VISITUS ON THE

Webwww.northfieldhospital.org

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

Summer 2011 • Vol. 16, No. 3 952-469-0500

To sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, go to our clinic home page at www.familyhealthclinics.org/lakeville

Emergency Department nearby and convenient for victim of horseplay

Jim Christian will one day give his horse, Cow-boy, a second chance.

And should he ever experience another bone rattling “involuntary dismount,” courtesy of Cow-boy, he would definitely go a second time to North-field Hospital’s Emergency Department.

That was Jim’s first choice last May after he and his spirited, chestnut quarter horse had a difference of opinion. Jim was intent on practicing gait chang-es; Cowboy wanted to connect with another horse across the meadow. Jim hung on for two defiant bucks, but on the third, he was launched into the air before landing hard on his right flank.

Back at his home in Webster, six miles east of New Prague, Jim was experiencing excruciating pain through his pelvic region, and he was slipping into shock. He needed to see a physician.

When you’re hurting, it’s all about connecting quickly with medical professionals. Northfield Hos-pital was nearby and familiar to Jim and his family. It was a short drive from Cedar Lake Township, and there was no wait. Jim arrived at 11 p.m., immedi-ately saw an Emergency Department physician, had several imaging procedures performed, was admit-ted to a hospital room and was asleep by 3:30 a.m.

For Jim, a financial planner who works out of Lakeville, the decision to come to Northfield Hospi-tal Emergency Department was a matter of trust and convenience. He and his family were already pa-

tients at the hospital’s FamilyHealth Medical Clinics. They were already familiar and Northfield Hospital was nearby.

Continued, page 7

Jim Christian and “Cowboy”.

2Night to Unitecoming to FamilyHealth Clinic

6Don’t sugar-coat your diet

4Cancer radiation facility opens in Northfield

2

C L I N I C S E R V I C E S

O’Halloran offers nonsurgical cosmetic treatments

FamilyHealth Medical Clinic will host a neigh-borhood event Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in conjunction with a citywide observance of Minnesota Night To Unite.

There will be free picnic dinner, featuring Paul Krause’s famous sloppy joes from Dairy Delite, a horse to pet, and games and Saint Sports Academy activi-ties. Public safety vehicles will be available for inspection and there

will be demonstrations by the Dakota County K-9 Unit. A Mayo One helicopter will also land on the

clinic grounds and be available for people to view. “This is rapidly becoming a tradition in our lo-cal neighborhood,” said Bob Finke of FamilyHealth Medical Clinic. “It is a great opportunity to meet new people, renew old acquaintances and renew the partnerships that keep our neighborhood and our community safe.” Night to Unite is a statewide campaign that en-courages public safety personnel and neighborhood residents to get to know one another and become partners in their effort to keep communities safe. For more information, go to www.familyhealthclin-ics.org/lakeville.

It’s ‘night to unite’ at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic

Dr. O’Halloran

Gerard O’Halloran, MD, is now providing nonsurgi-cal cosmetic treatments at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic in Lakeville.

The clinic treatments include Botox and dermal filler injections. Dr. O’Halloran, an otolaryngology specialist with more than 20 years of experience, also performs rhinoplasty at Northfield Hospital in Northfield.

Botox and dermal filler injections are noninvasive methods of softening facial creases and wrinkles and of re-storing volume to the shallow contours of the face. Most patients require a Botox treatment about twice a year after the initial treatment. Derma fillers treat-ments are usually performed about once a year. Many patients prefer these approaches to a more complex surgical restoration, Dr. O’Halloran said.

Both the initial consultation and treatments are an out-of-pocket expense not covered by insurance. Rhinoplas-ty procedures to correct damage done by injury are covered by insurance, but elective rhinoplasty for cosmetic reasons is not covered.

Dr. O’Halloran sees both adults and children at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic for a wide variety of issues, ranging from nose and sinus problems, recur-rent ear infections, and sleep related breathing problems including sleep apnea and snoring. He special-izes in chronic sinus problems and “sinus” headaches.

A graduate of Mayo Medical School and Mayo Clinic ENT residency, Dr. O’Halloran is certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He is also trained in noninvasive facial rejuvenation and minimally invasive neck liposuction.

You can make an appointment with Dr. O’Halloran by calling 952-469-0500.

C L I N I C N E W S

3

Ben Flannery, MD, has joined the pediatric prac-tice at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic in Northfield.

