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New Foundation officers, board members, interim director

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Loren Larson

Melissa Magnuson

Jodie Johnson

Riverwood Foundation has elected a new slate of officers for 2012-2013 that includes Jodie Johnson, chair; Matthew Hill, vice chair; Terry Butenhoff, secretary, and Mike Steffen, treasurer. Melissa Magnuson, Riverwood diabetes educator, has also joined the Foundation board.  Also, Garrison community member Loren Larson joined the board in 2011 and has been appointed to the finance committee.

Michael Paulbeck served as the Foundation chair from 2010 through 2011 with support from Jodie Johnson as the vice chair, Tricia Martin as secretary, and Matthew Hill as treasurer.

 

Jodie Johnson will serve as Riverwood Foundation’s interim executive director and capital campaign director, assisting John Slettom until he returns to the Foundation full time as the executive director. 

Johnson has been an active member of the Foundation board and has served in several capacities including on the finance committee and Better Together Capital Campaign Steering Committee. She and her family are Riverwood Foundation donors and founders of the Zachary Johnson Kids with Cancer Fund, a fund within Riverwood Foundation that provides grants to children with cancer and their families in Aitkin and Crow Wing County. Johnson also chaired the Gala committee for seven consecutive years.

“We are pleased to have Jodie’s assistance during this interim period,” says Riverwood CEO Michael Hagen. “Since 2003, she has excelled in a number of volunteer leadership capacities, helping to raise significant dollars to move the mission of Riverwood Healthcare Center forward. Her dedication and knowledge are assets to our organization.”

Riverwood Foundation recently celebrated a major milestone of surpassing $1.5 million in donations toward its goal of $2.2 million for the Better Together Capital Campaign.

 “I truly believe in the mission of the Riverwood Foundation and will do everything I can to see to the success of the every-day business of the foundation and the continued success of the Better Together Capital Campaign,” Johnson said. “I look forward to helping where I am needed in this exciting time at Riverwood Foundation and Riverwood Healthcare Center.”

Jodie Johnson can be reached at the Foundation office at (218) 927-5554 or JJohnson2@riverwoodhealthcare.org

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Breast cancer screening, mammography

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Carol Bergen, Clinical Manager, Piper Breast Center, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute, Abbott Northwestern Hospital

When it comes to breast cancer screening, don’t skip a year. If you’re a woman 40 years or older, get a clinical breast exam and mammogram annually.

This message was delivered by Carol Bergen, clinical manager of the Piper Breast Center® of the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute®, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, at a January 26 women’s wellness seminar hosted by Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin.  She was instrumental in the planning and development of the Center when it opened 17 years ago and previously worked at a nurse leader in oncology arenas.

Bergen advised that the United States Preventive Services Task Force created a lot of confusion and controversy when it announced its recommendation in November 2009 that women 50 and older only need to get a mammogram every other year and that women in their 40s may not need them pending discussions with their healthcare providers.

Bergen guided the group of nearly 100 women at the seminar through the pro’s and con’s of the mammography controversy.

“While it’s not perfect and doesn’t detect every type of breast cancer, mammography is the best screening tool we have,” Bergen said. “The dose of radiation for a mammogram is very small and similar to the amount of radiation exposure in taking a flight from the east coast to the west coast and back again.”

Research studies have shown a dramatic decline in deaths from breast cancer of about 30 percent from 1989 to 2007 due to a combination of factors but primarily due to mammography screening and improved treatment. If this trend continues, it’s predicted that the decline in breast cancer deaths may rise to about 50 percent by 2015.

“Mammography screening is really making a difference,” Bergen added. “We’re now catching breast cancer at stage 0 instead of stages 3 and 4. When breast cancer is diagnosed in its earliest stages, we are seeing a cure rate of 97 to 98 percent.”

Bergen said that the Piper Breast Center endorses the American Cancer Society breast cancer screening guidelines for women:

  • Starting at age 20, begin doing a breast self-exam monthly.
  • From ages 20 to 40, have a clinical breast exam every three years. 
  • Starting at age 40, have a clinical breast exam and a mammogram annually and continue this as long as a woman is in good health.

