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FamilyHealthN o r t h f i e l d h o s p i t a l & C l i N i C s

Spring 2011 • Vol. 16, No. 2 952-469-0500

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Knee replacement puts McAdams back on the field

David McAdams is back on the field, coaching his son’s little league team. He couldn’t be happier. It’s exactly where he wants to be.

Two years ago, he wasn’t sure he would have the opportunity. A knee injury – suffered while playing with his team – put his coaching career in jeopardy. But a total knee replacement performed by Erik Stroemer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, who sees patients at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic in Lakeville, has given David a second chance.

“I’m back doing what I want to do,” he said. The knee had given the 49-year old computer

programmer trouble since late ado-lescence. For more than 25 years, he nursed it and worked around it, but as middle age beckoned, the joint finally wore out. The cartilage was shot.

He began seeing Dr. Stroemer in Lakeville in 2008. David had two goals: first he wanted relief from the constant pain, and second, he wanted to regain the mobility he had lost. They tried a series of less

aggressive strategies, a knee brace, injections and orthotic shoe lift, but when David tripped and fell playing with the team, surgery was the clear option.

He spent four days in Northfield Hospital and six weeks in rehabilitation at the Center for Sports

Medicine & Rehabilitation in Lakeville. He will admit, it wasn’t always easy, but the hard work paid off. He’s now back doing what he wants to do. He

Dr. Stroemer

Continued, page 2

David McAdams

3New CT scanner will benefit patients

6Eating for the right reasons?

4Eye surgery changes lives

2

N O R T H F I E L D H O S P I TA L S E R V I C E S

Northfield Hospital & Clinics plans to re-design space in the hospital’s main corridor to provide for the clinical expansion of Infusion Services/Chemotherapy and Sleep Medicine.

The $2 million remodeling project will cre-ate customized outpatient clinic space for those services, improving the patient experience with better access and more privacy. Work is expected to get underway in July with completion coming in the first quarter of 2012.

With the expansion of these outpatient servic-es in the hospital’s main corridor, the admission desk will be moved closer to the front entrance of the hospital, a conference room will be expanded to allow for training functions and the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary’s gift shop, Kaleidoscope, will be moved next to the hearth waiting area

Juliana Sayner, RN, BSN and OCN, clinic coordinator of Infusion Services, said the objective is to create a therapeutic environment designed specifi-cally for oncology patients and non-oncology infusions. There will be space for consultations with oncolo-gists, nutrition therapists, and Social Services. The clinic will be more accessible to patients, just a short walk from hospital parking, and it will allow oncology patients with compromised immune systems to avoid other patient populations. Therapy rooms will have windows that provide a restful, scenic view of the nature area on the St. Olaf College campus.

The new space for Infusion Services will serve as a complement to Mayo Clinic’s new radiation oncol-ogy center, which is scheduled to open in July.

Sleep medicine is another service that is expected to grow. Creating customized space for diagnostic sleep studies will position the hospital to be accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Hospital plans expansion of clinical services

McAdams: Joint replacement is last resortcan straighten it. He can bend it, and the pain is gone.

Dr. Stroemer says David’s situation is not unique. He sees many middle-aged men who have suffered multiple knee in-juries and find that the joint has simply worn out.

There is a natural progres-sion to his treatment. He starts by prescribing low-impact exercise, weight loss and over the counter anti-inflammatory

drugs. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, he follows with physical therapy, bracing and injections of either cortisone to reduce inflammation and pain or a lubricant to cushion and lubri-cate the joint. And if there is still no relief, he recommends joint replacement.

Knee and hip replace-ments are extremely successful, Dr. Stroemer says, and today’s streamlined surgery reduces pa-tient discomfort and accelerates

recovery. Smaller incisions are used in surgery; pain manage-ment has improved and new re-habilitation protocols get people back on their feet sooner.

The reward for Dr. Stro-emer is seeing the delight in his patients’ eyes when they can reclaim the activities they enjoy. “One of the reasons I enjoy do-ing joint replacements is because they work so well,” said Dr. Stroemer.

From page 1

Juliana Sayner, RN, BSN and OCN, clinical coordinator of In-fusion Services, begins a therapy regimen for Ellis Lysne.

H O S P I TA L N E W S

3

Emergency air service is just seven minutes away from Northfield Hospital.

Since 2009, North Memo-rial Air Care has had a flight base in Lakeville, making air ambulances more accessible to hospitals in the south metro area.

Northfield Hospital Emer-gency Department flies a minimum of five patients a week to Level I hospitals in the Twin Cities or Rochester. North Memorial transports more than half of them.

Deb Maestri, RN, manager of Northfield Hos-pital Emergency Department, says the air services’ base in Lakeville has made a big difference.

“It’s really decreased the transport time a lot,”

she said. “We make one phone call and they are here.”

North Memorial air ambulances’ top speed is 180 mph. They can travel to metropolitan hospitals in 20 minutes or less.

Air transport is close at hand

Northfield Hospital is add-ing a new high-end Computed Tomography System (CT) to its diagnostic imaging repertoire in June. The 64-slice system promises higher quality images with less radiation exposure for patients. It will also expand the number of diagnostic procedures that can be done at Northfield Hospital, reducing the need for patients to travel out of town for their health care.

