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.

Steve Calvin, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist from the Twin Cities, will begin offering high-risk pregnancy care to patients in Northfield and the surrounding area in July through the Northfield Hospital Outpatient Clinic.

Dr. Calvin is a board certified obstetrician and perinatologist who specializes in the care of patients with maternal-fetal complications. He also provides genetic counseling. Patients will see him by referral from their primary provider.

This new consulting service will facilitate the expansion of obstetrical care at Northfield Hospital. Mayo Clinic Outreach maternal-fetal medicine specialists currently offer care once each month in the Women’s Health Center at Northfield Hospital to referred patients.

Dr. Calvin is an independent maternal-fetal medicine specialist who brings 30 years of obstetrics experience to the community. He received his medical degree from Washington University in St Louis and completed his OB/GYN residency at the University of Minnesota. He performed a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Arizona. He and his wife own a small farm in Rice County.

The first death attributed to the H1N1 novel influenza virus has been recorded in Minnesota.

A Twin Cities area child with underlying health conditions died late last week after a brief hospitalization. Laboratory tests subsequently determined that the child had the H1N1 novel influenza.

According to State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield, in most cases, the H1N1 flu is causing mild illness; however, she said it can still be very serious, especially for people with underlying health conditions.

“This flu is very widespread, and we expect to see many more cases across the state,” Dr. Lynfield said. “That’s why we continue to urge people to take simple precautions to prevent getting it or spreading it.”

To date, MDH officials have confirmed 274 cases of the novel virus in Minnesota, including this case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 45 deaths from the virus across the country. There still have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 novel influenza A in Northfield, but officials at Northfield Hospital & Clinics are actively monitoring the situation and taking standard precautions to deal with an outbreak should one occur.

Standard prevention recommendations for influenza include:

• Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.
• Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly – with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub solution.
• Clean your hands after shaking hands or having other close contact with other people – before eating or preparing food, or touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Limit your contact with others who may be ill.
• Stay home from work or school – and generally avoid going out in public – if you are sick, remain home for seven days, or until 24 hours after your symptoms resolve, whichever is longer.
• Make sure to take enough fluids while you’re sick.
• If you are an employer, encourage your employees to stay home if they are sick.
• If you do develop possible flu symptoms and you want to consult your health care provider, call before going in for an office visit. You may not need to go in, and if you do need to be seen, a time should be set up when you will not risk exposing others to influenza in the waiting room.
• People at risk for severe flu or flu complications should contact their health care provider if they have flu symptoms or have been exposed to people with flu symptoms. Those individuals include people with an underlying medical condition, pregnant women, young children (especially under age two) and people 65 or older.

For more information about novel influenza, please visit the MDH Web site at www.health.state.mn.us or contact your health care provider.

In response to the ongoing spread of the novel influenza A virus (H1N1), the World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday declared the outbreak a global pandemic. The designation reflects the geographic spread of the virus, not the severity of its illness, health officials said.

Seventy-four countries are now reporting some 28,000 cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu and 144 associated deaths. In the United States, there have been 13,000 confirmed cases and 27 related deaths. These numbers have been steadily increasing worldwide over the past few weeks.

According to WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan, no previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely

“The world can now reap the benefits of investments, over the last five years, in pandemic preparedness,” she said in Thursday’s prepared announcement.

In the early going, Dr. Chan predicted the pandemic will be of moderate severity, however she cautioned that countries should prepare to see cases, or the further spread of cases, in the near future. Countries where outbreaks appear to have peaked should prepare for a second wave of infection.

There still have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 novel influenza A in Northfield, but officials at Northfield Hospital & Clinics are actively monitoring the situation and taking standard precautions to deal with an outbreak should one occur.

People are advised to follow standard recommendations for preventing the spread of the flu virus – if you are sick.:

• Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.
• Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly – with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub solution.
• Limit your contact with others who may be ill.
• Clean your hands after shaking hands or having other close contact with other people – before eating or preparing food, or touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Stay home from work or school – and generally avoid going out in public.
• If you are an employer, encourage your employees to stay home if they are sick.

According to WHO, the novel H1N1 virus preferentially infects younger people. In nearly all areas with large and sustained outbreaks, the majority of cases have occurred in people under the age of 25 years. In some of these countries, around 2 percent of cases have developed severe illness, often with very rapid progression to life-threatening pneumonia.

Most cases of severe and fatal infections have been in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years. This pattern is significantly different from that seen during epidemics of seasonal influenza, when most deaths occur in frail elderly people.

Officials say many, though not all, severe cases have occurred in people with underlying chronic conditions. Based on limited, preliminary data, conditions most frequently seen include respiratory diseases, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and obesity.

At the same time, officials note that around one-third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people. Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications.