Health Notes: Essentia recognized for effective stroke treatment

Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center.

The Joint Commission, a Washington-based nonprofit, analyzed every part of the patient experience while receiving stroke care at St. Mary’s, an Essentia Health news release said.

“They’re looking at how fast and well the medical team responds to each patient,” said Dr. Nicholas Itzin, an emergency medicine physician, in the news release. “Each member of the team plays a critical role.”

St. Mary’s is one of 16 Minnesota hospitals currently certified as Primary Stroke Centers, according to the Joint Commission’s website. In Wisconsin, 30 hospitals qualify.

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health-care organizations and programs in the United States, according to its website.

Walk-in plastic surgery

Plastic surgery without appointments will be offered between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at St. Luke’s Plastic Surgery Associates, Level 5 of Campus Building A, 1012 E. Second St.

In a news release, St. Luke’s cited a trend of women visiting the clinic during the holiday season.

Dr. Wade Kubat, a plastic surgeon, said he recommends scheduling noninvasive procedures 10 to 14 days before a social event. On the 13th, clients can drop in to receive Botox and Juvederm treatments without an appointment.

The clinic typically sees a busy time after Thanksgiving, Kubat said.

For more information, call (218) 249-7910.

Joining the club

A Duluth-based health-research organization has joined a prestigious club.

The Essentia Institute of Rural Health has been admitted to the HMO Research Network, an Essentia Health news release announced. It is one of 19 U.S. medical research organizations in the consortium, which also includes Health Partners, Kaiser Permanente and Harvard Pilgrim. The Duluth organization was added in October.

As part of the network, the institute has access to the health information of more than 15 million people, including 600,000 patients from Essentia Health, the news release said. All data are “scrubbed” to eliminate any personal information, and then used to study the effectiveness of everything from new heart drugs to diabetes education programs.

Researchers say it’s becoming increasingly important to have access to large amounts of information. Because Essentia covers a predominantly rural region, the data it brings adds diversity to the predominantly urban patient database.

Tweet the flu

State health officials are turning to social networking to get word out about the flu.

The Minnesota Department of Health will host a live Twitter chat from noon to 1 p.m. today, a health department news release announced.

Although the health department frequently tweets information, this is its first venture into the brave new world of Twitter chat.

Three experts on flu and flu vaccines will take questions from Twitter followers using the hashtag #askMDH.

The chat is being held in conjunction with Minnesota’s “Ban the Bug” week, an effort to convince state residents to get flu shots.

For more information, go to www.wdhflu.com, and click on “Flu Twitter Chat” at the top of the page.

Helping kids cope

“Death and Loss: Helping Children with Grief” is the topic of “Speak Your Mind” at 7:30 tonight on PBS North, Channels 8 and 31.

Dr. Carolyn Phelps will host experts on the topic. Viewers can call or e-mail with questions during the program.

That will be preceded at 7 p.m. by “Doctors on Call.” This week, Dr. Ruth Westra will host a discussion on “Head Injuries.”

Tags: st lukes, news, health, essentia, minnesota