. program works to improve diversity
KSTP 5, 9/29/16
The Minneapolis Fire Department launched the EMS Pathways Academy along with Hennepin County EMS earlier this year in hopes of finding firefighters and medics who might not have tried to join the ranks.
Missing mist? How to help your kids handle the flu shot
Star Tribune, 9/27/16
Hennepin County Medical Center started giving flu vaccines a couple of weeks ago, and so far, people have been willing to roll up their sleeves and get the shot, said Dr. Stacene Maroushek, a pediatrics infectious disease specialist at HCMC in Minneapolis.
Hennepin County Medical Center is a leader in ‘bloodless’ surgery
Star Tribune, 9/24/16
Dr. Daniel DiBardino didn’t have much time for niceties on Sept. 8 as he consulted patient Michael Anderson about the emergency cardiac bypass he needed. Anderson is a Jehovah’s Witness — opposed to donor blood transfusions — and DiBardino needed to know if he could breach that religious conviction during the procedure.
Maxx Williams’ cousin still has football dreams after boating accident
WCCO 4, 9/23/16
Mac Scheuble loves to fish, so that is where he was this summer. He was fishing Lake Waconia with a buddy when a wave hit the boat, throwing him overboard.
“Kind of a blur,” Mac said. “I just felt my knee just … I was in so much pain.”
The prop had cut his knee, and it was deep. His mother, Vicki Scheuble, was there by the time they arrived at the dock.
Spike in soccer injuries requires perspective
KARE 11, 9/12/16
A dose of perspective should be included with a new study on youth soccer injuries. So says the head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Andrew Kiragu says not only has the popularity of soccer increased during the 25-year study, but so has the attention paid to concussions.
Good Question: What is pneumonia?
WCCO 4, 9/12/16
“Pneumonia’s an infection that involves the lungs,” says Dr. Mark Sprenkle, chief of pulmonary and critical care at the Hennepin County Medical Center. “It can be caused by many different kinds of organisms from viruses to bacteria to fungus.”
Jockey injured in Canterbury Park race
KARE 11, 9/6/16
Rusty Shaw was rounding the corner for home on Saturday when Canterbury Park officials say the horse he was riding, Classy Star, suffered a leg injury and sent both of them to the ground.
Five-year-old girl survives near-fatal farm accident
KARE 11, 9/2/16
“It’s a miracle that she’s made it through and is doing as well as she’s doing,” said Dr. Tina Slusher. A miracle with an assist from the doctors and nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center and support from around the world.
Five ways hospitals are improving the workplace on Labor Day and beyond
STAT, 9/2/16
“There is nowhere to go in a hospital to just stop for a minute before you go back to your typical 12- or 14-hour day,” said Mark Linzer, director of the office of professional work-life at Hennepin. “The idea really is just to sit.”
Fairgoers help with brain injury research
KARE 11, 8/31/16
“If we have diagnostic tools that help us classify brain injury better than we can treat it better,” said Dr. Uzma Samadani, of HCMC, who believes brain injuries are one of the last major obstacles in medicine.
Flu shots at the fair: Health officials say vaccine is ready
NW Cable 12 News, 8/30/16
Located in a building at the corner of Cooper and Dan Patch, nurses from MVNA try to lure in fair-goers who wander on by.
“When I stand out in the aisle, I always say, ‘most fun you’re gonna have at the fair all day is your flu shot,'” said Melissa Beebe, a program manager for the MVNA.
Despite rising concerns over concussions, this doctor prescribes football
Star Tribune, 8/29/16
Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon and parent of a player, says a proper approach takes the concern out of the game.
Key points on avoiding brain injury
Star Tribune, 8/28/16
According to Dr. Uzma Samadani, a University of Minnesota associate professor of neurosurgery and an attending neurosurgeon and brain injury researcher at HCMC, these are three key factors to football and brain health.
Good Question: How much should we sit?
WCCO 4, 8/18/16
When a person sits, their heart is not pumping as hard, according to Natalie Ikeman, a physician’s assistant with Hennepin County Medical Center’s Golden Valley Clinic. Numerous studies have shown a sedentary lifestyle leads to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and death.
Good Question: What is rabies?
WCCO 4, 8/17/16
Dr. Caitlin Eccles-Radtke, an infectious disease doctor at Hennepin County Medical Center, said a person bitten by a rabid wild animal would receive a rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin immediately. They would also get the rabies vaccine shot on the third, seventh and 14th day after the bite.
Fox suspected in attack near Lake Harriet caught; woman grabbed jaws to free herself
Star Tribune, 8/17/16
Dr. Caitlin Eccles-Radtke, an infectious disease physician at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the vaccinations involve single shots in the arm starting on the day of exposure and then on the third, seventh and 14th days following the encounter. Before that series is an injection to help the immune system.
Hennepin County expanding home visiting programs
KSTP 5, 8/12/16
Healthy Families America is one of three home visiting services Hennepin County offers. The need has grown to where Hennepin County’s Community Health Board applied and was awarded nearly $3.5 million for a four-year grant. Program Director Anna Mueller says, the money through the Minnesota Department of Health will help expand their Nurse Family Partnership Home Visiting Program in suburban Hennepin County.
Nowhere to go, psychiatric patients languish in Minnesota hospitals
Star Tribune, 8/11/16
While waiting for less-intensive care, many of these psychiatric patients are held in locked units with little sunlight and freedom of movement, noted Dr. Eduardo Colon, chief of psychiatry at HCMC. “Most of us have the freedom to come and go,” he said. “We don’t understand how difficult that is to be confined to a locked space with locked doors.”
Minnesota hospitals ramp up efforts to battle physician burnout
Star Tribune, 8/6/16
“The system that burns out doctors doesn’t perform as well when it comes to patient care,” said Dr. Mark Linzer, director of internal medicine at HCMC in Minneapolis. “I think people have recognized that if you start measuring [burnout], start talking about it and develop some kind of modest infrastructure to oversee it, you can begin to make a dent in it.”