He will see a full range of pediatric patients from infants to 21-year olds and will be heavily involved in the pediatric and delivery call rotation. His physician services are provided by Mayo Clinic Health System.

Dr. Flannery comes to Northfield from Des Moines, IA, where he performed his residency at Blank Children’s Hospital. He received his medi-cal degree from the University of Iowa College of

Medicine and an undergraduate degree from Saint John’s University.

His areas of professional interest include childhood immunizations, di-agnosis and pharmacological manage-ment of children with attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder and parental counsel for the normal development and growth of children.

Dr. Flannery and his wife, Ali, have one son and live in Northfield.

The research is consistent. Hearing loss can contribute to the slide in cognitive function in older adults.

Dr. Miriam Attias, a licensed audiologist at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic, explains that a significant portion of the brain is used to process auditory stimuli.

“The brain needs input from the ears to help it interpret and comprehend the world around us,” she says. “An untreated hearing loss can starve the brain of the stimulation it needs to remain vital and healthy.”

Studies reveal a strong cor-

relation between hearing loss and Alzheimer’s. Even mild hearing loss can contribute to depression, anxiety and isolation, Dr. Attias says.

Conversation exercises the brain. Even active listening stimulates large areas of the brain optimizing auditory and lan-guage processes. Individuals with hearing loss can dramatically improve their quality of life by using hearing aids.

“It is important to keep the ears connected to the hearing areas of the brain,” Dr. Attias says. “With untreated hearing

loss, this connection weakens and it becomes more difficult for a hearing impaired individual to process and under-stand what is heard even when using hearing aids.”

Dr. Attias provides audiol-ogy services in the region and keeps regular office hours at FamilyHealth Medical Clinic both in Northfield and Lakeville.

Dr. Flannery joins FamilyHealth

Hearing promotes cognitive function

Patricia Richardson, MSW, LICSW, LMFT, a Northfield clinical social worker and family thera-pist, will be the featured speaker at a bereavement informational meeting sponsored by Northfield Hospice Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Northfield Hospital Conference Center.

Richardson has been in private practice in Northfield for more than 30 years. She will draw upon a wide range of experience working with grief and loss issues for her talk, titled “Weaving in the Threads of Loss.”

Richardson’s presentation will serve as a prelude to an optional six-week bereavement support group

offered by Northfield Hospice. The group, facilitated by Katie Jacobi, MSW, a Northfield Hospice social worker, will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the hospital’s Meeting Room A and then will meet every Wednesday through October 26. Both the presentation and the group are free and open to the public. You need not have had a family member in hospice to join the group. Pre-registra-tion is strongly encouraged. For more information about the group, or to register, contact Katie Jacobi at 507-646-1037 or jacobik@northfieldhospital.org. People may also register the night of the event.

Therapist to speak on grief and loss

Dr. Flannery

Dr. Attias

4

O N C O L O G Y S E R V I C E S

Radiation oncologists are now treating cancer patients in North-field at the new Mayo Clinic Radiation Therapy Facility.

The $10 million facility mirrors the technology and capability of the radiation oncology department at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It includes a state-of-the art linear accelerator that delivers the exter-nal beam radiation that is used in 90 percent of radiation oncology cases. It is commonly used to treat lung cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Administrators say the presence of this service in Northfield will be a great convenience to patients who live in Northfield and surrounding communities. Radiation treatment regimens require multiple visits that can extend over several weeks. The logistics can be exhausting for patients and their families who are already under a great deal of stress.

Tim McKone, MD, a radiation oncologist, leads a staff of 12 at the therapy facility. He said they expect to treat 200 patients a year and will see 20 to 30 patients each day.

Mark Henke, president and CEO of Northfield Hospital & Clin-ics, said this facility complements the medical oncology offered at Northfield Hospital, expanding the cancer care available locally. In addition, Northfield Hospital has initiated a $2.3 million clinical ex-pansion to enhance the delivery of chemotherapy and other infusion services. The project is expected to be completed next spring.

The linear accelerator at right is the same as the one used at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Radiation therapy facility opens in Northfield

At the helm Tim McKone, MD, a radiation oncologist, is the director of the Mayo Clinic Radiation Therapy Facility. He has 16 years of experience in radiation oncology. Prior to that, he practiced as a general surgeon. Dr. McKone and his wife, Marian, live in Northfield. One of their three children is a graduate of St. Olaf College.