Sandy Mulford, director of Diagnostic Imaging at Northfield Hospital & Clinics, said this scanner will help create a better patient experience. The ability to

scan 64 slices at one time makes the scan very fast, so a patient can get on with their day more quickly. In addition, the donut that surrounds the patient during the scan is larger in cir-cumference to accom-modate larger people, reducing a patients’ sense of confinement.

Because of the advanced technology of the system, patients will be exposed to less radiation during the procedure. A special software program that the hospi-tal has purchased will reduce the radiation dose up to an addition-

al 68 percent, Mulford said.Computed Tomography

is available 24 hours a day at Northfield Hospital. Emergency Department physicians com-

monly use it to evalu-ate abdomen and chest pain, rule out blood clots in the lungs and to evaluate other parts of the body. With the addition of a 64-slice scanner, Northfield

Hospital will be able to also perform CT angiography, a non-invasive way to look specifically at the arteries in the body, brain and extremities.

New CT scanner will benefit patients

MRI

1,229Mammograms

1,753Ultrasounds

3,775CT Scans

4,005Patient Imaging

Servicesfor 2010

4

S U R G I C A L S E R V I C E S

“I wanted to be able to see their faces, so I could see how much in love they were,” said Sharon, a retired Human Devel-opment Advisor at Laura Baker Services Association.

Michelle Muench, MD, an ophthalmologist with Northfield Eye Physicians & Surgeons, made it happen. She operated

on Sharon’s right eye days before the wedding. Sharon was able to witness the momentous event in all of its radiant clarity.

“It was a beauti-ful wedding,” Sha-ron remembers.

Dr. Muench said she is constantly

impressed at how life-changing cataract surgery can be.

“People ask me all the time: ‘When is it time to have cataract surgery?’ said Dr. Muench. “I say have your surgery when your vision starts to interfere with the things you like to do.”

That could be night-time driving for some; for others it would be sewing or reading the sports scores crawling across the bottom of the television screen. For Sharon it got to the point

where she could no longer read her Bible or follow the flow of her weekly card games.

“I just hadn’t realized how bad it was and what a difference surgery could make,” Sharon said. “I played cards yesterday, and I could see the cards laying in front of my partner.”

It’s not unusual for cloudy vi-sion to sneak up on a person. A

cataract develops when aging tis-sue or an injury begins to cloud the lens, scattering the light that passes through the eye and preventing a clear, well-defined image from reaching the retina.

The surgery involves remov-ing the clouded lens and re-placing it with an artificial lens implant. The procedure is well tolerated and the recovery time is brief.

Sharon saw results right away. Her vision was clear and colors were more vibrant. She can see

Eye surgery can be life-changing experience

Dr. Muench

“I SAY HAVE YOUR SURGERY WHEN YOUR VISION STARTS TO INTERFERE WITH THE THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO.”

– DR. MICHELLE MUENCH

LensRetina

Cornea

Iris

Iris

Sharon Collins’ one wish was to see her grandson get married – in living color, not through the muted tones and cloudy veil imposed by her cataracts…

5

S U R G I C A L S E R V I C E S

Eye surgery can be life-changing experience“I JUST HADN’T REALIZED HOW BAD IT WAS AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE SURGERY COULD MAKE.”

– SHARON COLLINS

Sharon Collins can now enjoy her weekly card games again thanks to her cata-ract surgery done by Dr. Michelle Muench.

the television and read better. It’s like discovering a whole new world.

“I’m noticing something new everyday,” she said.

Sharon said the staff at Northfield Hospital was a wonderful help, comforting and thorough, something she’s come to expect from the hospital. Dr. Muench says she receives compliments all the time on the good work done by the staffs in Same-Day Surgery and the Operating Room.

“I appreciate the personal-ized care my patients receive at Northfield Hospital,” said Dr. Muench. “I grew up in North-field, and we all appreciate that our patients are our neighbors, and we are looking for the abso-lute best outcome for them.”

Dr. Muench sees patients in clinic at River Valley Vision Centers and

operates at Northfield Hospital.

6

Don’t let your eating patterns control youAre you eating for the right reasons? Is it

nutrition or comfort?In this age of abundance, where we

are confronted at every turn with highly-processed foods, more and more people are overeating. Courtney Eby, RD, LD, a nutrition therapist at Northfield Hospital & Clinics, says many are eating for the wrong reasons. Their food consumption has taken on an addictive pattern that masks deeper psychological issues.

There is not yet an accepted medical definition of a food addiction. But Eby says it is present when someone is overwhelmed by their cravings for food and have lost the abil-ity to regulate their food consumption.

The biochemistry is similar to that asso-ciated with alcohol and drug addiction, she said. Today’s processed foods are engineered

with fats, salts and sugars to appeal to the brain’s pleasure centers. When food becomes your primary source of comfort, you have a problem.

“We see people eating all day,” she said. “They are trying to push back those feelings of anxiety, depression or bore-dom.”