Hennepin EMS to run entire medical response operation at US Bank Stadium
KSTP 5, 8/3/16
“This is, in some ways, the same thing we’ve been doing, we’re just taking it to the next level,” Hennepin EMS Public Information Officer Mike Trullinger said.
Why are women losing the battle of the bulge?
Star Tribune, 8/2/16
Dr. Guilford Hartley is medical director of the Hennepin Bariatric Center and Obesity Program, where 100 surgeries for weight management are performed each year.
He sees many more female patients than men. Part of the reason, he said, is that women are more likely to seek medical treatment for a weight issue than men.
Shot pizza delivery driver makes miraculous recovery
Fox 9, 8/2/16
Andrew Gryskiewicz was shot and nearly died as he left his last pizza delivery stop the early morning of July 23.
Now, ten days later, the Dulono’s Pizza driver celebrates a special birthday as he’s discharged from Hennepin County Medical Center.
Inside Your Health Special: Food as Medicine
KSTP 5, 8/1/16
When thinking of how food affects health, the words “diet” and “nutrition” most likely come to mind.
However, food can also be used as a health care tool, similar to prescription medications or surgery. Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis is even writing “food prescriptions” for patients. Dr. Jon Pryor and Dr. Diana Cutts were interviewed for this special.
Delivery driver recovering from gunshot
KARE 11, 7/31/16
Andrew Gryskiewicz celebrated his 31st birthday Sunday. A week ago, it’s a birthday he almost never had.
Community paramedics meet and treat patients, work to keep regulars out of ER
KSTP 5, 7/31/16
David Johnson is a Community Paramedic with Hennepin County Medical Center. He meets those in need where they’re at, sometimes under a bridge in Minneapolis, or a home in Minnetonka, even a semi truck in rural Scott County.
Delivery driver shot in heart tells his story
WCCO 4, 7/27/16
A Minneapolis pizza driver who was shot in the heart and minutes from dying is alive to tell his story.
“It’s amazing to be a part of that and to see someone make that kind of recovery,” said HCMC’s Dr. Mark Hill.
Dew points reach dangerous levels
NW Cable 12, 7/21/16
“It’s going to be a tough day for a lot of people who work outside,” said Dr. Jim Miner of Hennepin County Medical Center. “We’re not used to heat in Minnesota, so it takes a while for your body to acclimate to being too warm.”
Staying safe and cool in a Minneapolis heatwave
Downtown Journal, 7/20/16
James Miner, chief of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center and professor of emergency medicine at the University of Minnesota, expects a lot of people to get sick.
It is not very common for people to be treated for heat-related illnesses unless it is very hot, Miner said, and it is going to be very hot.
Interactive map can help find cool public places
NW Cable 12 News, 7/20/16
People without air conditioning will want to escape the heat later this week. Hennepin County has developed a map to find public places where you can cool off. Dr. James Miner offers heat safety tips.
Is authentic global cooking possible in volume?
FoodService Director, 7/19/16
In Minneapolis, a city with a large Hmong community, the Hennepin County Medical Center serves new mothers a Hmong stewed chicken dish traditionally eaten after childbirth. When the kitchen first started preparing the meal, it wasn’t quite right, says Bill Marks, Hennepin’s director of food, nutrition and environmental services. “The herbs needed to make the dish truly authentic were not available,” he says, “so we decided to grow them on our patio garden.”
Heavy rain, dangerous heat on way with high temps near 100 in Minnesota
Star Tribune, 7/19/16
With conditions like that in the forecast, Jim Miner, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, says heat exhaustion can set in quickly. One of the best ways to beat the heat is to drink lots of water.
2016 Outstanding Nurses Awards
Mpls/StPaul Magazine, 7/18/16
On July 14, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine celebrated excellence in Twin Cities nursing by toasting 74 finalists and recognizing 16 winners of our coveted Outstanding Nurses Awards.The Award for Outstanding Nurse Practitioner went to Luann Johnson, Hennepin County Medical Center
Health systems are betting on primary care
Star Tribune, 7/9/16
Hennepin County Medical Center is opening a new clinic in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, while Bloomington-based HealthPartners is providing more walk-in care at its clinics.
Under Affordable Care Act, growing use of ‘community health workers’
Stateline/The Pew Charitable Trusts, 7/8/16
A 2014 study in St. Johnsbury, Vt., found that patients who saw community health workers were more likely to follow through on treatment and had better access to prescription drugs, health insurance, housing and health education. And doctors said using community health workers enables them to focus more on their patients’ clinical needs.
Kristen Godfrey Walters, community care coordinator for Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), said her hospital has gotten similar results. Under the hospital’s Health Care Home program, which relies heavily on 33 community health workers, there was a one-year 29 percent decrease in hospitalizations and emergency room use dropped 21 percent. A preliminary analysis also showed a decline in claims costs, she said.
Narcan used to fight growing opioid epidemic
KSTP 5, 7/1/16
“To identify that it is actually an overdose from heroin or opioids. That can be a bit of a challenge,” said Tim Carpenter, Hennepin County Emergency Medical Services.
Wire grill brushes can cause clean-up troubles of their own
Star Tribune, 7/1/16
Deborah Zvosec went to Hennepin County Medical Center because she felt discomfort. Imaging scans found a 1.7 centimeter wire segment embedded deep in her tongue near the back of her throat.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
WCCO Radio, 6/28/16
John Williams talks to HCMC neurologist Dr. Adam Loavenbruck about Foreign Accent Syndrome.
5 Safety-net hospitals, systems to know, part 3
Becker’s Hospital Review, 6/28/16
HCMC houses Minnesota’s premier Level I adult and pediatric trauma centers. The hospital places serious emphasis on creating diverse, inclusive and culturally competent environments for both employees and patients.
IKEA recalls 29M MALM dressers after 6 kids die
KARE 11, 6/28/16
Julie Philbrook, a registered nurse at Hennepin County Medical Center, helps families prevent accidents as a Trauma Prevention Specialist.
