ER nurse gives back to first responders after they saved her life
15 WMTV, 12/29/17
Alicia Bravo is celebrating Christmas with her family this weekend and what is under the tree doesn’t even scratch the surface of what they’re thankful for this season.
NYE promoters, ER doctors planning for prolonged cold
KARE 11, 12/27/17
At the Hennepin County Medical Center, the Emergency Department is adding more resources to handle an anticipated surge in frostbite cases, especially on New Year’s Eve.
“The problem is, there are so many social events and some of them, people will do things like park two blocks away and sprint into the party that they’re headed for and they can sustain injury and damage just in a short interval of time,” said Dr. Dave Plummer, Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine.
KARE 11, 12/26/17
“The hospital is located closer to the stadium than any other hospital has been in Super Bowl history,” said Dr. John Hick, associate medical director of HCMC’s Emergency Medical Services.
HCMC is going green with surgery lighting
Star Tribune, 12/21/17
Green and red might be Christmas colors, but their sharp contrasts also will be important for surgeries in Hennepin County Medical Center’s new specialty treatment center.
Lighting is one of several innovations that has HCMC leaders excited over their investment, which they hope will entice more patients to see the downtown Minneapolis medical center as a place for all kinds of care — not just emergency trauma care.
“We’re phenomenal at that,” said Scott Wordelman, HCMC’s vice president of ambulatory administration, “but we’re so much more.”
HCMC firms up plans for Super Bowl week
KSTP 5, 12/11/17
“There is a plan to deal with several different situations,” said HCMC Emergency Manager Mark Lappe. Lappe explains the hospital will be fully functional and ready to respond as Super Bowl activities kick off.
Second Twin Cities TV newsperson in 3 months undergoes foot amputation
Star Tribune, 12/8/17
“This is not an end of the world type thing. It’s a new beginning,” said the morning news anchor for KSTP 5 Eyewitness News in a telephone interview Thursday while he waited to be released from the Hennepin County Medical Center.
How much trouble can Super Bowl fans get into? HCMC’s got a list
MSP Business Journal, 12/6/17
HCMC, whose main campus is just a few blocks from U.S. Bank Stadium, isn’t getting to the disaster-preparation game late. Officials have been working with law enforcement agencies and their counterparts at other hospitals to prepare for threats since summer 2016, said Mark Lappe, HCMC’s emergency manager.
Dr. Wyatt new Emergency Department Director at HCMC
The Circle, 12/6/17
Dr. Thomas E. Wyatt (Loyal Shawnee and Quapaw Tribes of Oklahoma) became director of the Emergency Department at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in July. This marks the first time a Native American has headed a department at the large Minneapolis medical complex and makes him one of the few, if not the first Native American, to head emergency services for large hospitals anywhere in the country.
Aida Strom (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) serves as American Indian Patient Advocate for HCMC patients and their families.
Crash, loss of legs forced two friends to rebuild their lives — again
Star Tribune, 11/28/17
Abdisamad has had two major surgeries at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), where he was hospitalized for three weeks before returning home.
Not to be underestimated: Non-drug poisonings
RHI Hub, 11/28/17
Sandwiched between motor vehicle fatalities and fall deaths are rural deaths from poisonings. For both rural and urban areas, the leading cause of unintentional deaths from poisonings is overwhelmingly drugs of abuse, and specifically opioids. But a look into the non-drug poisoning data is also important. Emergency medicine physician and toxicologist, Dr. Travis Olives, who practices with the Minnesota Poison Control System based in Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, is no stranger to rural fatal toxic exposures since he previously practiced emergency medicine in a Wisconsin Critical Access Hospital. Olives said the most common non-drug poisoning calls to their system from rural areas fall into several main categories.
Despite major risks, Minnesota teens embracing DIY tattoos
Star Tribune, 11/28/17
“If they’re not sterilized properly, you have hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV,” said Dr. Stacene Maroushek, a pediatrician at Hennepin County Medical Center and a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases.
After the bullet: HCMC helps young gun victims find their footing
MPR, 11/27/17
Hennepin County Medical Center mental health worker Farji Shaheer listens to a patient recall being shot and taken to the hospital inside of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 17, 2017.
Sneak peek: HCMC’s new downtown $225M ambulatory care center (photos)
Mpls/St.Paul Business Journal, 11/22/17
Minneapolis-based HCMC expects the building to make care more convenient for patients, while helping the organization attract more business from downtown Minneapolis residents and office workers, said Scott Wordelman, vice president of ambulatory services for HCMC.
3-minute case study: Breaking the cycle of youth violence
Athenainsight, 11/16/17
“Over time, we realized we were bandaging up patients,” says Ann Eilbracht, senior director of support services for HCMC, “and sending them back into the same dangerous environment without the tools or resources to make a change.”
“They’re motivated when they see someone who cares about them, who has been there,” says Farji Shaheer, one of HCMC’s specialists, who was a victim of gang violence himself. “You have 30 seconds to assess the angle that will get a patient to respond to you and to find a true connection,” he adds. “But once you do, they can express what’s going on and open up to tools they can use to change their lives – and make sure they’re not back here again.”
Fox 9’s Courtney Godfrey healing with positivity after traumatic injury
Fox 9, 11/15/17
Emergency responders rushed Courtney to Hennepin County Medical Center. Her foot was barely hanging on and unsalvageable. But that wasn’t all. Courtney recalls the conversation she had with her surgeon the night before her procedure.
Bonfire explosion puts child in HCMC burn unit
KARE 11, 11/7/17
“It was very much a life-threatening type of injury,” said Dr. Ryan Fey, HCMC’s Burn Program Director.
8-year-old girl suffers severe burns after bonfire explosion
Fox 9, 11/7/17
Since Onna was life-flighted to HCMC’s burn unit she’s undergone 10 surgeries.
“She’s very lucky she survived,” said the director of the unit, Dr. Ryan Fey. “Rehabilitative work, reconstructive surgeries…this will be true largely until she’s done growing,” said Dr. Fey.
HCMC experiments with new ways to detect and treat brain injuries
MPR, 11/6/17
The Brain Injury Research Lab at Hennepin County Medical Center is studying better ways to detect and treat brain injuries. MPR News host Tom Weber spoke to the lab’s leader, neurosurgeon Dr. Uzma Samadani, about her team’s latest findings.
Man falls from deer stand, breaks back, drives home for help
WCCO 4, 11/3/17
“Next thing I know, I’m falling,” he said. “Boom, boom, two seconds and I’m on the ground. If I breathed, it hurt. If I moved, it hurt. So I stayed there a while and gathered my thoughts.”
To make matters worse he didn’t have a cellphone to call for help. So Martinson crawled a painful 20 feet to his truck, pulled himself inside, and drove home in agonizing discomfort. His wife rushed him to the Hutchinson hospital before he was transferred him to Hennepin County Medical Center.
