Bemidji nursing programs join forces

Posted at 12:55 PM on March 13, 2012 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Education, Healthcare, Northwest Minnesota

Starting this summer, the nursing programs at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in Bemidji will join forces under a combined Bemidji School of Nursing.

While the two programs will come together under one administration umbrella, NTC will continue to provide practical nursing and two-year registered nursing programs, while BSU will continue to offer the four-year, baccalaureate nursing program.

Dr. Jeanine Gangeness served as the chair of BSU's nursing program. She'll now serve as the Bemidji School of Nursing's founding dean.

"The goal is to have efficient, high quality education and to have a seamless transition from one program to the other," Gangeness said.

Gangeness says the school will help streamline the process of setting up clinical training sites off campus, and will also make the accreditation process more efficient.

For students, Gangeness says, it will mean an easier process of moving from the two-year into the four-year program, which is a growing trend.

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Mayo researchers study cost of underage drinking

Posted at 5:22 PM on February 16, 2012 by Elizabeth Baier (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Research, Southeast Minnesota

(Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images)

Mayo Clinic researchers estimate the hospitalization costs for underage drinking in the United States is about $755 million a year, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Researchers found the largest part of this expense, or approximately $505 million, goes toward treatment. They also say underage drinking can also lead to other destructive behavior as well as a greater dependence on alcohol in adulthood.

"When teenagers drink, they tend to drink excessively, leading to many destructive consequences including motor vehicle accidents, injuries, homicides and suicides," said Dr. Terry Schneekloth, a Mayo Clinic addiction expert and psychiatrist, in a statement. "Harmful alcohol use in adolescence is a harbinger of alcohol abuse in adulthood."

Young people who start drinking before the age of 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control, which describes underage alcohol use "a major public health problem."

Youth aged 12 to 20 years drink 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States, and more than 90 percent of this is consumed in the form of binge drinking, according to the CDC.

Mayo researchers also found geographic and demographic differences in the incidence of alcohol-related hospital admissions. The study shows the average age of alcohol-related hospitalization was 18 and 61 percent of those young people hospitalized were male.

Mayo's study also shows hospitalization is more common in the Northeast and Midwest and lowest in the South.

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Sanford Health plans major expansion in Bemidji

Posted at 3:38 PM on February 9, 2012 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Healthcare, Northwest Minnesota

Plans are moving ahead for a big expansion of Sanford Health's medical campus in Bemidji. A regional planning board approved the expansion this week, according to a story in the Bemidji Pioneer.

The expansion plans include a 20,000-square-foot orthopedic center, a 24,000-square-foot surgery center and a 40,000-square-foot cardiac center.

Sanford officials say the expansion is part of a commitment made when Sanford Health and North Country Regional Hospital merged last spring. Sanford agreed to invest $75 million into the Bemidji community, including a $5 million gift to the North Country Regional Health Services Foundation.

The expansions mean some patients will no longer have to travel to Fargo for certain procedures.

The plan also includes a 12,000-foot medical supply building and a new parking area with nearly 800 spaces.

The campus exansion may require the reallignment of Bemidji's Hannah Avenue to the west. A portion of another roadway, Pine Ridge Avenue, will be vacated as part of the plan.

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New state program aims to increase organ donation

Posted at 12:13 PM on January 5, 2012 by MPR News Staff (1 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare

St. Louis Park resident Nikki Dumonceaux, 36, has been waiting almost two years for a double-lung transplant. She attended a press conference today announcing a new state program that allows Minnesotans to donate $2 to raise awareness of organ donation.

By Curtis Gilbert

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety launched a new program today aimed at increasing the number of organ donors in the state.

Starting this week, when you apply for or renew your driver's license you can voluntarily donate $2 to raise awareness of organ donation. Similar programs in other states have raised as much as $350,000 a year.

About 60 percent of Minnesotans are registered organ donors.

"I hope that with this effort, this legislation that we passed, we will be able to help even more people and increase that 60 percent up to 70, 75, you name it. The sky's the limit," said State Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, who sponsored the law that created the program.

Minnesota's organ donation rate is already well above the national average of 42 percent. More than 2,700 Minnesotans are currently waiting for transplants.

"The reason why we're waiting so long is because there aren't enough donors," St. Louis Park resident Nikki Dumonceaux said.

Dumonceaux, 36, was born with cystic fibrosis and carries an oxygen tank to help her breathe. She has been waiting almost two years for a double-lung transplant.

"If there are more donors out there, more people are going to receive their transplant and live longer fuller lives," she said.