Dr. Tim McKone

5

Northfield Hospital’s Diagnostic Im-aging Department has added PET/CTscanning to its repertoire of diagnosticmodalities. It isanimportanttool inthedetectionandmonitoringofcancer. PET/CT technology integrates PositronEmissionTomographyandComputedTo-mographyintoasingledevice,makingitpossibletocollectandcorrelatebothan-atomicalandbiologicalinformationdur-ing a single examination. PET/CT mea-sures the body’s metabolic activity andthen converts those measurements todigital images to help physicians detectmanyof themostof thecommonformsofcancer.Thescansaresimple,quickandpainless, providing physicians with en-hancedcapabilitytodetectanddiagnosediseasesearly.Itisalsoanimportanttoolfor monitoring how cancer patients arerespondingtotheirtreatment. Sandy Mulford, director of DiagnosticImagingatNorthfieldHospital&Clinics,saidtheadditionofthismodalitywillbeabenefittothepatients inthiscommu-nity,especiallyforthosebeingtreatedatNorthfieldHospital’schemotherapyclinicand Mayo Clinic’s new radiation therapyfacility. She said data from PET/CTs per-formedatNorthfieldHospitalcanbesentdirectly to the radiation therapy equip-mentattheRadiationTherapyFacilitytoensure precise treatment planning andmonitoring without the patient everneedingtoleavetown. “It’s wonderful that cancer patientscannowstayneartheirhomesandlovedones while receiving the highest qualitydiagnostic and treatment exams avail-able anywhere,” Mulford said.“It meansone less thing to worry about on theirjourneytorecovery.”

PET/CT aids in detection of cancer

O N C O L O G Y S E R V I C E S

Radiation therapy facility opens in Northfield

Photo: Mayo Clinic

6

Sugar is sugar. It doesn’t matter if its white sugar, brown

sugar, raw sugar or honey, for that matter; the calories from each are virtually the same.

We need sugar. Sugar and starches are our bodies’ main source of energy. But according to Kristi Von Ruden, RD, LD, a nutrition therapist at Northfield Hospital & Clinics, too much sugar in your diet over an extended period of time can compromise your health. Health problems associated with high sugar intake include: Type 2 diabetes mellitus with all of its associ-ated health risks, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Ex-tra sugar also crowds out more nutritional foods, depriving a person of important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The recommended number of calories each day from added sugar is 100 for women and 150 for men. But re-

search suggests that the average American consumes some 400 calories a day of added sugar.

“It’s the equivalent of eating a side dish of 22 teaspoons of white sugar every day,” said Von Ruden. “I can’t imagine anyone finds that image very appetizing.”

The added sugar comes largely from our penchant for soda and soft drinks, including most fruit juices and sports drinks, but it lurks in all kinds of processed foods, including jellies, candy, ready-to-eat cereals and products such as honey-nut waffles and microwaveable meals.

If you want to talk about sugar or other food-related issues, contact Kristi Von Ruden or Courtney Eby, RD,LD, at 507-646-1410.

Von Ruden

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

What was the reasoning for developing the new MyPlate symbol?MyPlate was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture to promote healthy eating to consumers. The MyPlate icon replaces the previous MyPyramid graphic, which most found difficult to interpret. MyPlate is easy to understand and it helps to promote messages based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new MyPlate icon builds on a familiar image – a plate – and is accompa-nied by messages to encourage consumers to make healthy choices. For much more information, visit:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/QandA/index.html

Don’t sugar-coat your diet

How to steer clear of added sugar: –[ eliminate or reduce sugar-laden, non-diet sodas

–[ limit the candy, gum and desserts you eat

–[ avoid the frosted breakfast cereals

–[ have fresh fruit instead of cakes, cookies and pies

–[ eat fewer added-sugar processed foods

–[ avoid sugar-sweetened tea and blended coffee drinks flavored with syrup, sugar and sweet toppings

7

H O S P I TA L N E W S

7

Northfield Hospital & Clin-ics’ Emergency Medicine Services (EMS) is sponsoring an Explorer Post that gives participating youth an introduction to the world of first responders.

Jim Ingham, a paramedic with Northfield Hospital EMS and a leader of the post, said the experience allows members to learn more about careers in emer-gency services as well as gain valuable training in assessment and life-saving protocols.

The Explorer Post is affiliated with Learning for Life’s career education program for young men and women who are 14 and have completed the eighth grade or 15 to 20 years old. The EMS post now numbers 13. They meet every other week for three-hour sessions. Members become certi-

fied as First Responders and ben-efit from more advanced training. They also acquire job skills a long the way, Ingham says.