She says the IKEA dresser accidents aren’t limited to the Malm dresser but any piece of furniture that can be climbed on and isn’t secure.
Big Lake death shines spotlight on electric shock drowning
WCCO 4, 6/28/16
Chief of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, Dr. Jim Miner says the electric shocks cause intense pain. But in a lake, pool or tub, it’s far worse.
Teen recovers from electric shock
KARE 11, 6/27/16
“This would have been a totally different outcome,” said Dr. Andrew Kiragu.
Sauk Rapids boy making “miracle” recovery after 30-foot fall, electric shock
MPR, 6/27/16
Dr. Andrew Kiragu, medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the recovery of Danny Fleigle has been a “miracle.”
Sartell teen who was shocked, fell 30 ft. tells survival story
Fox 9, 6/27/16
Doctors were eventually able to shock his heart and get it beating again. They say if it weren’t for his friends, he probably wouldn’t survived.
“I just want to give these young ladies kudos. Had they not done that, this young man may not be sitting here. Very remarkable. Truly a miracle,” Dr. Andrew Kiragu said.
Sauk Rapids teen who feel from bridge talks about his recovery
WCCO 4, 6/27/16
Dr. Andrew Kiragu leads HCMC’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Kiragu told reporters that Danny’s injuries were multiple and complicated, any of which could have ended his life.
Doctor: Fleigle’s recovery ‘truly a miracle’
St. Cloud Times, 6/27/16
With the help of a nurse, the 16-year-old Fleigle walked from his hospital room into a conference room at Hennepin County Medical Center, where television cameras and a mob of his friends and family waited for him. A reporter asked what he would tell other thrill-seekers looking for an adventure on a closed bridge.
“If you like it, do it,” he said with a sly smile. “But be careful. Get permission.”
“I think what Danny is trying to say is ‘Don’t do it! Safety first!’ ” Dr. Andrew Kiragu interjected, to the laughter of the room. Another reporter asked if Fleigle would ever be going back to the bridge. Again with a grin, he started nodding before agreeing with his friends’ protests that he would stay away.
Sauk Rapids teen who survived fall from Old Sartell Bridge: I thought I was invincible
KSTP 5, 6/27/16
“This could have been a totally different outcome,” HCMC Pediatric ICU Physician Dr. Andrew Kiragu said, taking into account Danny’s severe injuries, which included electric shock, head trauma, a concussion, a broken rib, a broken vertebrate, an airway injury by his lung and a contusion to his heart.
Heroics of quick-thinking friends save Sauk Rapids teen jolted by electrical wire
Star Tribune, 6/27/16
“It’s truly a miracle,” (Dr. Andrew) Kiragu said. “His heart stopped beating. He died, and then he was brought back to life.”
Sauk Rapids teen recovering after shock, fall from bridge
KSTP 5, 6/24/16
A 16-year-old Sauk Rapids boy is recovering in a Minneapolis hospital after he was shocked by an electrical wire and fell while climbing on a closed bridge.
Friends credited for saving teen’s life
KARE 11, 6/24/16
Around 9:30 p.m. on June 15 police say 16-year-old Daniel Fleigle was at the old Sartell Bridge with friends. He reportedly climbed to the top of the bridge and was walking across when he grabbed a live wire, was electrically shocked, and plunged 30 feet to the bridge decking below.
Star Tribune, 6/24/16
A 16-year-old Sauk Rapids boy is recovering in a Minneapolis hospital after he was shocked by an electrical wire and fell while climbing on a closed bridge.
Sauk Rapids teen shocked by wire in fall recovers
WCCO 4, 6/24/16
Police say Daniel Fleigle climbed to the top of the old bridge over the Mississippi River
in Sartell on June 15. He grabbed a live wire and then fell to the deck 30 feet below.
Friend’s CPR helped save Minnesota teen after shock, fall from bridge
Fox 9, 6/23/16
Doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis say the CPR provided by friends of Daniel Fleigle helped save the 16-year-old’s life after he was shocked by an electrical wire and fell 30 feet from the Old Sartell Bridge last week.
Sauk Rapids teen improving after fall, shock
St. Cloud Times, 6/23/16
Christine Hill, senior media relations specialist for Hennepin County Medical Center, said Daniel Fleigle, 16, has been upgraded from critical to satisfactory condition after falling from the Sartell Street bridge.
Minn. County Medical Center Named Medical Services Provider for U.S. Bank Stadium
EMSWorld, 6/23/16
HCMC will provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and emergency medical response personnel for events in the stadium, backed by the full services of the healthcare system.
Hospitals face new obstacles in wake of mass shootings
National Public Radio, 6/20/16
In any situation like Orlando, there are a lot of what-ifs – questions about whether lives might have been saved if only something different had happened. The National Academy of Medicine has been trying to find some answers by studying recent mass shootings, including those at Virginia Tech, Boston and Aurora, Colo.
One of the authors of the Academy’s latest discussion paper is John Hick. He’s the medical director for emergency preparedness at Hennepin County Medical Center. That’s in Minneapolis.
Mpls. launches new “Talking is Teaching” campaign to get parents and babies talking
Star Tribune, 6/19/16
Lynne Burke, state director for Reach Out and Read, said she’s glad the mayor is calling more attention to an effort her group has been working on for several years.
Inside Hennepin County Medical Center’s downtown pediatrics clinic, dozens of books are arranged neatly in bins, ready for doctors to grab. On a recent afternoon, Dr. Rhamy Magid picked one out and carried it in to an appointment with 10-month-old Kar’melo Teetzel. The baby, gurgling happily, grabbed for the book and later tried to put it in his mouth — exactly the moves Magid had been looking for.
10 things you should ask your doctor on your next visit
Star Tribune, 6/15/17
“The era of the doctor who just tells you what to do — like Marcus Welby — those days are over. And they should be over,” said Dr. David Hilden, an internal medicine physician at Hennepin County Medical Center. “It’s good for both sides to be informed.”