 

Bergen presented an overview of the diagnostic and treatment services and technological advances available to breast cancer patients today. She also advised on risk factors and breast changes to watch for that can signal the presence of cancer.

After touring the hospital in Aitkin and meeting with nurses and healthcare professionals who coordinate services through the Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance earlier in the day, Bergen advised seminar participants:

“For excellent breast cancer care, you don’t have to come to a larger facility like the Piper Breast Center. You have wonderful care right here.”

 Door prize winners were Paulette Anderson, who won a large gift basket filled with comfort items, and Deb Otto, who received a $20 gift certificate for a Circles of Hope bracelet, sold by Evie Ladd of Palisade to raise money locally for the fight against cancer. She donated 30 percent of the bracelet sales at the seminar to Riverwood.

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BINGO – Win with Wellness

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

When you play BINGO, you play to win, right? How about playing to win at wellness! That’s exactly what Riverwood Healthcare Center is inviting you to do. Play a wellness version of BINGO and move forward on the path toward a healthier you.

 All year long in 2012, Riverwood will invite its patients and local community members to participate in wellness activities through a brand new BINGO – Win with Wellness campaign. Each quarter, Riverwood will issue a new BINGO card, modeled after the original game board with 24 different wellness tips. The card will offer tips for healthy habits and behaviors—such as eat a healthy breakfast, go for a walk, and park far away.

 “Riverwood is strongly committed to supporting and empowering our patients and community members to improve their health,” explains Michael Hagen, Riverwood CEO.  “We think the BINGO wellness campaign offers a fun way for you to take small steps that are easy to add to your daily or weekly routine. The BINGO card is a flexible tool to keep those healthy habits visible. I’ve got mine posted on my refrigerator.”

 Community members will see the BINGO campaign promoted on an Aitkin billboard, hear wellness tips on the radio and see them in the local newspapers and online on Riverwood’s dedicated BINGO website and Facebook pages. Riverwood’s Healthy Living newsletter, which publishes six times a year, will carry personal wellness tips from family and internal medicine healthcare practitioners, patient stories on success adopting healthier habits, and in-depth articles on selected wellness topics. Sign up to receive Riverwood’s newsletter online with an email message to HealthyLiving@riverwoodhealthcare.org

 Getting your BINGO card

Wellness is more than eating healthy and exercise, it’s a state of mind. Small steps can change your health, so use the BINGO card to keep wellness on your mind.  Simply download a BINGO card at www.riverwoodhealthcare.com/bingo or pick one up at a Riverwood clinic in Aitkin, Garrison or McGregor.

 Post the card where you can see it daily, such as your refrigerator. This is a tool for you to use as you wish. Make your own rules. For example, encourage your family to work toward doing the activities for all four corners or all the B’s each week. Strive to do all 24 suggested activities—cover-all—each week or month.

 Look to the BINGO card, which will change each quarter, for wellness ideas.  Choose activities that are fun, convenient and easy to make part of your daily routine. Take the stairs when you can.  Dance for 10 minutes while fixing a meal.  Try a new fruit or vegetable. Whatever you do, keep it simple and keep moving forward on your wellness journey.

 Weekly wellness tips

Check Riverwood’s website and Facebook page for weekly BINGO wellness tips. This week’s tip is from Riverwood Nurse Practitioner Rebecca May:

Make FITNESS a priority!

  • Fit physical activity into your daily routine.
  • Establish an exercise plan with what, when and where.
  • Exercise 20-60 minutes daily.
  • Incorporate exercise into your daily activities; take the stairs or park further away.
  • Do something you enjoy that is convenient.

Prize incentives

Enter the quarterly drawings on the BINGO web page, or fill out a drawing slip at a Riverwood clinic, for a chance to win a major prize of $100-plus value or a variety of smaller prizes such as t-shirts, water bottles or other fitness-related items.

 With good health as the ultimate prize, everyone who plays BINGO – Win with Wellness has the potential to win.  For more information, visit www.riverwoodhealthcare.com/bingo

 If you want to learn more about using BINGO wellness activities at your school or workplace, contact Liz Dean, Riverwood PR & Marketing, at (218) 927-5555 or ldean@riverwoodhealthcare.org

 

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Two new RHCC board members

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Jared Lundgren

Jim Hawley

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Hawley and Jared Lundgren to Riverwood’s Governing Board of Directors.

