In an effort to protect patients during their stay at Northfield Hospital, officials are limiting visits to members of a patient’s immediate family, and only if they do not exhibit symptoms of an influenza-like-illness. This policy also applies to visitors to residents in the Long Term Care Center at Northfield Hospital.

In addition, the hospital is requesting that a patient have no more than three visitors at any one time.

“We appreciate the benefits that come from patients receiving visits from friends and loved ones, but in the context of the H1N1 pandemic, we need to protect those whose health is already compromised,” said Mary Quinn Crow, chief operating officer at Northfield Hospital & Clinics.

Symptoms of influenza-like-illness are:

• Fever (above 100°F)
• Cough
• Sore Throat
• Stuffy Nose
• In some cases, diarrhea and vomiting.

Special consideration will be given to parents, primary caregivers, spouses and the families of patients receiving comfort care. These visitors must comply with additional precautions.

To reduce your chances of catching or spreading either the seasonal flu or H1N1, public health officials advise people to cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or your elbow and teach those around you to do the same. Wash hands frequently with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Don’t touch your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands.

Toll-free line at 1-866-259-4655

A new phone-based service is now available for Minnesotans who think they may have the flu.

People with possible flu symptoms can call the Minnesota FluLine (MN FluLine) at 1-866-259-4655 for information and treatment options. Professionals will take calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People with limited English skills will be connected with an interpreter. There is no charge for the call.

Callers with flu symptoms will be connected with a participating nurse at MN FluLine, or a nurse at a triage line operated by their own provider network or health plan. The nurses will evaluate the health concerns of callers and discuss treatment options, using consistent criteria to determine which treatment option is most appropriate for each individual.

Possible treatment options can include rest and fluids at home, a prescription for an antiviral medication, or medical evaluation in a clinic or hospital.

Officials believe that FluLine can reduce some of the demands on the healthcare system. FluLine is also expected to help decrease the spread of the flu. By providing assistance over the phone, the new service is expected to limit the number of potentially infectious people who gather in emergency rooms, urgent care centers and clinics.

“We have been concerned that this flu season could place a huge burden on our health care system,” said Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. “By providing support and treatment options to people over the phone, we hope this new service will allow our health care providers and facilities to focus on those people who most need their attention.”

MN FluLine is the first influenza triage line in the country providing statewide reach and the option of prescribing anti-virals drugs under standing orders from a physician. It is a unique public-private partnership involving the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Minnesota Hospital Association, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, health care providers, local health departments, and the Children’s Physician Network (CPN). CPN is responsible for the actual operation of FluLine. The service was developed with input and advice from a number of other partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“This unprecedented collaboration means that Minnesotans with flu-like symptoms have another tool in their tool kit to fight the flu – a place to have questions answered about their illness and be evaluated for possible treatment,” said Dr. Aaron DeVries, medical epidemiologist at MDH. “We’re grateful to have the support of so many partners in making the FluLine available to the people of our state.”

The Minnesota FluLine was created specifically to meet the needs of people with possible symptoms of the flu. By definition, those symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees or more, along with a cough or sore throat. Flu symptoms can also include runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and/or fatigue. In some cases, symptoms of novel H1N1 influenza can also include vomiting and diarrhea in addition to respiratory symptoms.

In most cases, people can recover from the flu at home without needing to visit a health care provider. Those who may be at highest risk for complications from the flu include children under two years of age, people 65 years of age or older, pregnant women, and people with underlying medical conditions.

Health officials continue to emphasize prevention measures as the first line of defense against the flu: stay home if you’re sick with a flu-like illness, cover your coughs and sneezes with a sleeve or a tissue, and wash your hands frequently.

For most people, staying home when they are sick means staying home from work or school, and avoiding other locations where they could expose others to the flu, until at least 24 hours after their fever resolves, without the aid of medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. People are being encouraged to get vaccinated now against seasonal flu, and get the H1N1 vaccine as it becomes available. The H1N1 vaccine will be an extremely valuable tool for preventing infection.

People who need information about the flu, but do not have symptoms, are encouraged to visit the flu information page on the MDH Web site at www.mdhflu.com. The Web site offers a wide range of information and resources, including an interactive flu shot clinic finder.

Northfield Hospital & Clinics is offering a four-part nutrition class on consecutive Tuesday evenings in November, beginning November 3.

Kristi Von Ruden, LD, RD, and Courtney Eby, LD, RD, nutrition therapists at Northfield Hospital, will present on four key nutrition topics:

• “Portion Sizes and Label Reading”
• “The Skinny on Fat”
• “Fiber and Sugar”
• “Emotional Eating, Stress Hormones, Restaurant Eating and Holidays”

Von Ruden says understanding our bodies’ needs and the consequences of taking nutritional shortcuts is important to maintaining good health and weight and avoiding chronic disease.