HCMC, Regions study for emergency brain injury waives patient consent
Star Tribune, 6/17/16
Researchers suspect that “microbleeding” in the brain may exacerbate TBIs, even though doctors typically can’t detect ruptures in tiny blood vessels. So this study will try tranexamic acid, an older drug that preserves blood clots, in the hope that it can prevent microbleeding, said Dr. Paul Nystrom, who is leading HCMC’s arm of the study.
How prepared are the Twin Cities ahead of a mass casualty emergency?
WCCO 4, 6/14/16
“We have been preparing for these types of events since as early as 2006, and we have very specific response strategies that we work closely with our EMS, our fire and our police partners,” said Kurtis Bramer, the emergency manager of EMS at HCMC.
Physicians take to “reset room” to battle burnout
AMA Wire, 6/8/16
After surveying physicians and medical providers to assess the presence of burnout, one hospital in Minneapolis implemented several changes to their facility and processes to make sure the identified burnout triggers were addressed as soon as possible.
“We sit down with the chair of each department and review their data from this year compared to last year and try and gain some insights about where the stress or burnout might be coming from,” said Mark Linzer, MD, internal medicine specialist and director of the division of general medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Good Question: What does dairy do to us?
WCCO 4, 6/7/16
Natalie Ikeman is a physician assistant with HCMC’s Golden Valley Clinic. She says it is no secret that milk, yogurt and hard cheese are great sources of calcium.
Good Question: Can a change in seasons make us sick?
WCCO 4, 6/6/16
“Some of us are warm people and some of us are cold weather people, what you sort of like to live in. It’s the same thing with these little microorganisms,” said Dr. David Hilden.
Prince died from accidental overdose of fentanyl
Star Tribune, 6/3/16
Deaths associated with drugs slow the investigative process, because they require toxicology tests, then Olympic-level verification to determine the exact type and amount of drugs, said Fred Apple, medical director of the clinical laboratories at the Hennepin County Medical Center, which did not conduct the Prince toxicology testing.
Autopsy: Prince died from fentanyl overdose
Minnesota Public Radio, 6/2/16
Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous opiod painkillers, Dr. Charles Reznikoff, an addiction medicine specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center, said Thursday.
Medical Examiner: Prince died of accidental fentanyl overdose
Fox 9, 6/2/16
“It can be prescribed for chronic pain or acute pain, and it’s generally a very strong pain medication,” explained Dr. JoAn Laes, Addiction Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center.
Employment Pays
Healthy You, Healthy Hennepin, 6/1/16
Dashawanda Cole was having suicidal thoughts. “I didn’t think I’d actually act on them,” she recalls, now 18 months later, “but I was scared of myself. I didn’t feel safe.” She went to Hennepin County Medical Center’s Acute Psychiatric Services and asked for help.
You can save a life: How to perform the Heimlich maneuver
Star Tribune, 5/31/16
We asked Dr. Stephen Dunlop at Hennepin County Medical Center for some tips on how to administer the maneuver.
Spike in abuse reports overwhelms Hennepin County child protection system
Star Tribune, 5/28/16
About two dozen children in the past year who had nowhere else to go were admitted to the pediatric ward of Hennepin County Medical Center, said the ward’s director, Dr. Frances Prekker. Some, said Prekker, had to be confined to the ward because they might run away. Some of the children stayed in the ward for a month, Prekker said.
Astronaut with HCMC ties returns to Minneapolis
Fox 9, 5/25/16
For the first time since returning from the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Dr. Kjell Lindgren paid a visit to Minneapolis to meet with young patients and some of his former colleagues at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
NASA astronaut returns to Hennepin County Medical Center
KSTP 5, 5/25/16
After his mission on the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren returned to HCMC where he completed his medical residency. Lindgren read to children and spoke about his experiences in space.
HCMC doctor returns from trip to Space Station
WCCO 4, 5/25/16
Kjell Lindgren finished his ER residency at HCMC, then became a NASA Astronaut. He returned from his mission to the International Space Station in December.
HCMC doctor turned astronaut shares love of space with kids
Star Tribune, 5/25/16
Dr. Kjell Lindgren, who recently returned from a mission on the International Space Station, read the book “Mousteronaut” to children at HCMC, where he had been a doctor. The visit was part of Lindgren’s U.S. homecoming tour.
A bunch of bears get stitches to help kids face their fear of the doctor
Bring Me The News, 5/21/16
Judging from the photos, the kids had a great time – we can’t account for the bears, however.
Hennepin County Medical Center holds “Teddy Bear Clinic”
WCCO 4, 5/21/16
Teddy bears already know a thing or two about stitches, but on Saturday fluffy friends got shots, splints and even X-rays, Liz Collin reports (0:25).
Howard Lake Waverly track team rallies for teammate hurt in crash
WCCO 4, 5/20/16
Gavin Kritzeck was a key component of the Howard Lake Waverly track team as a sprinter.
“I just remember the airbag going off, and laying upside down in my car and being airlifted to the hospital,” Gavin said.
Teddy Bear Clinic invites children to explore HCMC’s Pediatric Emergency Dept.
Mill City Times, 5/17/16
(Press release)
Court Docs: Doctor prescribed medicine to Prince day before death
WCCO 4, 5/11/16
Dr. JoAn Laes is an addiction specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center. “Opioid withdrawal is extremely uncomfortable,” she said. “Patients I’ve talked to have likened it to an extremely bad flu. You get a lot of muscle aches, joint aches, you get really nauseous, you have a hard time sleeping, you may have some diarrhea.”
10 healthcare CEOs’ best advice, career tips for the Class of 2016
Becker’s Healthcare Review, 5/10/16
“Read the newspaper and think beyond healthcare.” – Jon Pryor, MD, CEO of Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Medical Center
Golden Valley Clinic offers “The Great Slim Down”
NW Cable 12, 5/10/16
A trip to the clinic is a normal occurrence for anyone wanting to learn more about their overall health, but Tuesday morning wasn’t one of those typical visits for Holly Constant of Minneapolis.