 Jim Hawley founded a business called Bridge Road Business Advisors, Inc. in the McGregor area.  He has spent his entire career in the business arena, initially with a career in accounting and finance, and later leveraged this experience into management roles of chief financial officer, chief operating officer and chief executive officer for more than a half a dozen companies based in the Twin Cities area.

 He has served as an adjunct professor at multiple universities for nearly 10 years, teaching business and accounting courses, and also been a guest lecturer for multiple educational institutions and other organizations. He holds a B.S. degree in Business/Accounting from the University of Minnesota and has completed post-graduate studies in strategy creation and implementation in executive programs at the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota, Columbia University, and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

 “Jim’s long-term business and management background with finance expertise are great assets for our board,” says Michael Hagen, Riverwood CEO. “His experience on five corporate boards of directors plus five nonprofit boards will be very helpful as well.”

 Hawley and his wife, Judy, moved to Big Sandy Lake in 2010 after nearly 30 years of spending weekends there. His attachment to this area began in his childhood when his family vacationed at Hillcrest Resort and the former Verrip’s (now Eagle Point) Resort.

 “There may be no greater challenge today than the provision of quality, affordable health care to an aging but longer-living population in a rural environment,” Hawley says. “I look at serving on the Riverwood board as service to a community we have been a part of for many years on a part-time basis and now as full-time residents. I hope my background and experience will be an asset in helping Riverwood achieve and evolve its mission in the ever-changing environment we are living in.”

 Jared Lundgren and his wife, Beth, operate a retail business called Giada’s Boutique in downtown Aitkin and since 2008 have lived in the area full-time on Farm Island Lake, where they first purchased a vacation home in 1997. Their family includes Emily (17), Giada (4) and Charlotte (1).

 Previously, Lundgren pursued a number of entrepreneurial endeavors. He spent 10 years in the financing industry, which led him to the Lasik eyecare business. In 1999, he founded three Lasik eyecare clinics, most notably Eau Claire Lasik and Minnesota Eye Institute, St. Cloud.  These Lasik eye surgery clinics specialized in Lasik and PRK surgeries and general ophthalmic care. During his eyecare business career, he acted as a consultant in a public speaking role, giving presentations on how to best market and manage a Lasik clinic.  He also owns and manages a variety of investment properties in Florida and Minnesota. 

 “Jared’s experience operating, managing and promoting a health business is a great fit for the governing board,” Hagen says. “His connection to the local community through his retail business in Aitkin is another big plus.”

 Lundgren adds: “Being an entrepreneur most of my adult life has taught me some valuable management, economic and business social skills that I could not have learned in a classroom. I consider it a real honor to be asked to be part of this board of directors during this exciting time of hospital expansion and renovation. I look forward to the challenge of promoting our newly updated facility and making Riverwood Healthcare the go-to health system in our area.” 

 After 11 years of service, from 2000 through 2011, on the Riverwood board, Pat Holder has retired from his position. Hawley has filled Holder’s seat, and Lundgren fills the one formerly held by Rich Fannemel, who retired from the board last year.

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Area civic groups step up to challenge

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Aitkin Lions member Tom Brand presents $2,000 check to Riverwood Foundation Manager Katie Nelson.

McGregor Lions members Elsa Sorenson and Larry Turner present a $2,000 check to Riverwood Foundation Board member Robert Lewis (far left).

Sno-Flyers members Al Rinta and Denny Pepera present a $1,000 check to Riverwood Foundation Manager Katie Nelson.

Riverwood Foundation has much to be thankful for this holiday season. Over the past month, the Aitkin Lions Club, McGregor Lions Clubs and Tamarack Sno-Flyers have all made generous gifts to Riverwood Foundation for the Better Together Capital Campaign totaling $5,000. In addition, these contributions have been matched dollar for dollar by the Otto Bremer Foundation, which pledged a $300,000 matching grant to the campaign earlier this year.

 With the support of these civic groups and other local healthcare supporters, the Foundation has raised more than $1.4 million toward its campaign goal of $2.2 million.

 The Foundation hopes to reach the Bremer challenge by December 31, which will bring the total amount raised to $1.6 million to support the hospital expansion project.