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Glow-in-the-dark cats help with AIDS research

Posted at 2:46 PM on September 12, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Research, Southeast Minnesota

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester are using glow-in-the-dark cats in the fight against AIDS.

The clinic announced Sunday that researchers have developed a genome-based immunization strategy to fight feline AIDS and find ways to combat human HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

Researchers said the goal is to create cats with intrinsic immunity to the feline AIDS virus. The findings appear in the current online issue of Nature Methods.

"One of the best things about this biomedical research is that it is aimed at benefiting both human and feline health," said Eric Poeschla, M.D., a Mayo molecular biologist and leader of the international study, in a statement. "It can help cats as much as people."

Mayo researchers paired a gene from a fluorescent jellyfish to track another gene, called rhesus macaque restriction factor. The former gene makes the offspring cats glow green and the latter is known to resist the development of the feline AIDS virus.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes AIDS in cats as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does in people: by depleting the body's infection-fighting T-cells. This was the first time this method succeeded in a carnivore, according to Mayo.

Researchers aimed to mimic the way evolution normally gives rise over vast time spans to protective protein versions.

The method for inserting genes into the feline genome is highly efficient, so that virtually all offspring have the genes, according to Mayo. And the defense proteins are made throughout the cat's body. Mayo officials said the cats with the protective genes are thriving and have produced kittens whose cells make the proteins, thus proving that the inserted genes remain active in successive generations.

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Mayo receives $20 million to evaluate health care delivery

Posted at 12:45 PM on September 8, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (1 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Research, Southeast Minnesota

Two longtime Mayo Clinic benefactors have donated $20 million to help launch the Clinic's new Center for Science of Health Care Delivery.

The donation came from Robert and Patricia Kern, a Wisconsin couple who has visited the Rochester Clinic since 1930.

Their contribution will jump start the new center that will focus on creating, evaluating and implementing approaches to deliver high-value care.

Robert Kern is the founder and owner of Generac Power Systems, a generator manufacturer based in Waukesha, Wis. The company produces industrial, commercial and residential power generators.

In a statement, Robert Kern said Mayo has been an important part of his family for many decades.

"We admire their culture of putting the needs of the patient first, and we are honored to join with them to lead the transformation of health care," Kern said.

The $20 million donation will be used to hire staff, build space and help open the Center for of Health Care Delivery, according to Clinic officials.

The goal of the center will be to identify the most efficient and effective best practices in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients.

The center will be located in the Harwick Building on Mayo Clinic's downtown Rochester campus.

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Planned Parenthood closures present new challenges

Posted at 9:51 AM on July 29, 2011 by Michael Olson (3 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare

By Alison Dirr

This week six Planned Parenthood clinics closed in greater Minnesota.

The closings, due primarily to cuts in federal funding to all family planning institutions covered by the federal Title X program, will affect about 4,500 patients throughout the state. Clinics in Owatonna, Red Wing, Fairmont, Brainerd, Thief River Falls and Albert Lea are now closed.

According to the Planned Parenthood website, the clinics provided emergency contraception, pregnancy and HIV testing, birth control pill refills and other services.

The closings were based on the number of patients in each office and the clinics' proximity to other Planned Parenthood offices, according to Sarah Williams, the regional public relations director for Planned Parenthood.

"We tried to mitigate the pain as much as possible for our patients and it was, of course, very hard to do," she said. "There were very hard decisions to make. These clinics have been serving these communities for 40 years, since the Title X program was established."

Despite such efforts women seeking Planned Parenthood services will feel the effects of the closures, Williams said.

Brainerd Mayor James Wallin expressed the same sentiment, saying that Planned Parenthood was well utilized in the community. Wallin said he was sure those patients would find an alternative, but did not know where.

"I think those in need of those services are going to find some venue or some area where they can get help, and I'm hoping they do because there are a lot of people out there who are in need of those services," he said. "I'm not aware of anything real close locally that will fill in that gap."

The distance to other Planned Parenthood clinics will prove most challenging to those patients at the Thief River Falls office, Williams said. Medical records from that clinic will be transferred to the Bemidji location, which is almost 100 miles away.

Kate Lynne Snyder, a former patient at that clinic, said when she was in high school she and many of her classmates sought out Planned Parenthood to educate themselves about their reproductive health.

According to Planned Parenthood, the Thief River Falls location served 552 patients in 2010, 14 percent of whom were under 18 years old. Planned Parenthood officials also reported that 81 percent of Thief River Falls patients were below the federal poverty level.

Williams noted that the difference between other women's health clinics and Planned Parenthood is that much of the care Planned Parenthood provides is subsidized.

"Our patients are largely uninsured and most are at or below the federal poverty level and so they need subsidized care," she said.