“I want to get fit, so not necessarily lose a lot of weight, but I want to tone up and get fit and just make it more of a lifestyle,” Constant said.
Rather than meeting with a personal trainer, Constant visits the HCMC clinic in Golden Valley once a month for a program created by physician assistant Natalie Ikeman called “The Great Slim Down.”
Officials dispute reports of Prince’s toxicology reports
WCCO 4, 5/5/16
When Prince’s body was brought to the Midwest Medical Examiner for the autopsy to determine his cause of death, toxicology tests were also performed. Lab analysis will show any presence of a controlled substance, like an opioid or pain killer.
US Attorney, DEA join Prince investigation, was set to meet addiction doctor
Fox 9, 5/4/16
“The patient either picks up the medication and takes it himself or or if it’s a medication being administered in the hospital, it’s (given by) a nurse or a medical assistant,” explained Dr. JoAn Laes of Hennepin County Medical Center.
Good Question: What’s causing people pain?
WCCO 4, 5/4/16
“In the last several years there’s been a huge increase in the sale of prescription opiods,” said Dr. JoAn Laes, a medical toxicologist with Hennepin County Medical Center.
Emergency Department Care
Minnesota Healthcare News, 5/1/16
Dr. James Miner, Chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine at HCMC, answers 10 questions about emergency department care.
2016 Community Caregiver Ayham Moty, MD
Minnesota Healthcare News, 5/1/16
No matter where Dr. Ayham Moty ends up volunteering in the Philippines, hundreds of patients are always lined up and waiting for medical care well before the physicians arrive.
Good Question: Why do autopsies take so long?
WCCO 4, 4/28/16
“You want to get the answer right, which is the most important thing,” said Dr. Fred Apple, medical director of clinical laboratories at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Why downtown Minneapolis is becoming a clinic capitol
Twin Cities Business Magazine, 4/27/16
In the past couple of years, several major Minnesota health care providers have opened or announced plan to open clinics in Minneapolis’s central business district. Suddenly, it seems, health care is a major industry downtown.
Being a woman can put you at a critical disadvantage in the ER
Woman’s Day, 4/27/16
“The last thing anyone who goes into medicine wants is to treat only half of their patients well,” says James R. Miner, MD, chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
First downtown Minneapolis HCMC community clinic will land in the North Loop
Star Tribune, 4/26/16
“North Loop is the fastest growing residential neighborhood in Minneapolis and the people who live there have been asking for a local clinic and pharmacy to serve their health care needs,” said Jon Pryor, HCMC’s CEO. “This new clinic will do that, and serve a broader need for several sought-after specialties for people who live and work in the area.”
HCMC opening new location in the North Loop
Twin Cities Business Magazine, 4/26/16
Hennepin County Medical Center said Tuesday that it would open a clinic and pharmacy in the TractorWorks building at 800 Washington Avenue North, a move that expands its care services to the burgeoning North Loop neighborhood.
HCMC receives financial gift from late iconic ad man Pat Fallon
Twin Cities Business, 4/25/16
The hospital once successfully treated his son Duffy after a brain injury playing hockey.
Authorities warn of potent dangers of marijuana wax in Minnesota
Star Tribune, 4/22/16
Marijuana wax has a higher concentration of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — 30 to 90 percent, compared with 1 to 5 percent in traditional cannabis form, said Dr. JoAn Laes, an addiction medicine expert at Hennepin County Medical Center.
How a Minneapolis hospital keeps patients healthy through innovation
FierceHealthIT, 4/18/16
The Upstream Health Innovations center affiliated with Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis is looking at social issues as a factor in its quest to reduce readmissions, reports Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review.
Opiod addiction (interview with Aida Strom, HCMC American Indian Patient Advocate)
MPR, 4/18/16
“A lot of women are looking for a community that supports our — and their — traditional and cultural needs.”
Keeping patients upstream: innovation to avoid hospital admission
Becker’s Hospital Review, 4/15/16
In the movement toward value-based care, the overarching goal is to keep people out of the hospital, away from downstream, and this is the vision shared by Upstream Health Innovations, the innovation center affiliated with Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Building a teen-friendly Healthcare system
University of Minnesota Healthy Generations, 4/14/16
Jen O’Brien, MPH (2008) is the Program Manager of the Henne-Teen Program at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC).
Ford W. Bell was named vice president of philanthropy and community relations
Twin Cities Business, 4/12/16
Ford W. Bell was named vice president of philanthropy and community relations for Hennepin County Medical Center, as well as president of the hospital’s philanthropy organization, the Hennepin Health Foundation.
11 things I wish I knew before becoming a neurosurgeon
Cosmopolitan, 4/12/16
“When someone else’s brain health is in your hands, you have to take exceptionally good care of yourself. If I’m operating, I make sure to go to bed early the night before, eat a hearty breakfast, and drink tons of water. I’m vigilant about that stuff, because you never want to be in a situation when you’re not at your best.” – Uzma Samadani, PhD, MD, FACS, FAANS, is an attending neurosurgeon at the Hennepin County Medical Center, where she serves as Rockswold Kaplan endowed chair.
Another drug abuse scourge – but a much smarter response
Pioneer Press, 4/10/16
Shaming the drug-abusing or -dependent pregnant mother is “absolutely” counterproductive and not part of the equation, agreed Dr. Connie Adkisson, a neonatologist and head of the newborn ICU at Hennepin County Medical Center, the state’s largest publicly operated hospital.
“I always say to them that we are glad that you are in treatment and undergoing neonatal care,” said Adkisson.
Tamara Harvanko, a high-risk-obstetrics care coordinator at HCMC, noted other attempts by the hospital to allow the mothers of NAS babies to breastfeed, hold them and even stay as long as it takes before the newborn is discharged.