 For more information about the project and to make a tax-deductible gift, visit www.riverwoodhealthcare.com/bettertogether or call the Foundation office at (218) 927-5554.

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Accreditation for digital mammography

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Several months ago, digital mammography became available at Riverwood Healthcare Center’s hospital in Aitkin and clinics in Garrison and McGregor. This fall, the American College of Radiology (ACR) gave its gold seal of approval, awarding Riverwood accreditation for all three of its mammography sites. This means that the healthcare facility meets national standards for imaging quality and safety.

When you see the ACR gold seal, your prescribed imaging test is being done by a facility that has met the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety. To achieve accreditation for mammography, a healthcare facility has to meet specified personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance and quality control procedures. 

“Our facility has voluntarily gone through a rigorous review process to ensure that we meet nationally accepted standards of care,” says Julie Siemers, manager of Riverwood’s Radiology department. “Patients can rest assured that our staff is well qualified and experienced in operating the digital mammography equipment, and we have an expert team of radiologists who interpret mammography images.”

How digital mammography works

Film mammography uses x-ray to record images on film using an x-ray cassette. Films are developed and produced and read by a radiologist. With digital mammography, the x-rays produce a digital image on a computer screen while the patient is still in position. The technologist then has the ability to review these immediately to determine image quality.

 With a digital mammogram, the breast image can be read and stored electronically in digital format, and may also converted from a digital image to film for reading and storage. In either case, the images can be compared from exam to exam and from digital to film.

 For more information on breast health services offered through the Cuyuna Riverwood Breast Health Alliance, visit www.breasthealthalliance.org

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Specialty care added in McGregor

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Cindy Hauser, CNP

Bradley McCusker, DPM

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce that it now offers podiatry and urology care at its McGregor clinic.

 Earlier this fall, Riverwood introduced podiatry services to its wide range of specialty care services with the addition of Dr. Bradley McCusker, podiatrist, to its medical staff. In addition to seeing patients in Aitkin, Garrison and Crosby, he now sees patients at the McGregor clinic on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

 Board-certified in foot surgery, Dr. McCusker has 19 years of experience in treating patients with a variety of foot problems.  His specialty areas of practice include evaluation and treatment of ingrown toenails, plantar warts, heel spurs, bunions, hammertoes, neuromas and diabetic foot ulcers. He performs surgical procedures to correct foot problems such as bunions and hammertoes, as well as routine foot care.

 Cindy Hauser, Certified Nurse Practitioner in Urological services, began seeing patients with urology concerns at Riverwood’s specialty clinic in Aitkin earlier this year. She now sees patients at the McGregor clinic on Fridays as needed.

 Hauser is part of the Adult & Pediatric Urology team with two urologists and surgeons—Dr. Shawn McGee and Dr. Lori Pinke—that  serves the Aitkin and Crosby medical communities. With an extensive background in hospital nursing and special training in the care of children and older adults, she is interested in all areas of urology, including patient education and promoting health and wellness.

 For an appointment with Dr. McCusker for podiatry care, call Riverwood at (218) 927-2157 or toll-free at (888) 270-1882. For an appointment with Cindy Hauser for urology care, call Adult & Pediatric Urology at 877-250-8829.

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Study shows good news for rural heart attack patients

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Heart attack patients who are transferred from rural hospitals do as well as patients who go directly to Abbott Northwestern Hospital for treatment, according to a study published in the November issue of European Heart Journal.

The study’s objective was to see how well blood clot-busting drug therapy worked for patients who could not receive a balloon angioplasty procedure to open and repair clogged blood vessels within 90 minutes. Researchers analyzed the outcomes of 660 patients who were transferred from 31 regional hospitals and compared them with those of 600 patients who went directly to Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis.

Several authors of the study include three local cardiologists—Dr. Timothy Dirks, Dr. James Madison and Dr. Peter Stokman—of the Minneapolis Heart Institute who treat patients at Riverwood Healthcare Center’s specialty clinic in Aitkin, and Dr. James Harris, medical director of Riverwood’s Emergency Services. The lead study report author is Dr. David Larson of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation in Minneapolis. “With our current drug regimen, we have shown that patients right here in Aitkin County and other small rural communities can have absolutely the same outcomes as those who may live just down the street from a primary heart center like Abbott Northwestern,” Stokman explains. “This is great news for cardiac patients living in rural Minnesota.”