Citing such economic issues, Snyder said it may be difficult for the young women of Thief River Falls to travel to other Planned Parenthood locations.

"Some women will do it, but i don't think everyone will," she said. "I don't think that a 15-year-old girl will be able to get somebody to drive her out there without having some sort of finagling going on."

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Bemidji nurses will take strike vote on Thursday

Posted at 11:22 AM on July 27, 2011 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Northwest Minnesota

More than 230 nurses at Sanford Bemidji Hospital will vote Thursday to accept or reject a contract offer from the hospital. A "no" vote would authorize a strike in Bemidji.

Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association bargaining team are unanimously recommending that nurses reject what they call a "concession-laden" offer.

"Despite our best efforts over the past several months, hospital management continues to put its desire for corporate profits ahead of the safety of our patients and the integrity of our profession," said Peter Danielson, RN, a member of the bargaining team.

Hospital officials say their contract offer is fair, based on current economic realities.

"We have negotiated in good faith, openly and honestly," said Joy Johnson, chief operations officer at Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota. "Through mutual compromise we have already reached an agreement with our hospital nurses on staffing and scheduling to ensure ongoing patient safety."

MNA officials say the major sticking points include staffing levels and the ability for nurses to have what they feel are adequate resources available for patient care at the bedside. Union leaders contend that management also wants nurses to make major concessions regarding their health care and pension plans.

Based in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Sanford organization has expanded its footprint in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest. Sanford acquired the Bemidji hospital -- formerly known as North Country Regional Hospital -- last year.

The two sides have been without a contract since February.

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Mayo Clinic launches social network

Posted at 10:20 AM on July 7, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (2 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Southeast Minnesota

(Photo courtesy of Mayo Clinic)

For years, the Rochester-based Mayo Clinic has been at the forefront of using social media, with a popular YouTube channel, a Twitter account, and more than 53,000 connections on Facebook.

The Clinic also produces its own podcast and blog, and in 2010, created the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media to help the clinic and other health care providers adopt social media tools.

Now, officials at the clinic have created their very own social media community. Clinic officials believe the Mayo clinic online community is the first such online community created by a medical provider group or hospital system.

The goal of the online community is to connect people who have already been through the Mayo Clinic with future patients facing similar health concerns. It's meant to be a place for community members to share information, support and encouragement.

According to the Clinic, more than 500,000 unique patients from every U.S. state and nearly 150 countries visit one of the Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida or Minnesota for diagnosis and treatment each year.

The Mayo Clinic online community is comprised of content from various Mayo Clinic blogs, health and medical videos, and links to news articles about Mayo Clinic research and treatment advances. It also features a discussion forum where members can connect with others who have similar interests or concerns.

The community is free and is open for anyone to join.

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Share your stories about health care

Posted at 12:00 PM on March 31, 2011 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Minnesota

MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

By Melody Ng

You've probably already heard that La qui Parle is Minnesota's healthiest county. The new County Health Rankings report, which compares health, county-by-county, across the nation, gives residents and public health advocates in La qui Parle, McLeod, Steele, Brown, and Carver (Minnesota's top five) reason to celebrate. And, it's likely left their counterparts in Cass County, our least healthy place to live, biting their nails.

Healthy doesn't seem to require great health care though. According to the report's measures of health care access and quality, La qui Parle County placed 80th out of 85 counties; Cass County did slightly better at 76th.

La qui Parle's low clinical care score may reflect its high number of hospitalizations that could have been avoided by better outpatient care -- the fourth worst in the state. Also, 16 percent of the county's adults lack health insurance. Only eight other Minnesota counties are less insured. Keep in mind, though, that the national average is 20 percent.

Another data point that stood out was the extreme shortage of primary care doctors in Marshall County, near the northwest corner of the state.

Marshall is Minnesota's ninth healthiest county, so not having a lot of doctors doesn't seem to be a huge problem. But at 9,312 residents per primary care doctor, Marshall County has more than five times the national ratio of 1,718 residents per doctor -- and one of the worst in the country. The only worse ratios I ran across were for two counties in Texas, two in Mississippi, and one in Alaska. Of course, there are also counties in the United States with no primary care docs.

The data from this report are intriguing, but MPR News is even more interested in the stories behind the numbers. So if you can tell us about how your community deals with physician shortages, or explain why one in three Beltrami County adults smokes, -- or if you want to tell us about what health care is like where you live, we're listening. Share your story here.

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Healthy living center at Mayo set to expand

Posted at 1:00 PM on March 30, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (1 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Southeast Minnesota

(Photo courtesy of Mayo Clinic)

A new building is coming to downtown Rochester.