“We live in a culture that tries to persuade us that bigger is better, but we need to be in charge of the food choices we make,” Von Ruden said.

The fee for the class is $40. Class dates will be November 3, 10, 17 and 24; the class will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register, contact Nancy Moe at 507-646-1035 or e-mail to moen@northfieldhospital.org.

For basic information on either seasonal flu or H1N1, go to the Minnesota Department of Health’s flu page or www.mdhflu.com.

Northfield Hospital’s expanded Breast Care Center will be available for public viewing Thursday, Sept. 24, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Visitors will have an opportunity to tour the new dedicated patient space; meet Jose Fulco, MD, general surgeon and Physician Advisor for the center; and learn about the hospital’s latest technology.

“This is a great opportunity to see our new space and learn more about the breast care services we provide right here in the community,” said Sandy Mulford, director of Medical Imaging at Northfield Hospital.

The new, expanded Breast Care Center at Northfield Hospital is an integrative service that gives each patient a personalized experience while utilizing the latest technology. Access to critical information and counsel helps patients better understand their diagnosis and treatment options and expedites the decision-making process – all in a comfortable, patient-centered care setting. The services available include: digital mammography with computer-aided detection for screening and diagnosis, breast ultrasound, image-guided biopsies and cyst aspirations, referral options for breast MRI and stereotactic biopsies.

The project was supported by the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary’s commitment of $100,000 over three years, raised from the annual book fair.

“This commitment by the auxiliary really accelerated the development of the center,” said Kathleen Meier, Division Administrator for Ancillary Services. “It allowed us to expand the services we offer and accomplish the remodeling required to provide the right space for this kind of care.”

Refreshments will be served.

Kay E. Schwebke, MD, MPH, medical director of Long Term Care Center at Northfield Hospital, and Diane Carlson-Evans, former Northfielder and founder and chair of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project, will speak Thursday evening, Oct. 8, at St. Olaf College about the courage and fortitude of nurses who served in Vietnam and whose service is memorialized by the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Their presentation begins at 7 p.m. in the Viking Theater in Buntrock Commons.

Their talk, “Echoes of War: Vietnam War Nurses and Their Stories,” addresses the anguish, the heartache and the pride the nurses internalized after serving in battle zones and experiencing the trauma of war. They will talk about how those experiences echoed throughout the nurses’lives and how they have coped with the aftermath.

The project is based on interviews with nurses who served in Vietnam during the 1960s and ’70s. Its genesis came from listening to a researcher discuss the prevalence of post-traumatic stress among women who served in combat zones. Sharing stories about traumatic events is critical to beginning the healing process, Dr. Schwebke said. She wanted to give nurses an opportunity to talk about their experiences.

“I realized there were many important stories that needed to be told, and I had to keep those stories alive,” she said.

The presentation is co-sponsored by St. Olaf College Department of Nursing, Northfield Hospital & Clinics and the Northfield Historical Society. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the presentation.

Douglas C. Smith, a nationally-recognized expert on grief and loss, will be the featured speaker at Northfield Hospice’s bereavement informational meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at St. John’s Church, 500 Third St. West, Northfield.

An author, trainer and consultant, Smith has worked in hospitals, hospices and social service agencies and draws on his own experience to help others understand grief and loss from a holistic perspective. He is the author of “The Tao of Dying;” “Caregiving: Hospice-Proven Techniques For Healing Body And Soul;” “Being A Wounded Healer;” and “The Complete Book Of Counseling The Dying And The Grieving.”

His talk — “Different Styles of Grieving; Different Ways of Healing” — is designed for those who have experienced a significant loss or anyone who is interested in learning more about grief and healing. Helping professionals are encouraged to attend. Continuing education credits will be available.

Smith’s presentation will serve as a prelude to an optional six-week bereavement support group offered by Northfield Hospice. The group, facilitated by Amanda Pettis, MSW, a hospice social worker, will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the hospital’s Meeting Room A and then will meet every Wednesday through October 28.

There is no fee for Smith’s presentation. Northfield Hospice is sponsoring his appearance with support from Northfield Grief Support Coalition.

For more information or to register continuing education credits, call Nancy Moe at 507-646-1035 or e-mail to: moen@northfieldhospital.org.

Northfield Hospital recently received a Level IV Trauma Hospital designation from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

The designation acknowledges that Northfield Hospital has successfully met state standards of commitment, clinical and equipment resources and staff training for the assessment and treatment of trauma patients. The hospital will also participate in continuous performance improvement initiatives related to trauma care.