 The study was based on the Minneapolis Heart Institute’s Level One Heart Attack Program database of 2,634 patients who were treated at Abbott Northwestern from April 2003 through December 2009.Since 2004, Riverwood Healthcare Center has participated as a Level One Heart Attack Program Hospital, using specific treatment protocols to fast-track heart attack patients to Abbott Northwestern for immediate advanced cardiac care.For more information, see comments on the new heart attack study from Dr. Tim Dirks and Dr. Peter Stokman on the November 15th Lakeland Public TV newscast.

About the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
TheMinneapolis Heart Institute® is recognized internationally as one of the world’s leading providers of heart and vascular care. Abbott Northwestern, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is the largest hospital in the Twin Cities and recognized nationally and locally for its exceptional expertise and care.

About the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation
The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation is dedicated to creating a world without heart disease through groundbreaking clinical research and innovative education programs. MHIF’s mission is to promote and improve cardiovascular health, quality of life and longevity for all.   

Timing is critical in saving the life of a heart attack patient.  The average time from when a patient enters Riverwood’s ER in Aitkin to successfully opening the heart attack-causing blocked artery at Abbott Northwestern is 120 minutes.

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Riverwood named to top 100 list

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, Minnesota, was recently named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the country.

The announcement of the top 100 hospitals serving rural communities was made as part of the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) 10th annual Critical Access Hospital Conference held in Kansas City in September.

 The Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals, including Riverwood, scored best among critical access hospitals on the iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength Index™. In this first-ever comprehensive rating, the results recognize the top critical access hospitals that form the safety net to communities across America – measuring them across 56 different performance metrics, including quality, outcomes, patient perspective, affordability and efficiency.  For more information on this ranking, go to www.HospitalStrengthIndex.com

 “Rural hospitals play such a critical role in providing needed care to communities across America, yet the challenges are completely different while the issues are as complex as for urban hospitals. The need for benchmarks and a framework for success are equally important as hospitals brace for the impact of health reform,” said John Morrow, executive vice president of iVantage Health Analytics.

 Riverwood CEO Michael Hagen added: “Riverwood is proud of its physicians and healthcare professionals who have contributed to this designation. We are honored to rank among rural hospitals nationwide that are delivering a high level of quality care that is positively influencing patient outcomes and patient satisfaction for the communities we serve.”

 About iVantage Health Analytics

iVantage Health Analytics, Inc.™ is a privately held healthcare business intelligence and technology company. The company was formed to be the parent company for Performance Management Institute LLC, The Healthcare Management Council, Inc., Health InfoTechnics, LLC, and The Ratings Guy, LLC.  The businesses ultimately will consolidate assets and operations into one entity. The company is a leading provider of information products serving an expansive healthcare industry. iVantage Health Analytics™ integrates diverse information with innovative delivery platforms to ensure customers’ timely, concise, and relevant strategic action. For more information, visit www.iVantageHealth.com

 Media contact:  Arlene Wheaton, Riverwood Healthcare, (218) 927-5589, awheaton@riverwoodheatlhcare.org

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Podiatry care at Garrison

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce the addition of podiatry care at its clinic in Garrison.

Riverwood introduced podiatry services to its wide range of specialty care services with the addition of Dr. Bradley McCusker, podiatrist, to its medical staff in September. In addition to seeing patients in Aitkin, McGregor and Crosby, he now sees patients at the Garrison clinic on the second Tuesday of the month.

 Board-certified in foot surgery, Dr. McCusker has 19 years of experience in treating patients with a variety of foot problems.  His specialty areas of practice include evaluation and treatment of ingrown toenails, plantar warts, heel spurs, bunions, hammertoes, neuromas and diabetic foot ulcers. He performs surgical procedures to correct foot problems such as bunions and hammertoes, as well as routine foot care.

 For an appointment with Dr. McCusker, call Riverwood’s Garrison Clinic at (320) 525-3400 or toll-free at (888) 270-1882.

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