“I think he’s extremely lucky, because when the spinal column is broken in both the front and the back, many patients become paralyzed or very weak in the lower extremities,” Dr. Uzma Samadani said.
Physician’s Weekly, 10/30/17
Mark Linzer, M.D., from Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, and colleagues analyzed data collected from physicians and advanced practice providers in the Healthy Work Place trial at baseline and about one year later to understand how job satisfaction relates to work conditions and outcomes.Union suit: Essential Health workers ordered to get flu shot or be fired
Star Tribune, 10/26/17
Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis requires all employees to participate in the vaccination program, which includes either getting a flu shot or declaring in writing the option to decline, said hospital spokeswoman Christine Hill. HCMC had a compliance rate topping 90 percent in the previous flu season.
U of M to design “super ambulances” to hasten treatment of cardiac arrest
Star Tribune, 10/25/17
The results of the super ambulance research will be interesting, said Mike Trullinger, deputy chief of operations for Hennepin EMS, but he stressed that it’s still important for the public to know initial CPR and proper chest compression techniques.
“We can bring all our advanced care,” he said, “but if nobody has done anything for five or even 10 minutes, depending on how far away we are, the patient’s chances of survival are very very low.”
Nurse helps fundraise for device that helped save her life
KSTP 5, 10/20/17
Alicia Bravo, RN partnered with Surly Brewing on Friday night to hold the CPR training event, “Pump and Pints”. Volunteers from HCMC taught those in attendance how to give CPR and how to use an AED.
Pumps and Pints event teaches CPR at a brewery
WCCO 4, 10/20/17
A Twin Cities woman, who survived a heart attack, is now giving back to the people who helped save her life.
Alicia Bravo (HCMC RN) is alive because her family gave her CPR until EMT’s arrived when she went into cardiac arrest three months ago. She hosted a party with a purpose at Surly Brewing Company Friday night.
Minnesota concussion researcher invites NFL players to join her studies
Star Tribune, 10/12/17
A leading concussion researcher at Hennepin County Medical Center is inviting NFL players who suffered head injuries and their siblings to participate in research that could yield new discoveries about the course and severity of brain trauma.
Dr. Uzma Samadani developed a unique eye-tracking system that detects concussions based on patients’ eye movements as they watch music videos, and has studied how variations in brain scans and blood tests reveal brain injuries as well.
Former NFL star, renowned neurosurgeon partner for “Super Brain 2018”
WCCO 4, 10/12/17
Former Gopher and Indianapolis Colts player Ben Utecht proudly sports a Super Bowl Ring — and he openly speaks about the multiple concussions he’s suffered, along with amnesia.
“I remember just, all vision completely going black, and it was almost like the sound of people’s voices around me became muffled like they were talking into a can,” Utecht said.
He is joining Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon at HCMC, in raising awareness about the innovative brain injury research taking place at HCMC.
Celebrating and highlighting digital health innovation in the Midwest
MedCity News, 10/11/17
HCMC’s perspective on digital health will be reflected at our conferenceThursday when Kim Wiese, vice president of Portfolio Management and Growth, will participate on a panel discussing what’s preventing the adoption of digital health.
Minnesota EMS responding to spike of synthetic marijuana overdoses in west metro
Fox 9, 10/10/17
Dr. Jon Cole oversees the Poison Control Center at HCMC and said the majority of cases have been in the west metro over the last week.
Cedar-Riverside project aims to improve health care accessibility for residents
Minnesota Daily, 10/5/17
Syl Jones, director of narrative health and medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center, will facilitate the discussions.
Jones said he will teach narrative health techniques — the idea that people can control the progression of an illness — to the project’s participants.
Designing health care’s new front door
Health Facilities Management Magazine, 10/4/17
“Between the North Loop Clinic and our main [downtown] campus, we are able to meet every health care need of downtown residents, workers and visitors,” says Scott Wordelman, FACHE, senior vice president of ambulatory care and support services at HCMC. “People can stay in one system to get the full continuum of care, all located close to where they live or work.”
Five signs of prescription drug abuse
Star Tribune, 10/3/17
The Star Tribune asked Dr. W. Michael Hooten and Dr. Charles Reznikoff, an addiction specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center, for advice on what to look for if you suspect someone you love is addicted to opioids.
Good Question: How much water should we drink?
WCCO 4, 9/19/17
“The rule of thumb is to listen to your body, if you feel thirsty, drink,” says Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant with HCMC Golden Valley.
Is aluminum foil toxic?
KARE 11, 9/19/17
“I have seen that and I have read that on a website or two,” said Dr. Dan McCabe, a toxicology fellow at Regions Hospital and Minnesota Poison Control System.
Mother paralyzed after hammock pulls down rotted tree
WCCO 4, 9/15/17
Her attitude hasn’t changed over the last 12 days at Hennepin County Medical Center. That attitude is a big part of the reason doctors see Alyssa is already making progress, able to feel touch and praying she will make a full recovery.
Mpls joins over 100 cities in effort to quell violence
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 9/6/17
The second project was the Next Step Hospital-Based Intervention Project, launched in July 2016. It is a partnership between the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to serve victims of violent injury (such as gunshot, stabbing or serious assault) ages 12-28 being treated at HCMC.
The goal of the program is to “reduce the rate of violent re-injury and re-hospitalization for youth and young adults who are victims of violent assault injuries.”
Athlete saved by device she helped raise money to buy
WCCO 4, 9/6/17
Alicia Bravo, an emergency nurse at Hennepin County Medical Center, is no stranger to cardiac arrest victims.
“We see a lot of very difficult things and we see patients who have had arrests at a young age,” Alicia said.
“Like your worst dream”: Now recovering, man recounts 75-foot fall
WCCO 4, 9/4/17
If laughter is the best medicine then the friends and family of Nicholas Edwards gladly fill the prescription as they sit next to his hospital bed at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
Man saved in St. Croix River rescue
KARE 11, 9/4/17
Edwards was flown to HCMC, a level one trauma center, where he had to be treated for bleeding in his brain and three fractured vertebrae. He also had to get 30 stitches on his face and arms.
“48 hours and I feel ecstatic,” said Edwards.
Nice Ride, HCMC join forces to offer free bike memberships to patients
Star Tribune, 9/1/17
Exercise is something that can be prescribed as a treatment for these conditions, said Amber Courtney, an occupational therapist at HCMC who specializes in mental health and who helps lead the program.