The Explorers assist EMS at summer events and will help with the aid station during Defeat of Jesse James Days.

The Center for Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation in Lakeville will soon be using advanced technology to help runners overcome or avoid injury by devel-oping better running technique.

Physical therapists will use a new special-ized software program to perform lower extremity analysis and evaluate a runner’s gait. The program allows the therapist to view the running pattern in

slow motion to more easily identify biomechanical problems. They can then offer corrective exercises, manual treatments, shoe inserts and advice on shoe selection to prevent further pain and injury as the miles add up.

If you would like to know more about this program, contact Kevin Johnson, at the Center for Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation at 952-985-2020.

EMS department sponsors Explorer post

CSMR offers new running evaluation

The EMS Explorer Post assisted at Northfield’s Healthy Kids Day last May.

ER: Care was high-quality and promptJim was impressed with the

care he received that night in Northfield. It was high quality and prompt, he said. He was equally impressed with the bed-side manner of the three physi-cians he saw during his visit

– Jennifer Fischer, MD, in the Emergency Department; Adam Ailabouni, MD, a primary care physician; and general surgeon Chris Nielsen, MD – good listen-ers, knowledgeable and direct.

After the physicians deter-mined that there were no broken

bones or damaged organs, just deep bruising, Jim was dis-charged from the hospital. Jim’s not yet ready to ride, but he and Cowboy share a long history, and one day, Cowboy, no doubt, will get a second chance.

From page 1

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.

2000 North AvenueNorthfield, MN 55057

POSTALCUSTOMER

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

PAIDNorthfield, MN Permit No. 171

Our focus is to provide a positive and healing environment that is patient centered. If you are interested in becoming a memberof our highly-skilled and compassionate staff, please view our employment opportunities at www.northfieldhospital.org.

FamilyHealth Medical Clinic – Northfield507-646-1494

2000NorthAvenueNorthfield,Minn.55057

8to8,Monday,TuesdayandThursday8to5,WednesdayandFriday

9to12,Saturday

FamilyHealth Medical Clinic – Lonsdale507-744-3245

10315thSELonsdale,Minn.

8:30to5,MondaythroughFriday

FamilyHealth Medical Clinic – Farmington651-460-2300

4645KnutsenDriveFarmington,Minn.55024

7:30to6,MondayandWednesday7:30to5,Tuesday,ThursdayandFriday

FamilyHealth Medical Clinic – Lakeville952-469-0500

9974214thSt.WestLakeville,Minn.55044

8:30to5,MondaythroughFriday8tonoon,Saturdays

Women’s Health Center507-646-1498

2000NorthAvenueNorthfield,Minn.55057

8to4:30,MondaythroughFriday

Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic507-646-8900

1381JeffersonDriveNorthfield,Minn.55057

8:30to5,MondaythroughThursday8:30to4,Friday

Northfield Eye Physicians & Surgeons507-645-9202

2019JeffersonRoadNorthfield,Minn.55057

8to4,TuesdayandThursday

Clinic office hoursNorthfield Hospital & Clinics Annual Report for 2010 is now available on

the hospital & clinics website. The report features a review of 2010 and a look ahead to

2011 by Mark Henke, President and CEO of Northfield Hos-pital & Clinics. It also contains statistical comparisons over the last several years in selected service areas, a breakdown of revenues and expenses during the year, and a report on “com-munity benefits” provided by the organization.

To find the report on line, go to www.northfieldhospital.org, click on “News” and then on “Annual Report.”

If you visit Northfield’s Riverwalk Market Fair any Saturday this summer and into the fall, look for our “Recipe for Good Health.”

Each week, Northfield Hospital & Clinics is offering visitors a healthy recipe to support their search for nutritious eating. Nutrition therapists from Northfield Hospital & Clinics provide the recipes with an eye to available seasonal produce. The recipes can be found in the main Riverwalk booth, which sits near the Fourth Street Bridge.

Northfield Hospital & Clinics is also sponsoring self-guided walks each Satur-day morning. Walking loops of varying distances are provided on a map. Walkers are invited to make this a part of their weekly fitness program.

Now in its second season, Riverwalk Market Fair is a festive, outdoor market for artists and farmers spread out along Northfield’s picturesque Can-non River. It runs each Saturday through September from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

2010 Annual Report available online

FamilyHealth offers recipe for ‘good health’ at Riverwalk

Annual Report 2010