HCMC doctors use new technology to assist diabetic patients
KSTP 5, 4/6/16
Doctors at the Hennepin County Medical Center are using new technology to see what they never have before.
The technology is called “skin blood-flow imaging,” and it allows them to see whether blood is flowing into certain areas of the skin. It’s used most often for diabetic patients.
HCMC using hyperbaric chamber to treat diabetes
WCCO 4, 4/6/16
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, killing about 70,000 Americans a year. Hennepin County Medical Center is offering hope with a new way of treating diabetes patients that could prevent an amputation.
Narrative Medicine helps to heal at HCMC
Essential Hospitals, 4/1/16
Syl Jones, a 64-year-old playwright and journalist, has been a resident fellow at Hennepin County Medical Center since June 2015. Using his training from Columbia University and background in the arts, he is planting the seed of narrative medicine—an approach that emphasizes the importance of patient stories in health care—into the minds of students and physicians.
What does it mean to be healthy?
WCCO 4, 3/28/16
So, what does it mean to be healthy? Good Question.
“That’s a very difficult question to answer,” said Dr. Bryan Nelson, a family practice physician with HCMC’s Golden Valley Clinic. “Healthy, in my personal opinion, is when a person does what is necessary to reduce the risk of having a heart attack and stroke down the road, is able to be happy and able to do what they want in their life.”
Second Harvest Heartland announces 2016 Hunger Heroes Award
Yahoo! News, 3/24/16
2016 Hunger Hero Innovation Award: Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) has partnered with Second Harvest Heartland through the HCMC Food Shelf and Summer Food Service Program.
Franken’s diabetes program to get big expansion
Star Tribune, 3/24/16
“This improves people’s health outcomes and it saves people a lot of money,” he said during a news conference at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Sen. Franken announces expansion for diabetes prevention program
WCCO 4, 3/23/16
Minnesota Senator Al Franken announced Wednesday an expansion of a diabetes prevention program. The focus is on reducing Type 2 Diabetes in seniors as part of Affordable Care.
Researchers: Doctors may be treating concussions the wrong way
WCCO 4, 3/20/16
Dr. Uzma Samadani, a leading researcher on brain injuries, spoke with Esme Murphy about the big problem facing doctors trying to understand concussions (5:13). WCCO Sunday Morning.
Paid training program in Minneapolis seeks candidates for emergency medical services positions
KSTP 5, 3/16/16
The EMS Pathways Academy, created by the fire department and the Hennepin County Medical Center, trains Minneapolis residents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds as emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
Flu hitting Minnesota hard
KARE 11, 3/15/16
Dr. David Hilden, from Hennepin County Medical Center, stopped by KARE 11 to chat with Julie Nelson about the flu outbreak.
Labor pains are a laughing matter at HCMC
America’s Essential Hospitals, 3/11/16
Women at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) now have a new option when it comes to managing birthing pains: nitrous oxide, also commonly known as “laughing gas.”
Largest single-center concussion study launched at trauma center in Minnesota
Forbes, 3/11/16
Researchers at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, and the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with Abbott, are embarking on a groundbreaking and comprehensive study that aims to identify the spectrum of brain injuries that occur in patients on arrival to the ED, and followed through to completion for up to a year after they are discharged from the hospital.
Major brain injury study to be launched in the Twin Cities
MPR, 3/10/16
The University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center and Abbott Diagnostics are collaborating on a study. They hope to enroll a thousand concussion or brain injury patients.
MPR’s Cathy Wurzer spoke with one of the researchers, Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon at HCMC.
The largest study on brain trauma is happening here in Minnesota
Twin Cities Business, 3/9/16
The University of Minnesota has teamed up with the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to develop a new standard approach for evaluating and diagnosing traumatic injury to the brain including concussion, according to a statement released Wednesday.
Minnesota hospitals create nation’s largest concussion study
Fox 9, 3/9/16
Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota are collaborating to develop a standard approach to evaluate and diagnose concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, the largest study of its kind in the nation.
Minn. researchers, doctors seek to understand, treat brain injuries (link not available)
WCCO 4, 3/9/16
Amazing things can happen when great minds come together.Doctors from the University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center and researchers from Abbott Diagnostics just announced they’re launching a joint study on concussions and traumatic brain injury.
MN researchers launch largest concussion study
KARE 11, 3/9/16
Researchers in Minnesota are conducting a study to help better diagnose concussions. The University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center and Abbott Diagnostic Labs in Chicago are launching the nation’s largest, single-center study of concussions and TBI.
Minnesota hospitals launch “nation’s largest” concussion study
Star Tribune, 3/9/16
Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota are launching what’s billed as the nation’s largest study of concussions and traumatic brain injuries, combining discoveries in brain imaging, blood analysis and eye tests to find a more accurate way to detect the injuries’ severity and long-term ramifications.
Delta Dental pays almost $5 million for naming rights to new clinic at HCMC
Star Tribune, 3/4/16
Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation is giving $4.6 million to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) for a part of the county’s $220 million ambulatory clinic under construction between 8th and 9th streets and Chicago and Park avenues in downtown Minneapolis.
HCMC clinic to move out of the Hub in Richfield
Sun Current, 3/3/16
“The current location has served us well for 20 years, but we’ve simply outgrown the space,” said Scott Wordelman, HCMC vice president of ambulatory care, adding that staying in Richfield was a priority in the decision.
HCMC Richfield Clinic relocating, expanding services
Twin Cities Business, 3/2/16
For the past 20 years, the HCMC Richfield Clinic has operated at the Hub Shopping Center. This fall, the clinic will move to Market Plaza at 66th Street and Lyndale Avenue. Though the move will be just a few blocks, it will significantly change what the clinic will provide its patients. The new location will be twice the size of the current one, and it will include a full-service pharmacy.