TCB Forum Highlights: 2017 CIO Forum
Twin Cities Business Magazine, 9/1/17
This year’s panelists were Jackie Hartman, vice president of information technology at Jack Link’s, a protein snacks supplier based in Minong, Wisc., with offices in Minneapolis; Anudeep Parhar, CIO of Entrust Datacard, a Shakopee-based provider of identity and secure transaction technology; Lisa Schlosser, vice president and CTO of FindLaw, part of New York City-based Thomson Reuters, which provides online legal information and marketing solutions for law firms, with offices in Eagan; and Matthew Werder, CTO of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a Minneapolis-based trauma center.
Dr. John Hallberg and host Tom Crann at the State Fair with Dr. Andrew Kiragu
MPR, 8/28/17
Dr. Jon Hallberg is a professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota.
He and host Tom Crann were joined by Dr. Andrew Kiragu who is a pediatrician at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Hallberg joins us every Tuesday to talk about the art and science of medicine.
Fighting the opioid crisis with vaccines and better chemistry
Scientific American, 8/17/17
Two separate drugs designed to combat prescription painkiller oxycodone and heroin have been in the works for years at the Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation (MMRF), but those vaccines are still only being tested in rodents. “For our group and others it will take years before we reach the market,” says Marco Pravetoni, who is co-leading the work at MMRF.
Connection between neck strength, brain injuries
KSTP 5, 8/21/17
“She’d be very proud to have more female athletes participating and pursuing lifelong goals,” Eric Barron said.
That’s where Dr. Uzma Samadani and her research team at Hennepin County Medical Center come in. They are trying to determine whether females are more susceptible to concussions and other sports-related brain injuries.
Hospital intervention program helps reduce violence
KARE 11, 8/16/17
Farji Shaheer, a violence intervention specialist, said about 80 percent of violent crime victims chose to participate in the Next Step program. The percentage of participants who are not readmitted to HCMC for a violent injury is 3 percent, compared to a 40 percent national average.
Overweight Minnesotans are among those who are ditching the diet
Star Tribune, 8/14/17
It’s not always about the number on the scale, agreed Natalie Ikeman, a physician’s assistant at Hennepin County Medical Center’s Golden Valley Clinic, where she runs a weight loss program called “The Great Slimdown.”
Simply choosing to eat healthy and exercise your heart will extend your life expectancy, she said.
Asthma training required for Minn. high school coaches
KARE 11, 8/14/17
According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, on a team of 15 players you can expect at least one player with asthma.
“It’s important for coaches to know how to deal with it, if one of the athletes does have an asthma attack,” Aafedt said.
Which is a reality, according to HCMC’s Pediatric Pulmonologist, Gail Brottman, M.D.
“When their breathing isn’t good and they don’t have their rescue inhaler with them, that really puts them at risk for either having an asthma attack,” Brottman said. “There have been some deaths.”
Combatting the Burnout Epidemic
RCM Answers, 8/14/17
Causes of burnout can include a lack of control over work conditions, time pressures, chaotic workplaces, and a lack of alignment of values between providers and their leaders, according to AHRQ grantee, Mark Linzer, M.D., FACP, of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN, who has been studying burnout with us since the very beginning.
Health Check: back-to-school physicals
CCX Media, 8/8/17
“It’s really important to have a heart exam done during that time. A lot of murmurs start developing in the adolescent years, and potential heart problems can be found that way,” said Dr. Bryan Nelson of Hennepin County Medical Center.
Tech companies are filtering into the US health transportation sector
Global Healthcare, 8/7/17
To support patients in being able to attend medical appointments within Minneapolis, Upstream Health Innovations (part of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC)), has partnered with Hitch Health, which is linked to Lyft’s enterprise application programming interface.
Scribes for physician burnout: How scribes help reconnect doctors with their patients
MedPage Today’s Kevin MD, 8/3/17
Recently, I had an opportunity to drop in on two of the foremost researchers in physician burnout, Sara Poplau and Mark Linzer of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Eye movements may be key in detecting brain injury, concussion
Huffington Post, 8/2/17
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Uzma Samadani speak at a Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance conference for professionals and was mesmerized by what she had to share regarding eye-tracking and the correlation to brain injury. I couldn’t soak up enough of what she had to share that day, so I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to interview her for an article, and you might say I was even a little star-struck.
Hours after gas explosion at Minnehaha Academy, second body is found
Star Tribune, 8/2/17
Dr. Jim Miner, HCMC’s chief of emergency services, described the injuries as fractures, cuts and head wounds. He said no one was treated for burns.
4 still hospitalized after explosion rocks S. Mpls. School; 1 Critical
WCCO 4, 8/2/17
HCMC is a Level I Trauma Center of course. They they train for these kind of mass casualty events. Dr. (Jim) Miner tells us once again these injuries are severe; only one is life threatening.
Eye movements may be key in detecting brain injury, concussion
Huffington Post, 8/2/17
Dr. Uzma Samadani, M.D., Ph.D. is paving the way for new eye-tracking diagnostic measures after a brain injury.
Trend of drinking hydrogen peroxide can be deadly, Minnesota doctors warn
Star Tribune, 8/1/17
“The way people describe it is that they take 3 drops of concentrated peroxide and dissolve it in about eight ounces of water and take it three times a day,” explained Dr. Ann Arens, a medical toxicologist at the Minnesota Poison Control System.
Consuming the liquid can burn holes in the esophagus and stomach, and can create oxygen bubbles that can be released in the blood stream. When that happens, explained Dr. Stephen Hendriksen, an emergency medicine doctor at HCMC, the bubbles can travel to the brain and cause seizures and stroke-like symptoms.
Emergency responders reflect on Bridge Collapse 10 years later
KSTP 5, 8/1/17
“It didn’t quite seem real, but it was very, very real,” Dr. John Hick said. Today he’s the Associate Medical Director for Hennepin County Medical Center Emergency Medical Services. A decade ago, he was called to the Mississippi to lead the trauma operation at the scene.
“There were already some victims who had passed away and there was nothing that we could do for them,” HCMC Paramedic Ross Chavez said.
“I was getting ready to take my wife out to dinner, because Aug. 1 is her birthday,” Dr. Joseph Clinton said.
“I drive over that bridge every day, I think about the bridge collapse a lot because it had a big impact on me,” Dr. Bill Heegaard, assistant chief for the HCMC Department of Emergency Medicine, said.
Survival story: Tina Hickman
KARE 11, 7/31/17
The biggest impact on my life is that my son, Jackson, was born that day. With God’s help and great doctor’s work, Jackson was successfully delivered via emergency C-section at HCMC.
“It won’t ever leave me”: 10 years later, paramedics reflect on 35W Bridge collapse
WCCO 4, 7/28/17
That technical rescue would bring Hennepin EMS paramedics Becky Kopka and Don Wolfe to a view unimaginable before: one of the state’s busiest bridges in the water.