The Mayo Clinic announced it will double the size of the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. The four-story expansion will give selected patients access to the wellness facility, that currently is open only to Mayo Clinic employees and their families.

In a statement, Patricia Barrier, medical director of Mayo Clinic's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said the clinic is committed to improving the overall health and wellness of its patients as well as diagnosing and treating illness and disease.

"This expansion will contribute to Mayo's quest to comprehensively serve the needs of each patient," Barrier said.

At the new center, patients will get highly individualized healthy living guidance tailored to their particular illness or disease. The center also will provide ongoing support aimed at preventing future disease.

The expansion is made possible by the financial generosity of Dan Abraham, a longtime Mayo patient and founder of SlimFast International. Mayo Clinic officials did not release the amount of Abraham's financial gift.

"The generous support by Mr. Abraham has improved the lives of our employees through the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. Now, his same spirit of generosity and commitment to Mayo Clinic will more broadly touch all our patients," John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO, said in a statement.

Clinic officials said the existing floors of the healthy living center will continue to be for Mayo employees and their dependents. The new floors will have a separate entrance for patients.

Officials did not immediately release a timeline for construction of the project.

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Grant helps promote dental hygiene for poor, rural Minnesotans

Posted at 2:30 PM on March 24, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare, Southeast Minnesota

Finding a dentist can be tough, especially if you're poor and live in a rural area. And the lack of proper dental care can lead to more serious health issues down the line.

To help address the need, Minnesota State University Mankato will use a recent grant from AgStar Financial Services to offer scholarships to low-income, rural Minnesotans who can't afford dental care.

MSU recently received a $5,000 grant from AgStar to support scholarships for rural community members to maintain and improve their dental health at the university's dental clinic.

Throughout the year, MSU students in the dental hygiene program staff the dental lab, where they do basic dental cleaning, fluoride treatment, dental x-rays and other oral hygiene inspections. The dental lab is open to the public for a $40 fee.

The AgStar grant will help fund $40 scholarships for people who can't afford the fee. Officials with the university say the clinic will offer the scholarships on a first-come, first served basis.

For more information on the dental hygiene program and the dental health clinic at MSU, visit www.ahn.mnsu.edu/dental.

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Hospital mergers: Is it worth losing the local character?

Posted at 2:00 PM on February 1, 2011 by Michael Caputo (1 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Healthcare

Doing nothing to deal with the financially-strapped Virginia Regional Medical Center can't be an option, Virginia Mayor Steve Peterson said last Friday during an online forum on the future of the hospital - and rural health care in general.

"This is really a difficult situation," Peterson said in the forum sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio News and the Iron Range's Hometown Focus. "If we as city leaders do nothing, what is the outcome? I fear a lot worse for all."

Peterson was joined by administrators at the hospital, including the hospital CEO, Bill Smith. We also invited those who could speak about rural health care in a broader sense, such as Al Vogt, chairman of the Minnesota Wilderness Health Care Coalition, a consortium of hospitals in northeast Minnesota.

Vogt said that when asked what it means for an independent hospital, like the city-owned Virginia facility, to merge with a larger system, he said:

"(T)hat's kind of asking what 'change' should look like. I do believe that a number of our members are looking at thier mission to their communities and doing what they can."

The conversation continued with Jeff Tucker, president of Integrity Health Network, an organization based in Duluth that is working to keep hospitals like VRMC independent.

Tucker:"(Merger) has meant different things to different types of organizations. Where there's been duplication of services, it has meant consolidation or even elimination of positions. That's been more pronounced in clinic acquisitions. It has meant the elimination of competition in some markets which concerns us."

Mayor Steve Peterson: "Mr Tucker hit right on, A merger of our facility, could mean a duplication of some services and that doesnt always work out."

But Peterson feels as though Virginia city leaders have no choice but to explore merger options. That's why the city is soliciting offers. This worries employees of the hospital. Sue (who didn't give a last name) said she's worked at the Virginia hospital for several years and said this it is "a community hospital, not a big business."

The mayor then responded:

Steve Peterson: Sue, we are trying to save our facility, but it may have a different look at the end of the day

Michael Caputo (MPR): These big changes... do they mean - more corporate?

Steve Peterson: Good question Michael, that could well be what happens.

I bit later in the online forum, a commentator named Charles asked Peterson:

"Mayor, when you say it will have a different look at the end of the day, can you be more specific? Can you tell us the direction that you and the City Council have decided on?

Steve Peterson: "Charles, some of the things we are trying to determine is: What is our capacity? What can we do well and what can we offer to the community on a consistant basis? Who out there sees the value in us and how can we put it together?"