Women seem to be more susceptible than men to a food addiction. Some of the warning signs of an addictive pattern are:• Being obsessed with meal preparation, food shopping, recipe collecting;• Eating in secret;• Hiding and hoarding food;• Feelings of guilt over eating pat-

terns;• Requiring food for comfort.• Exhibiting strong physical cravings for food.

“You have to learn to consume foods for nour-ishment rather than comfort,” Eby said.

She recommends people work with both a nu-tritional therapist and a behavioral therapist to get a handle on a pattern that will eventually compromise a person’s health. People need to observe their hab-its and develop strategies to control their use of food. Strategies include having a structured meal plan, controlling portions, learning to cope with cravings and avoiding situations where you will be tempted.

Eby suggests approaching food consumption in a studied manner. If you have questions about addic-tive eating or other nutritional issues, call 507-646-1410 and ask for Courtney Eby or Kristi Von Ruden.

Tips for becoming a mindful eater: –[ reserve at least 20 minutes for each meal

–[ eat while sitting down

–[ chew food well, don’t inhale it

–[ put down your fork between bites

–[ keep food out of your car, don’t eat while driving

–[ be present while eating – take time to taste the food and take in the whole dining experience

H E A LT H U P D A T E S

Eby

“YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO CONSUME FOODS FOR NOURISHMENT RATHER THAN COMFORT.”

– COURTNEY EBY

H O M E C A R E

7

Northfield Home Care makes house calls.

Sometimes its because pa-tients are transitioning from hospital to home. Sometimes its because they are recovering from surgery. Sometimes its because they have a chronic condition but want to live out their lives in the familiar surroundings of their own homes. All will find home care staff at their doorstep.

Take Kay Costa for instance. This Northfield woman recently had knee replacement surgery. During her recovery, she ben-efited from the full complement of home care services. Home care nurses were there for education and medication management. Home care aides provided per-sonal care and light housekeep-ing. Kay had physical therapy in her home twice a week, and an occupational therapist provided information and wise counsel to help her navigate her home in safety.

“I received more than I ex-pected,” Kay said. “Each of the providers seemed to anticipate

my every need and graciously offered sug-gestions to solve my dilemmas.”

Lorraine Tabor’s was a differ-ent story. A victim of polio in her

teens, Lorraine spent 60 years in a wheelchair. She died last year at the age of 80 in her home as she

wished. Lorraine was able to stay in

her home because of Northfield Home Care. She was a patient for 15 years. Home care staff saw her four times a day. They got her up in the morning, checked on her twice during the day and helped her into bed at night. Aides helped with shopping, cleaning, cooking and laundry.

Steve Hanson, a friend, said Lorraine’s desire was to stay at home. “She couldn’t have done this alone,” he said.

Kathy Bengtson, Northfield Home Care director, said Lor-raine considered the home care aides her family.

“She always used to say to me: ‘Kathy, it’s because of you girls that I’m able to be at home.’”

Home care sees a wide range of patients, for varying lengths of time. It’s cost effective and most patients do better at home.

“Without Home Care I would not have had the comforts of my own home and especially my own bed,” Costa said. ”I think my friends felt more comfort-able visiting me at home. There is something about the laughter and conversation of friends that speeds recovery as well.”

For more information about services provided by Northfield Home Care, contact

Kathy Bengtson at 507-646-1457.

Home care meets patients needs at home

Kay Costa

Tabor

“EACH OF THE PROVIDERS SEEMED TO ANTICIPATE MY EVERY NEED.”

– KAY COSTA

N o r t h f i e l d h o s p i t a l r o u N d u p

FAMILYHEALTH is published as a community service for households served by Northfield Hospital & Clinics. Addi-tional copies are available by calling Community Relations, 507-646-1034.

MarkHenke DixonBond President and CEO Chair, Board of Trustees

RandyReister,MD ScottRichardson Clinic Medical Director Editor

Information in FAMILYHEALTH comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.

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Clinic office hours

Rhonda Meyer, FNP, an experi-enced family nurse prac-titioner, is now seeing patients at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic in Lakeville. Her services are provided by Cannon Valley Clinic–Mayo Health System.

Meyer has a wide range of experience in hospital and clinic settings. Before coming to FamilyHealth in 2009, she served as Medi-cal Services Coordinator at Carleton College in Northfield. She received

her bachelor of science and master’s degrees in nursing from Minnesota State University at Mankato and is a graduate of that institution’s nurse practi-tioner program. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Family Nurse Practitio-ner.Meyer has a special inter-est in diabetes management.

To make an appoint-ment with Rhonda Meyer in

Lakeville, call 952-469-0500.

Meyer now seeing patients in Lakeville

Meyer, FNP

The 50th Great Northfield, Minne-sota Book Raid, the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary’s annual book sale, will be Tuesday, April 26, to Saturday, April 30, at the Northfield Ice Arena.

Sale hours will be 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 27-April 29; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.

The Hospital Auxiliary is dedicating funds raised this year to the expansion of clinical space for Infusion Services/Chemotherapy at Northfield Hospital.

Auxiliary announces book fair dates

Great Northfield, Minn. Book Raid

50th