Doctors warn of potent peroxide risk
KARE 11, 7/27/17
“There is some thought in some groups that it might be a general panacea things that can help with inflammation, any sort of general illness,” said Dr. Ann Arens, HCMC physician of emergency medicine and toxicology.
“So when you swallow just a little bit of this food grade hydrogen peroxide, quite a bit comes out into your intestine and into your stomach and get absorbed and cause bad things,” said Dr. Stephen Hendriksen, HCMC physician of Hyperbaric Medicine.
Hennepin County Medical Center links EHR, Lyft to help patients keep appointments
Becker’s Hospital Review, 7/26/17
Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Medical Center and its innovations group, Upstream Health Innovations, launched a pilot program in January that uses the hospital’s EHR to help Medicaid patients hail Lyft rides to their medical appointments, according to the Center for Care Innovations.
“On a scale we hadn’t witnessed before”: doctors remember I-35@ Bridge collapse
WCCO 4, 7/26/17
Ten years later, the doctors (Bill Heegaard, Doug Brunette, John Hick) who had a huge part in saving lives sat down to talk about that day in the very room where they treated patients. They explain how they provided care in the middle an event unlike and they’d ever known.
Cambridge EMS rescues triathlete nurse
Daily Union, 7/25/17
Alicia Bravo stepped back after hugging, then squeezing, Bob Salov, at the 26th Cannonball Run Saturday morning, July 8.
Former Viking great struggles with memory loss after years of hard hits
Fox 9, 7/25/17
“You have to realize this is one study,” said Dr. Uzma Samadani who herself is nationally renowned for her research into sports related brain injury.
Overweight Minnesotans are among those who are ditching the diet
Star Tribune, 7/20/17
It’s not always about the number on the scale, agreed Natalie Ikeman, a physician’s assistant at Hennepin County Medical Center’s Golden Valley Clinic, where she runs a weight loss program called “The Great Slimdown.”
Adaptive skateboarder looks to inspire others
KARE 11, 7/15/17
One Minnesotan is getting the VIP treatment at the X Games in Minneapolis.
Daniel Edmondson is an adaptive skater, following an accident several years ago when he jumped on a train on Nicollet Island.
“I fell and I got run over,” he said. “It wasn’t until I tried to stand up that I even knew that my legs were gone.”
The ambulance took him to Hennepin County Medical Center.
EMS personnel ready for any scenario at XGames
WCCO 4, 7/14/17
“When I look at that, I’m right away thinking multiple system trauma,” said Mike Trullinger, Public Information Officer with Hennepin Emergency Medical Services (EMS). “And we go in, and this is what we do at Hennepin EMS, we do trauma.”
Cambridge nurse retires after a 39-year career
Isanti-Chisago County Star, 7/13/17
Cambridge native Carol Ann Smith, RN, BAN, PHN, CNRN recently celebrated her retirement from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) after 39 years of service.
Farmington woman jumps out of window to escape fire
Fox 9, 7/13/17
Gingerly strolling the halls of Hennepin County Medical Center, Liz Kolbenschlag is thankful to have avoided surgery and a concussion.
X Games preps underway, more than 100,000 expected to attend
KARE 11, 7/11/17
Another perk of the location is having the Hennepin County Medical Center right across the street. Being an extreme sporting event, officials say there’s a strong likelihood for injuries.
“They don’t call it the X Games for nothing,” Hennepin EMS Deputy Chief of Operations Mike Trullinger says. “There is a risk of injuries and we want to be there and take care of them as soon as possible.”
As daredevil X Games roll into Minneapolis, paramedics are ready
Star Tribune, 7/10/17
A medical crew of ESPN-hired professionals and local emergency medical service workers will preside this week over Minneapolis’ first summer X Games at U.S. Bank Stadium. It won’t hurt that the Hennepin County Medical Center is just across the street.
“Lucky for us, we’re right next door,” said Michael Trullinger, Hennepin EMS deputy chief. “So if anyone is seriously injured, they have a top-notch, Level I trauma center” nearby.
The soaring price of insulin leaves Minnesota diabetics with few good choices
Star Tribune, 7/3/17
“They just stop taking it because they have to feed their children,” said Dr. Lisa Fish, who cares for diabetics at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Outstanding nurses awards finalists 2017
Mpls/StPaul Magazine, 6/30/17
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine is excited to announce the 2017 finalists for the Outstanding Nurses Awards.
Teen’s jugular slashed during hockey practice
KARE 11, 6/30/17
The coaching staff are really the heroes in this,” said Bob Spinner, Michael’s dad. “They basically saved my son’s life. He would have bled out before the ambulance arrived had they not done what they did.”
Spinner says his son lost 30 percent of his blood volume before doctors at HCMC could repair his jugular.
High school hockey player survives skate blade to jugular vein
WCCO 4, 6/30/17
Michael was rushed to the level one pediatric trauma center at Hennepin County Medical Center and into surgery.
Star Tribune, 6/18/17
“I think jobs will be at stake here,” said Derrick Hollings, chief financial officer at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. “And it’s not just us.”
“We’ve been on this journey of lean management for 15 years,” said Dr. Jon Pryor, Hennepin County Medical Center’s chief executive. “At some point there are diminishing returns. We have one of the highest percentages of Medicaid patients in the U.S. At some point we’re going to need more help.”
Nightmare finally ends for St. Cloud teacher cured of rare sleep disorder
Star Tribune, 6/17/17
“There is a broad swath of the population that says, ‘It’s just a nightmare,’ ” said Dr. Ranji Varghese, a psychiatrist and medical director at HCMC’s sleep disorder center, which handles about 4,500 patient visits a year. “But if left untreated, nightmares can severely impair a person’s ability to function normally.”
Roundtable: What patients say, what doctors hear
MPR News, 6/16/17
Syl Jones, a playwright and a resident fellow for narrative medicine at HCMC, also joined the roundtable. He said that the best way to make sure the doctor hears what you need them to hear is to think about your story before your visit.
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 joins in $8.5M round of funding for tech startup
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 6/14/17
Dr. Chip Truwit interviewed. (Subscription required)
Skin cancer survivor keeps sun exposure in check
CCX Media, 6/9/17
Dr. Erin Luxenberg, a dermatologist with HCMC, says seeking shade on hot days is a good first step to protecting yourself.
“The sun can cause a lot of different things and the one that worries us as a dermatologist is skin cancer,” says Luxenberg. “There are several different types of skin cancer and most of them are related to sun exposure.”
HCMC neurosurgeon gets a read on brain function
Star Tribune, 6/7/17
“We have really good ways of assessing heart function. … but with the brain, it is super difficult, ” said HCMC attending neurosurgeon Dr. Uzma Samadani. “We need better tools to assess physiologic brain function. That’s what this is.”