VRMC CEO Bill Smith: "We will do anything that makes economic sense--no options are off the table. But the focus needs to remain on servicing the community with a financially secure facility. (The bidding) process will hopefully help us figure out how to do that."

Others in the online forum tried to address the fears of a hospital losing its community connection when it merges with a bigger system.

LeAnn Anderson: "I worked for Hibbing General Hospital back in the day, then for the University when they bought it and then eventually for Fairview. All the transitions were difficult, but in the end the hospital survived. Our jobs survived, and the hospital in Hibbing is still there."

Nancy Barnes, laboratory manager at VRMC: "I was at Allina Health System when we went through the Health Span, Health One, Allina mergers. Many people feared for their jobs, yet in reality, most job changes occurred through attrition. We saw many departments consolidate, but it improved quality and lowered cost. It was not a negative experience from my point of view."

And still, people in the Virginia area needed assurances, like Anne (no last name given):

"If VRMC is taken over by a larger institution they could close VRMC, which would leave our community without a hospital at all. Unacceptable.

Mayor Steve Peterson: "Not on my watch, Anne"

Let's explore this question of whether the community needs will get tossed aside if an independent hospital merges. What's your point of view?

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Minnesota this week: extreme ice fishing

Posted at 3:36 PM on January 28, 2011 by Michael Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Education, Government, Healthcare

Rescuers used a boat like the one above to save two stranded fishermen on Lake Superior. It looks much more serene than the depiction of the rescue. Massive waves broke apart ice which led the fishermen to think this was the end.

MPR: Wick was about 500 yards from shore when cracks suddenly appeared. He and Popko made their way shoreward as heavy swells below the ice expanded the fractures. But as they jumped from one ice chunk to another they ran out of steppingstones.They rode out the storm on separate floes while waves raged as high as 12 feet.

What's a guy gotta do to get a doctor around here?

This week in Virginia, Minnesota Public Radio and Hometown Focus hosted a discussion with community members and leaders about the possible privatization of the Virginia Regional Medical Center.

The healthcare challenges in Virginia are similar to those around rural America with no easy solutions and as Mayor Steve Peterson stated candidly, "This is really a difficult situation, If we as city leaders do nothing, what is the outcome? I fear a lot worse for all."

Join the conversation and let us know: How would you save a struggling hospital in rural Minnesota?

Police Chief has a different question in Virginia

One of the biggest mysteries Virginia police chief Dana Waldron is trying to get to the bottom of right now is why he's on leave. The 32-year veteran of the Virginia police force tells the Dultuh New Tribune:

"I suspect some things, but I'm dumbfounded to be honest with you. ... Not that relations haven't been strained here lately."

Waldron was sent a letter a letter late in the week that indicated that a complaint of unbecoming conduct" had been filed against him. He still says he's baffled about what spurred the complaint.

Economic indicators say yes, no and maybe

Interest rates continue to stay low, unemployment is on the decline and job outlook appears to be picking up. But local governments, and the good people who pay the taxes that support those governments, continue to be dogged with serious budget problems. Some schools are heading toward extracurricular activities for only those who can afford them. As the growth in the Minnesota Today LGA tag page suggests, more action is being taken every day as local governments prepare for expected cuts to the Local Government Aid (LGA) by the Minnesota Legislature.

Michael Olson is online editor for Minnesota Today. His weekly news roundups will appear on Friday.

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Let's talk about rural health care

Posted at 6:00 AM on January 28, 2011 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Healthcare

One of the most pressing issues for Minnesota is how to ensure medical care for people in rural areas.

Increasingly, that's a difficult proposition. Rural hospitals are losing money as they try to provide health care no longer covered by the state General Assistance Medical Care program. A growing number are trying to cut their losses while still providing care for the poorest of the poor.

Faced with growing deficits, hospital officials wonder if they can afford high-tech machines to treat patients.

The problem is particularly acute in Virginia, on Minnesota's Iron Range, where the Virginia Regional Medical Center is struggling. A big part of the problem in rural areas is the low reimbursement rates from federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

At noon today, Minnesota Public Radio News and the weekly newspaper Hometown Focus will host an online forum about the challenges facing rural health providers in Virginia and beyond.

Among the participants will be Michelle Fleming, Chief Nursing Officer for the Virginia Regional Medical Center; Al Vogt, chairman of the Minnesota Wilderness Health Care Coalition; Virginia Mayor Steve Peterson and Dr. Wendell Smith, a surgeon who is on the VRMC hospital commission.

Please join us.

David Cazares is the print and Statewide Blog editor for Minnesota Today

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