Grant money for HCMC dental clinic will expand patient access by 60 percent
Twin Cities Business, 3/1/16
The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation said Monday it would fund half the cost of a $9.2 million dental clinic contained within Hennepin County Medical Center’s new $220 million six-story facility in Minneapolis.
HCMC rolls out new machine to get a better read on wounds
Star Tribune, 3/1/16
HCMC is the first hospital in Minnesota to use one of the $250,000 Luna diagnostic machines made by Toronto-based Novadaq Technologies. The machine helps assess which patients might benefit from the most aggressive (and costly) therapies, and whether those techniques are working well enough to continue them.
Big health cozies up to startups
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 2/27/16
Twin Cities health care organizations have teamed up with startups for years, giving young companies a venue to test and refine technology and services.
HCMC now offering laughing gas to women in labor
Fox 9, 2/26/16
HCMC began offering nitrous oxide to patients earlier this year to help the cope with pain during labor. Patients are taught how to self-administer the laughing gas whenever they feel they need it.
HCMC offers laughing gas for laboring moms
KSTP 5, 2/26/16
Laboring moms at the Birth Center at Hennepin County Medical Center have a new pain management option.
HCMC announces nitrous oxide option for laboring mothers
WCCO 4, 2/26/16
Laboring mothers now have another option to cope with pain at the Hennepin County Medical Center: nitrous oxide.
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals’s Acute Pain Candidate: Improved Pain Scores in ER Patients
Drug Discovery & Development, 2/25/16
Dr. James Miner, the chief of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN and primary investigator of the ARX-04 studies, added, “In my clinical experience in a high-capacity emergency department, I believe a product with the ability to mitigate pain rapidly, without the practical and logistical impediment of starting an intravenous line, holds great potential for use in the ER.
HCMC Richfield Clinic to move to new location
KSTP 5, 2/25/16
The clinic, which is in the Hub Shopping Center, is expanding and moving to Market Plaza, which is at the corner of 66th Street and Lyndale Avenue.
HCMC’s Mother-Baby Program supports mental health of new moms
MHA Newsline, 2/22/16
With a mission to support families by strengthening the emotional health and parenting capacity of mothers, HCMC’s Mother-Baby Program combines outpatient psychiatry services; a HopeLine triage and resource line; and a Day Hospital for pregnant women and mothers experiencing depression, anxiety or other emotional distress to offer support, hope and healing to mothers and families.
7 tips for beautiful lips
Shape Magazine, 2/22/16
Think of your lips as a sponge. “When exposed to moisture, they absorb water and plump up. When dehydrated, they dry out and shrink,” explains Bruce Bart, M.D., a dermatologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Minnesota ranks third in hours of sleep
KARE 11, 2/22/16
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. In a recent survey, nearly 71 percent of Minnesotans said they get a least that, ranking third best in the nation behind South Dakota and Colorado.
Minneapolis aims to build a more diverse fire department, starting with teenagers
Star Tribune, 2/21/16
Hennepin County EMS Deputy Chief Mike Trullinger said the county is working with Minneapolis on the high school training program because it will also benefit if more young people get interested, get trained, and stick around their hometown.
Good Question: Why are babies fingerprinted at birth?
WCCO 4, 2/19/16
“It started a long time ago when mothers were routinely separated from babies,” said Sara Wendt with HCMC. “Now, it’s become more of a tradition.”
Minn. hospitals’ error levels stay flat
MPR, 2/19/16
A skin-care team at Hennepin County Medical Center can attest to the work involved in making hospital care safer.
Power, Indeed! Energy projects lead 2015 top starts
ENR Midwest, 2/18/16
Every year, ENR Midwest is honored to rank the region’s largest projects that started construction during the previous calendar year. For 2015, a few projects in Minnesota are expected to join those from Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on our final list.
Zika virus impacts travel agents
NW Cable 12 News, 2/16/16
“We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls and a lot of questions about what to do from pregnant women, but also just patients in general,” said Dr. Megan Shaughnessy, medical director of infectious disease and travel clinic at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Medpricer recognizes Hennepin County Medical Center for Excellence in Cost Savings
Stamford Advocate, 2/16/16
Medpricer, healthcare’s leading cost management platform for purchased services, awarded Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) its 2015 Center of Excellence in Healthcare Purchased Services Award in recognition for HCMC’s ability to achieve value and cost savings in its health system.
A hospital steps in to stop cycles of violence
Southwest Journal, 2/11/16
Ann Eilbracht is leading HCMC’s hospital-based violence intervention program pilot. The hospital is attempting to replicate an approach to addressing youth violence that has worked for other big-city hospitals.
Good Question: How can you live to 100?
WCCO 4, 2/11/16
“Part of it is your genetics, but there’s a lot you can do to help it out,” says Dr. David Hilden, an internist at Hennepin County Medical Center who gives a talk called How to Live to 100.
Ex-Viking quarterback says he has Alzheimer’s
Fox 9, 2/8/16
HCMC neurosurgeon Uzma Samadani, who studies the long term cognitive effects of contact sports, says someone like Kapp, who played in the 1960s and 1970s is of far greater risk of brain damage than those who play now.
“I believe that it’s almost a different sport at this point than it was many years ago,” Dr. Samadani said. “There was no concussion guideline and awareness that brain injury was bad for you.”
Dr. Samadani points to research that has linked concussions and early on-set Alzheimer’s, but says she can’t say for sure that it was the cause of Kapp’s condition.
Minnesota nonprofit hospitals dole out $4.3 billion in community benefits in 2014
Healthcare Finance, 2/8/16
Hennepin County Medical Center’s Mother-Baby Program was the first of its kind in Minnesota, and fourth in the nation, to use a structured day hospital model to support mothers with perinatal psychiatric disorders as they adjust to having a new baby.
Are drugs really the remedy for toddlers?
Star Tribune, 2/7/16
“The use of antipsychotics is generally not considered standard of care in those under the age of 2,” said Hennepin County Medical Center psychiatrist Dr. John Wermager, who called the findings “eye-opening and alarming.”