Minnesota measles outbreak bigger than all cases in 2016… for entire US
Newsline, 6/1/17
Clinicians from the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and from the Hennepin County Medical Center are working with a group of 30 imams and mosque executive directors to spread accurate information about both measles and autism.
At Minnesota day cares, troubling gaps in immunization coverage
Star Tribune, 5/28/17
“There’s no question that as pediatricians we would like our state to have stronger immunization laws,” said Dr. Dawn Martin, a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center who works with other pediatricians on promoting vaccinations. “A personal belief exemption in Minnesota is relatively easy for a family to obtain.”
Minnesota college student has invented an app to stop PTSD and night terrors
Mix108.com, 5/26/17
Since he started this campaign a year and a half ago he has won several awards for the App and now it is finally ready for clinical trials which will be conducted at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
HCMC seeks to ease patient bottlenecks with new mental health crisis center
Star Tribune, 5/25/17
Dr. Eduardo Colon, chief of psychiatry at HCMC, estimates that at any given time, 15 to 30 percent of the hospital’s psychiatric patients are stuck in hospital beds and delayed from discharge, often because they have nowhere to go in the community.
“We need a lot more places like this,” Colon said, gesturing toward the new home’s spacious living room and fireplace.
The car seat test could save your kids’ lives
KARE 11, 5/24/17
For our inspection, KARE 11 consulted Julie Philbrook, a registered nurse, certified child passenger safety instructor, and Trauma Prevention Specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Pathologists, radiologists from HCMC staff annual North Minneapolis See, Test and Treat event
MHA Newsline, 5/15/17
“This is an outstanding community event that provides access to screenings that can save lives,” said Dr. Bradley Linzie, chief of lab medicine and pathology at HCMC, who read Pap tests at the event. “I want to recognize my HCMC colleagues in Pathology and Radiology for their continued support for this event that gives back to the community.”
No Minnesota hospitals hit by ‘WannaCry’ cyberattack, but experts warn of vulnerabilities
Star Tribune, 5/15/17
At Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, a team was assembled as soon as it became clear Friday that a global ransomware attack was taking place. The team worked through the weekend to identify potential risks, tighten e-mail filtering and network blocking, and run scanning and diagnostic programs on the hospital network, said Matt Werder, chief technology officer at the 484-bed downtown public hospital.
Inside the fight against the measles outbreak
MPR, 5/15/17
Dr. Dawn Martin, a pediatrician at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the facility has compiled a list of patients missing the first of two doses in the MMR vaccine.
Psychiatric Disease in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Healio Psychiatric Annals, 5/8/17
Samuel Maiser, MD, is an Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurology and Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota; and the Medical Director, ALS Center of Excellence, Hennepin County Medical Center.
Delirium Versus Dementia: A Diagnostic Conundrum in Clinical Practice
Healio Psychiatric Annals, 5/8/15
Ranji Varghese, MD, is the Medical Director, Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, Hennepin County Medical Center; and an Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota. Muna Irfan, MD, is the Site Director, Sleep Fellowship, Hennepin County Medical Center; and an Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota.
Minnesota eyes tougher steps to stop measles as outbreak spreads
MPR, 5/5/17
If the mother was vaccinated, the child should have protection from the virus, said Dr. Stacene Maroushek, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center.
“We have not gone to the recommendation of keep your child at home until the epidemic is over,” she said. But that may change if the tally rises to “hundreds of kids, not the dozens we’ve had so far,” said Maroushek.
Mental health and the criminal justice system: Can Minnesota do better?
MPR, 5/2/17
Dr. Eduardo Colon, adult psychiatry chief at Hennepin County Medical Center, agrees funding is a big problem, but so is the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Public health workers push back against anti-vaccine claims at Somali community meeting
MPR, 5/1/17
Not true at all, says Dr. Andrew Kiragu of Hennepin County Medical Center. Kiragu was one of at least three pediatricians who sat in the audience quietly fuming as Blaxill clicked through his Powerpoint slides.
At the end, Kiragu took the microphone and told the audience that the autism-vaccine link is bogus.
Weight loss program provides accountability
CCX Media, 4/25/17
“It’s called the ‘Great Slim Down,” said Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant at the HCMC Clinic in Golden Valley. “It’s a weight-loss program that I designed over a year ago to help patients work on goals, exercise, healthy eating habits to overall improve their quality of life.”
Tevlin: Neurosurgeon and her teen patient are put to a marathon test
Star Tribune, 4/22/17
Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon at Hennepin County Medical Center, knew surgery would be difficult, but she didn’t know just how difficult.
“I’ve never taken out five tumors at once in my career,” she said. “Most of the time we think that if you see five tumors, there are probably more you don’t see. Sometimes the thinking is that you let nature run its course and wait, that you never take out a spinal tumor until someone is disabled. But this was such a young kid. I was not ready to see her become paralyzed. It would have been very hard to live with.”
STDs hit another record high in Minnesota in 2016
Star Tribune, 4/20/17
“The percentage increases in syphilis and gonorrhea are really concerning,” said Dr. Nicholas Vogenthaler, an infectious disease physician at Hennepin County Medical Center and medical director of the Red Door Clinic, an STD testing site.
Bicycling initiative helps mental health patients
KARE 11, 4/19/17
Dr. Woubeshet Ayenew, a HCMC cardiologist who leads the program, says pedaling is an alternative to prescriptions. He also says people often wonder why a cardiologist is involved with the initiative. But, as he explains, biking can help improve mental and physical health.
Two hurt after lightning strike at paintball park
KARE 11, 4/14/17
“Around 75 to 100 people per year in the United States die from lightning strikes,” said burn surgeon, Dr. Jon Gayken, at Hennepin County Medical Center. He said the indirect hits to people are most common.
Why female surgeons at HCMC, worldwide are posing like New Yorker cover
Star Tribune, 4/13/17
Dr. Ashley Marek, HCMC assistant program director for surgery residency, snapped their photo Wednesday with a selfie stick and it was quickly shared on social media. “We had no idea it was going to blow up this way,” she said.
Heart disease study finds low cholesterol doesn’t mean low risk
KARE 11, 4/12/17
“I think this study reinforces in getting a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment,” said Dr. Bradley Bart, chief of cardiology at Hennepin County Medical Center.
HCMC North Loop Clinic to open next week
TC Business, 4/11/17
“We’re excited to make our health care and pharmacy services available to people who live and work in the vibrant North Loop area,” clinic medical director Dr. Jane Hess said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with our new neighbors to achieve and maintain their health care goals.”
North Loop Clinic and Pharmacy opens Monday, April 17
Mill City Times, 4/11/17
“In addition to general dermatologic care, we are also offering cosmetic dermatology at the clinic,” explains Dr. Hess.