With this designation, Northfield Hospital becomes part of a developing statewide trauma system created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2005. It is an effort to ensure that optimal trauma care is available and accessible to seriously injured people across the state and recognize the vital role that rural communities, ambulance services, hospitals and health care professionals play in the care and management of trauma patients.

On average more than 2,400 Minnesotans die from trauma each year. For every death, nine people are hospitalized for injuries. States with trauma systems have seen survival rates increase by 15 to 20 percent.

According to Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Sanne Magnan, the goal of the trauma system is to decrease injured patients’ time to care by making sure their medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources.

“With the designation of Northfield Hospital as a Level IV Trauma Hospital, we are getting closer to our goal of ensuring that seriously injured Minnesotans have access to an organized system of trauma care wherever they are in the state,” said Dr. Magnan.

There are four levels of designation in the trauma system. MDH assigns a designation on the resources and specialties available at each hospital. For instance, a Level I Trauma Hospital, such as Hennepin County Medical Center, earns that designation by having a broad array of surgeons available 24 hours a day. The standard of education and skills required of nurses and physicians are the same for all levels.

Northfield Hospital’s designation is the result of a rigorous, 18-month process that involved all areas of patient care. Policies and protocols were reworked to formalize partnerships with other hospitals in the trauma system so that trauma patients can be stabilized here and then seamlessly transferred to a larger hospital when needed.

Northfield Hospital’s Long Term Care Center is among the most highly ranked nursing homes in the state, according to the latest Nursing Home Report Card released earlier this year by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

The hospital’s Long Term Care Center received 31 stars out of a possible 35 based on seven quality measures, tying it with the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul, Fair Meadow in Fertile, Minn., and Caledonia Care in Caledonia, Minn. for top honors. The Long Term Care Center received five out of a possible five stars for staff retention, the sparing use of temporary staffing, the high proportion of single rooms” (100 percent), and scores on state inspections. It received four of five stars for outcomes on a number of state-mandated quality indicators and hours of direct care, and three out of five for quality of life ratings by residents.

“We are deeply honored to again be recognized as one of the top care facilities in Minnesota,” said Ken Bank, president and CEO of Northfield Hospital & Clinics. “The high ranking of our Long Term Care Center is a tribute to the staff, who under the steady guidance of center director Gretchen Murr, give so much of themselves every day to care for our residents.”

The department of health developed the report card as the result of a state legislative mandate in 2001. Health officials say it is a sophisticated tool that uses multiple quality measures and incorporates risk adjustments to level the playing field between facilities.

MDH acknowledges that the report card is a work in progress and should be used as a screening tool, not a decision-maker. They recommend using it in concert with personal visits and conversations with friends and family when making a nursing home choice.

The Nursing Home Report Card can be found at www.health.state.mn.us/nhreportcard by clicking on Nursing Home Report Card.

Ken Bank, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Northfield Hospital & Clinics, announced this week that he will retire within the next year.

Bank, who has served as the hospital’s CEO since 1988, has been working with the board of directors for the past 18 months to develop an orderly succession plan. At a meeting last week, he formally advised the board of his intentions and announced his plans to hospital staff on Wednesday.

In a memo, Bank said he is grateful for the opportunity to work at Northfield Hospital & Clinics with a talented and committed staff of employees, a professional and deeply caring medical staff, dedicated Board members and a consistently supportive City Council.

“I could not have asked for a better place to work or a better group of people with whom to share that effort,” he wrote. “Throughout my tenure, I have been blessed to work with wonderful people. They are the secret to whatever success we have been able to achieve.”

He also addressed the anxiety that sometimes accompanies leadership transition.

“The prospect of changing presidents can create a sense of uncertainty in any organization,” he wrote. “I want you to know that our Board is keenly aware of this and has been in the process of carefully planning for a smooth leadership transition for over almost a year and a half….The goal of all the work the Board has done is to provide as much stability and continuity as possible before, during and after having a new president in place.”

In accordance with its succession plan, the board is in the final stages of selecting a professional search firm to assist in recruiting for a new president and CEO. The structure of the search process itself will be fully developed with the guidance of the selected firm.

Bank, a native of Minnesota and a St. Olaf College graduate, came to Northfield in 1988 from an administrative position at Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. During his time here, he has presided over the development of the Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, the expansion of surgical services and diagnostic imaging at the hospital on West Second Street, the design and construction of a new $34 million hospital that opened in 2003 and the development of a primary clinic network intended to provide the patient base to support a broader range of specialty services in the community.