Minnesota winter biking not just for nuts, advocates say
Pioneer Press, 2/5/16
Richard Gray, a Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room doctor, and Sarah Bundy, an assistant professor of emergency management at North Dakota State University, participated in a winter disaster relief exercise at the Winter Cycling Congress 2016 in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota hospitals report more bad debts, community benefit
Star Tribune, 2/4/16
Specific examples in Thursday’s report included exercise options provided by Rice Community Hospital to the diverse Willmar community, emotional support provided by Hennepin County Medical Center to new mothers, and visits provided by HealthEast paramedics to mentally ill patients after hospital discharges. This type of community service amounted to $402 million — about one-tenth of the total community benefit.
Minneapolis using bikes to help in snow emergencies
KSTP 5, 2/3/16
Dr. Richard Gray, a cyclist and emergency room doctor at Hennepin County Medical Center, is leading a team of riders.
“I’ve ridden the winter for over 40 years and I’ve never done anything like this though. It should be interesting,” Gray said.
Cyclists take part in disaster relief trial
KARE 11, 2/3/16
The Winter Cycling Congress, being held in the Twin Cities, partnered with the Hennepin County Medical Center on Wednesday for a drill to see how bikes could assist during disasters.
Can bicyclists provide better disaster relief?
Star Tribune, 2/3/16
In Wednesday’s exercise, the simulation presumes that power has been knocked out over a widespread area and traffic is gridlocked, preventing ambulances, police and fire crews from reaching disaster scenes.
New chief of psychiatry at HCMC faces daunting challenges
Star Tribune, 1/28/16
Dr. Eduardo Colon at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis will still work directly with patients, because, he says, “It keeps me real.”
Federal task force recommends women get screened for depression during pregnancy
Minnesota News Network, 1/27/16
Dr. Helen Kim says one in eight women suffer from postpartum depression.
Feeling a bit down this winter? Experts say you’re not alone
WCCO Radio, 1/26/16
“The ‘winter blues’ are very real,” explains Hennepin County Medical Center Psychologist Matthew Syzdek.
Ice angler shares story of CO poisoning as a warning to others
WCCO 4, 1/21/16
Doctors at HCMC rushed him into the hyperbaric chamber for treatment. Over the next 24 hours he received three treatments of oxygen in the pressurized chamber.
“He was very sick. He was critically ill from carbon monoxide poisoning but now he’s doing much better,” said Dr. Christopher Logue, Medical Director of the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at HCMC.
Parents of allergy victim press for broader warnings
WCCO 4, 1/26/16
“It’s easy to ignore a false signal,” Dr. John Sweet, a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center, said.
Sweet specializes in allergies, and he advises parents of children or adults with allergies to always carry two doses of epinephrine — administered through an injection using an EpiPen.
Zika virus prompts travel warning for pregnant women
WCCO 4, 1/18/16
Some of the most popular tropical destinations are included in a travel alert issued by CDC.
“They’re concerned enough that they’ve put out a travel warning for pregnant women,” said Dr. Stacene Maroushek, a pediatric physician at Hennepin County Medical Center.
States hone health crisis plans for catastrophes
New York Times, 1/17/16
“When they are facing these decisions the last thing you want to do is make it up as you go along,” said Dr. John Hick, an emergency physician at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and a national expert in disaster planning. “Don’t leave this on the shoulders of the caregiver at the bedside.”
Hennepin County Medical Center finding solutions to “physician burnout”
KSTP 5, 1/15/16
Recent studies show that as many as 50 percent of doctors across the nation are burned out at work. Experts say that can greatly affect the patient.
“Burnout has three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment,” Dr. Mark Linzer, HCMC’s Director of Internal Medicine, said. It’s a concept Linzer has researched for two decades.
Age of first-time moms in U.S. at its highest; now around 26
Star Tribune, 1/15/16
“We have seen that women are a little older,” observed Maggie Pastarr, certified nurse midwife at Hennepin County Medical Center — which has the state’s oldest nurse midwife service in the state.
Cold weather Wild Card game lives up to hype
KARE 11, 1/10/16
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) was also prepared for an influx of frostbite patients–not just from the game but across the Twin Cities.
“It is a very dangerous situation that we are concerned about,” said Dr. Jon Gayken, a burn surgeon at HCMC.
Staying safe in the cold
Fox 9, 1/11/16
Dr. Ryan Fey says when it gets this cold, the primary concern is frostbite on exposed skin.
Frostbite can occur within minutes
NW Cable 12, 1/11/16
Dr. Ryan Fey with the HCMC Burn Unit says it doesn’t take long before frostbite can occur in this dangerous cold.
HCMC preparing for influx of frostbite patients as temps drop
WCCO 4, 1/9/16
The extreme cold is here in Minnesota, and doctors are warning about frostbite.
Hennepin County Medical Center expects to see an uptick in the number of patients coming in with frostbite as the cold sets in. They typically treat about 50-75 frostbite victims each year, and Dr. Jon Gayken — a burn and trauma surgeon at the hospital — says there’s a common factor in those cases.
Dangerous wind chills arrive this weekend
KARE 11, 1/7/16
Wind chill is calculated using a long formula, and it tells us what the temperature might be on your skin, or on your pet, By Sunday, it will be near -20, cold enough for frostbite to occur in less than 30 minutes.
“Usually pain is the first cardinal symptom. With intoxication, sometimes with mental illness, and other factors. Those symptoms are blunted and that can complicate the issue and lead to a worse injury.” said Dr. Ryan Fey of Hennepin County Medical Center.
Want to quit smoking for good? Don’t give up.
WCCO 4, 1/7/16
Here in Minneapolis, smokers who want to quit are finding help at Hennepin County Medical Center’s Addiction Specialty Center.
Dr. Charles Reznikoff is one of the addiction experts at HCMC. He described the appeal of smoking and the effects of nicotine.
Hennepin Healthcare News 