Clinic, pharmacy to open in the North Loop
Downtown Journal, 4/10/17
“We’re excited to make our health care and pharmacy services available to people who live and work in the vibrant North Loop area,” said Jane Hess, the clinic’s medical director, in a statement.
Minneapolis-area charities send thanks for books donated at Wi12
American Booksellers Association, 4/4/17
Lynne Burke, the children’s literacy liaison at Hennepin County Medical Center, sent along thanks on behalf of the center’s providers, staff, and client children and families. “There were 74 wonderful books that disappeared like hotcakes when we put them into the book bins in our Pediatric Clinic,” Burke wrote.
At Mayo, pioneering steps toward helping paralyzed patients
Star Tribune, 4/3/17
Other facilities have been working on epidural stimulation, too.
In Minnesota, the Hennepin County Medical Center, the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center and University of Minnesota are working with a Toronto group toward similar goals, said Dr. Uzma Samadani of HCMC. They have a list of patients and hope to implant stimulators in some of them soon, starting with one as soon as May, she said.
Beating clinician burnout
HealthLeaders Media, 4/1/17
Signs of clinician burnout—a response to chronic workplace stressors—have become a reality in the healthcare industry.
Klobuchar wants to keep tabs on deadly carfentanil
St. Cloud Times, 3/31/17
“It is unclear at this point what threat this really represents,” said Jon Cole, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at Hennepin County Medical Center and medical director of the Minnesota Poison Control System. “We know enough to know that this drug is ultra-potent. And we know enough to know that we should be concerned.”
Dangerous drug carfentanil blamed in 5 Minnesota overdoses
Associated Press, 3/30/17
“It is unclear at this point what threat this really represents,” said Jon Cole, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at Hennepin County Medical Center and medical director of the Minnesota Poison Control System. “We know enough to know that this drug is ultra-potent. And we know enough to know that we should be concerned.”
Heroin laced with large animal tranquilizer carfentanil tied to 5 Minnesota deaths
Fox 9, 3/30/17
“For example, an 8,000 pound elephant can be incapacitated by just two milligrams of Carfentanil,” Medical Director of the Minnesota Poison Control System Jon Cole said. “Using [opioids] alone is much more dangerous than it may have been in the past.”
Animal-strength opioid blamed for cluster of overdose deaths
MPR, 3/30/17
The drug is 100 times more potent than fentanyl — the opiate that killed Prince last year — and 10,000 times stronger than morphine, said Dr. Jon Cole with the Minnesota Poison Control System.
Heroin laced with elephant tranquilizer blamed for 5 Minnesota overdose deaths
Star Tribune, 3/30/17
“The drug is so new very little is known about it and the impact the drug has on humans,” said Dr. Jon Cole, an emergency room doctor and medical director of the Minnesota Poison Control System.
Beating Clinician Burnout
HealthLeaders Media, 3/30/17
Signs of clinician burnout—a response to chronic workplace stressors—have become a reality in the healthcare industry.
“It’s somewhere between 30% and 50% nationally in physicians and it is rising,” says Mark Linzer, MD, FACP, director of the division of general internal medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, which includes a 484-staffed-bed safety-net hospital, downtown clinics, and a system of neighborhood clinics. “The data are pretty compelling depending on which instrument you use for measuring it.”
A Christmas Miracle
Catholic Herald, 3/28/17
“I hope more people will look into organ donation. They could check out the Hennepin County Medical Center, https://hcmc.org/clinics/TransplantProgram and the Kidney Foundation, https://www.kidney.org.”
Allergy season begins unusually early
CCX Media, 3/27/17
“A lot of patients with allergies will have recurrent sinus infections, where month after month they’ll need to get an antibiotic,” said Dr. John Sweet, an allergist from Hennepin County Medical Center. “It’ll be a trigger for migraine headaches. Allergies can set off asthma symptoms if you also have asthma.”
On health care, we want it all, can’t have it
Star Tribune, 3/26/17
Low public-program reimbursement rates are “a big part of a safety net hospital’s world,” Finance Vice President David Albright told me in an interview. Being “attached to government,” HCMC has “a disproportionate share of patients on Medicaid,” he said, and “Medicaid does not cover your costs.”
Paramedics sound alarm about assaults
KARE 11, 3/21/17
Tony Brandt trains paramedics at Hennepin EMS. He says reports of assaults have gone down over the last few years for Hennepin EMS workers because of an emphasis on training. But he believes more can be done overall.
Doctor finds purpose working in burn center where he was treated as teen
WCCO 4, 3/20/17
Dr. Jon Gayken is a familiar face in the halls of the HCMC Burn Center. It’s where he did his residency, and where he’s been a surgeon for more than a decade.
Flesh-eating bacteria dramatically changes the lives of Lonsdale family
Lonsdale News-Review, 3/20/17
What started out feeling like a bout of the flu ended in a life-threatening diagnosis for a Lonsdale man − one he and his family never imagined possible.
Within days of feeling sick, Brian Strese was told he had a rare “flesh-eating bacteria,” which left him fighting for his life.
Mayo to give nod to privately insured patients over Medicaid patients
Star Tribune, 3/15/17
Hennepin County Medical Center, a safety net hospital, reported one of the highest Medicaid payer mixes, with 46 percent of its 2015 charges stemming from patients covered by state public programs.
The hospital hasn’t considered policies that prioritize privately insured patients, though, said Dave Albright, HCMC’s vice president of finance.
5 Violent mass casualty incident myths
Hospitals & Health Networks, 3/14/17
John Hick, M.D., an emergency medicine specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, identified five common myths that he often hears from hospitals preparing for a violent mass casualty incident.
Minnesota man loses leg from flesh eating bacterial infection
KARE 11, 3/14/17
Brian Strese, 42, is now recovering from the illness at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), where doctors amputated his right leg above the knee to save him from the fierce infection.
Dr. Jon Gayken, a burn and trauma surgeon who treated Strese, said his illness stemmed from the Group A Strep bacteria, what doctors classify as necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that results in the death of the body’s soft tissue, spreading in the body in a matter of hours.
A look behind the walls at Hennepin County Medical Center
Medical Construction & Design, 3/10/17
“We are excited about the 360 degree photos and see great value in having well-organized, easily accessible images of the building,” said HCMC Senior Facilities Manager Fred Ames.
Pathologists, radiologists from HCMC staff annual North Minneapolis See, Test and Treat event
MHA, 3/8/17
This is an outstanding community event that provides access to screenings that can save lives,” said Dr. Bradley Linzie, chief of lab medicine and pathology at HCMC, who read Pap tests at the event. “I want to recognize my HCMC colleagues in Pathology and Radiology for their continued support for this event that gives back to the community.”
Bariatric surgery: addressing the impact of overweight
Minnesota HealthCare News, 3/7/17
Guilford G. Hartley, MD, an internist with the Hennepin Bariatric Center at Hennepin County Medical Center, is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and the Obesity Society.
Fresh ideas, fresh eyes: HCMC’s internship experience
ICSI, 3/7/17
Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) East Lake Clinic is one of the participating clinics in SIM practice facilitation work. Following successful grantee selection, staff accepted the invitation to include U of M DNP student Laila Akhter as part of their team.
Good Question: What do high heels do to your body?
WCCO 4, 3/6/17
“It puts you in position where we haven’t evolved to walk that way,” says Dr. D.J. Oeltjenbruns, a podiatric surgeon at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Warm winter startles even the experts
MPR, 3/6/17
A spokesperson for Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis confirmed the hospital treated more slip-and-fall injuries on snow and ice this winter than last winter.
Good Question: Why do we say “Bless You” when someone sneezes?
WCCO 4, 3/3/17
There has always been a theory that your heart skips a beat when you sneeze. But Dr. David Hilden of Hennepin County Medical Center says that probably doesn’t happen.
HCMC has been dealt a tough hand, but we’ll persevere
Star Tribune, 3/2/17
Despite the challenges, we’re taking a simple stand: Regardless of our trials, we’re here for life. If you think our stand is admirable — if you agree that HCMC is indeed a special place — we humbly invite you to stand with us. – Jon L. Pryor is chief executive officer of Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc.
A check-up for the health care industry
Twin Cities Business Journal, 3/1/17
Dr. Jon Pryor | CEO, Hennepin County Medical Center. Make health care convenient – Greater efficiency: First, all health systems should embrace lean management, which is about getting rid of waste and improving efficiencies. “Lean” is a set of simple concepts and is founded on the principle of continuous improvement. There are several health systems in Minnesota that embrace lean, including HCMC, but all systems could and should put lean management into practice.
The future of health care is outside the doctor’s office
Governing, 3/1/17
When the state (MN) first adopted the health-care home model, it only had resources for four community health workers. That number has since ballooned to more than 30 as the state continues to see positive outcomes from their work, according to Kristen Godfrey-Walters, community care coordination manager at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Friend says man who hit, killed jogger has brain tumors
WCCO 4, 2/28/17
“There are lots of parts of our brains that allow us to be able to walk, it’s one of the most complex movements we have,” Dr. Katie Esse, a neurologist at Hennepin County Medical Center, said.
Good Question: Why do healthy people suffer heart attacks?
WCCO 4, 2/28/17
“Usually what I tell patients when they ask me, ‘Why is it me, doc? why do I have this?’ I say usually bad genes, bad habits or just bad luck,” said Dr. Foaud Bachour, a cardiologist with Hennepin County Medical Center.
Flu season sending more people to the doctor this year
KARE 11, 2/27/17
“We are seeing patients with flu-like symptoms,” said Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant, at the HCMC Golden Valley Clinic.
Star Tribune, 2/25/17
A recent collaboration between the Nice Ride Minnesota bike share program and Hennepin County Medical Center is helping people deal with mental illness by giving them free bike memberships.
“We’ve either treated the brain or the body, and we’re taking it as a holistic approach, trying to treat people,” said Amber Courtney, an occupational therapist helping lead the program.
While exercise and diet have been discussed before, the new partnership between the psychiatry and cardiovascular departments at the downtown Minneapolis hospital has cardiologist Woubeshet Ayenew working in the day treatment program to give people with serious mental illness his cardiovascular-specific expertise.
NASA astronaut visits Brooklyn Center
CCX Media, 2/22/17
“When I was here training as an emergency medicine doctor, that required a team,” Lindgren said. “We had folks, the nurses, our utilization coordinators, our health care assistants, all of those were really a part of that education in making us better doctors. And it’s the same as being an astronaut.”
Prior to becoming an astronaut, Lindgren was an emergency medical physician who trained in Minneapolis at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Good Question: Why do we shrink as we age?
WCCO 4, 2/22/17
“It has to do with gravity, the ravages of gravity,” says Dr. Kjell Lindgren, a NASA astronaut and physician who completed his medical training at Hennepin County Medical Center . When he spent 141 days on the International Space Station, he stretched an inch.
Golden Valley dermatologist gives skin care tips
CCX Media, 2/21/17
“My pitch to patients is to wear sunscreen 365 days out of the year, rain or shine, cause you just never know,” said Dr. Jenny Liu, a dermatologist who sees patients at the HCMC Clinic in Golden Valley.
Good Question: Why do I hate the sound of my own voice?
WCCO 4, 2/20/17
“The way we hear our voice is really unique,” says Janet Hansen, an audiologist with Hennepin County Medical Center. “It only sounds that way to us.”
God, Allah, Buddha, Great Spirit: Minnesota hospital chaplains adapt to diversity
Star Tribune, 2/18/17
Hennepin County Medical Center has a “prayer wall” in its chapel stuffed with tiny paper requests from all faiths, and a CD collection of Benedictine and Hindu chants, New Age, country and gospel music.
The Rev. David Hottinger, manager of the Spiritual Care Department, recalled getting a late-night call for a chaplain — and music. When he arrived with a CD player, the patient wanted to hear Pink Floyd.
The “sick” that just won’t quit
KARE 11, 2/17/17
“I don’t know if it’s particularly this season that it seems worse it just might be the people you’re coming into contact with seem to really be experiencing these colds,” said Natalie Ikeman, a physican assistant at Hennepin County Medical Center.
HCMC partners with bike share program to help people with mental illnesses
KSTP 5, 2/16/17
Doctors say there are distinct advantages to riding your bike if you have a mental illness as opposed to simply taking prescription pills.
“Better physical health equals better mental health,” said Dr. Woubeshet Ayenew, a HCMC cardiovascular consultant.
There is an end to the tunnel: Minn. Woman battles “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”
WCCO 4, 2/13/17
Dr. Ranji Varghese at the HCMC’s Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center diagnosed Delanie with Kleine-Levin Syndrome. And he answered questions that had been plaguing the Weyers.
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office announces year-long drug prevention campaign
Sun Current, 2/8/17
“Every doctor in the state needs to be aware of this issue, to be educated, and be ready to intervene,” said Dr. Charlie Reznikoff of the Hennepin County Medical Center.
Achoo! The distance germs can travel is nothing to sneeze at
Star Tribune, 2/8/17
A sneeze is a reflex reaction, explained Dr. Scott Davies, a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis who specializes in treating respiratory diseases.
Explosion survivor: “My life will slow down from here on out”
WCCO 4, 2/7/17
Christopher Schueler was with his friend and business partner in early January. A propane tank in the shipping container they were working on exploded.
“Praise God that we’re here, and it’s just one of those things that happens to you where my life will slow down from here on out,” Schueler said.
He recalls the day that changed his outlook from his hospital bed in the Hennepin County Medical Center Burn Unit.
How to take a fall without serious injury
WCCO 4, 2/7/17
“Ankle fractures for the general public are the most common. Rotational ankle injuries, where the foot just slides up from under them and kind of twists as they go down,” Dr. Gudrun Mirick said. “As you get into the older population, wrist fractures, hip fractures, even some pelvic fractures.”
Gov. Dayton to undergo surgery for prostate cancer next month
WCCO 4, 2/7/17
Dr. Kendall Feia, who performs prostate surgeries at Hennepin County Medical Center, says a full recovery can take up to six weeks, less if the surgery is done with a less invasive robotic procedure.
Larry Kryzaniak, who guided HCMC through transitions, dies at 64
Star Tribune, 2/4/17
When he arrived at HCMC in 2004, Kryzaniak transformed the hospital’s financial systems, said Dr. Jon Pryor, CEO of HCMC, and helped shift it from a county department to a public subsidiary corporation.
I-94 project through Minneapolis promises to be a doozy for motorists
Star Tribune, 2/3/17
Doug Gesme, operations chief for Hennepin Emergency Management Services, said the construction will be inconvenient, but ambulances will use contingency plans. “We will find a way to get to you,” he said.
Hennepin County renews push to slow heroin overdoses
Star Tribune, 1/31/17
The epidemic isn’t just a law enforcement or criminal justice issue, said Dr. Charles Reznikoff, an addiction specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Things you should know about the flu
KARE 11, 1/30/17
What you need to know about this flu season. Dr. Bryan Nelson from HCMC’s Golden Valley Clinic explains.
After carbon monoxide killed Minnesota ice fisherman, his mother warns others
Pioneer Press, 1/27/17
“Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths, not just in the United States, but worldwide,” said Dr. Christopher Logue of Hennepin County Medical Center, where 77 such cases were treated last year.
Tevlin: Preemie in 1942 battled odds, and he won
Star Tribune, 1/25/17
Calvin Lepp was locally famous almost from the moment he was born, and over the course of the next 120 days, readers of this newspaper followed the progress of “the medicine dropper baby.”
Governor Dayton reveals he has prostate cancer
CCX Media, 1/24/17
“If prostate cancer is a stable situation and you’re at a point where you’re not having any side effects from any procedure or radiation, or chemotherapy regimens,” said Dr. Bryan Nelson from the HCMC Clinic in Golden Valley. “The far majority of individuals are able to do normal job functions, work functions, activity of daily living type functions.”
Clinical trial works to provide treatment for brain injuries
Minnesota Daily, 1/24/17
A novel experimental trial, led by one University of Minnesota professor, is working to treat traumatic brain injuries and concussions — without surgery.
The trial, led by Dr. Uzma Samadani — head of the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Brain Injury Research Lab and associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery — uses a small device that sends electrical impulses through the skin to stimulate the vagus nerve and attempts to disrupt the generation of abnormal electrical currents in the brain.
Doctors offer tips on how to avoid getting sick
Fox 9, 1/23/17
Ironically, even Dr. Jane Hess with HCMC’S Brooklyn Park Clinic battles a cough.
GoMN, 1/20/17
The last time we got a fly-by from the ISS was in September 2015, when former Hennepin County Medical Center doctor turned NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren took this shot of Minneapolis.
1 dead, 4 others injured by apparent carbon monoxide
MPR, 1/16/17
“It’s unfortunate but every year we get a case or two where someone is sick enough that needs to be transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment,” said Christopher Logue, medical director of the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at HCMC, “because they were in an ice house where they were using a heat source and it wasn’t ventilated properly.”
Tuberculosis case sparks testing at St. Louis Park High School
MPR, 1/12/17
Because the risk of transmission is low, the department was able to take time to identify the specific individuals who should be tested, said Dean Tsukayama, the state tuberculosis consultant for the Minnesota Department of Health and the medical director of the Hennepin County Public Health Clinic.
HCMC, U to test new, simpler treatment for brain injuries
Star Tribune, 1/12/17
Researchers at Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota are studying this experimental approach to stimulating the vagus nerve — a neurotransmitter that has been linked to depression and sleep problems — without the need for a device to be surgically implanted.
“To be honest, it’s not 100 percent understood,” said Dr. Uzma Samadani, head of HCMC’s brain research lab. “People have shown it affects neurotransmitter releases in particular areas of the brain that are important for recovery from functional loss. It also relieves some depression and it helps in restoring the sleep wave cycle.”
Good Question: Why do we weigh less in the morning?
WCCO 4, 1/11/17
A lot of what people lose at night are carbon atoms and water.
“We lose it through breathing breathing and urination,” says Ashley Nusbaum, a nurse practitioner in the bariatric program at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Flu season upgraded to “concerning level”
CCX Media, 1/10/17
“According to the Minnesota Department of Health, they’ve seen enough cases here to alert that we have now jumped from a rare situation to a more upgraded, concerning level,” said Dr. Bryan Nelson from the HCMC Clinic in Golden Valley.
HCMC doctor develops stimulation treatment for brain injuries, clinical trials underway
Fox 9, 1/10/17
It’s a simple little device, but it holds so much promise. And if it’s proven to work, it’s possibly a huge game-changer in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, also called TBI’s.
Dr. Uzma Samadani is the head of the Brain Injury Research Lab at Hennepin County Medical Center, who began early last year the largest ever study of concussions and brain injuries ever done, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.
HCMC takes their safety message to the front lines
WCCO Radio, 1/9/17
Construction crews working on Hennepin County Medical Center’s new Clinic and Specialty Center at 8th Street and Chicago Avenue are getting regular visits from health care workers.
It’s part of the hospital’s Bend and Stretch Program, where once a month they meet with Mortenson Construction workers and go over safety and talk about health.
Star Tribune, 1/6/17
Greg Busker, a registered nurse at HCMC’s emergency department, said there’s definitely been an increase this week in the number of patients with injuries due to falls. He suggested applying salt and sand liberally outside homes and apartment buildings and being extra careful when stepping out of a car at the grocery store, for example. A layer of snow might seem safe, but there could be a patch of ice under that snow.Preparing providers for complex pediatrics
EMS World, 1/1/17
By scheduling a skill session into the regular training on the most frequent 9-1-1 calls involving pediatrics, Erin Glover, EMT-P, EMT coordinator for fire-based services with the Hennepin County Medical Center’s EMS education arm, provided additional education for EMS providers that focused specifically on children with medical complexities.Hennepin Health’s outreach efforts improve health while saving money
Hennepin Healthcare News 