First job? Stock boy at Kmart in Faribault. I remember showing up for work my first day in white pants and a shirt and tie and there was a dumpster fire that I got to clean up in my white pants and shirt and tie on Day One.

Pediatrician Ben Flannery, MD helps you understand childhood vaccines – why your child needs them, when to get them, and common side effects.

The Vaccine Schedule

Vaccinations generally begin at two months of age, with one exception—the hepatitis B vaccine, which is given at birth. The two-month, four-month, and six-month vaccine installations include:

Plans are moving forward to expand both the Northfield Clinic and the Birth Center in 2019. The Northfield Clinic has outgrown its space, with new providers and more patients for family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and specialty care. We need more space for these growing services, and any new services.The Birth Center now welcomes about 550 babies a year. The current space would be great if babies came on a steady schedule two or three at a time – but babies come when they’re ready, and more space will let us accommodate more births at the same time.

Northfield Hospital + Clinics has named Jodi Wieczorek, APRN, AGCNS-BC, ACHPN, OCN as Director of the Cancer Care & Infusion Center on the Northfield Hospital campus.

First job? I was a hostess at a golf course restaurant all during high school. I learned customer service, and how to work with people – good skills that still serve me well.

Free time? I love gardening; flowers, vegetables, all of it. I like getting my hands dirty and making things look beautiful. My husband and I like to go camping; the North Shore is one of our favorite spots. Our dog Esther sometimes goes camping with us.

Do you snore? Maybe. Does someone you love snore? You can answer that more easily.

The answer can affect your health in surprising ways.

Loud snoring is a classic symptom of sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a big deal, and about half the people who have it . . . don’t know it.

Dr. Kraushaar loves the laughter and curiosity of kids. She’s a pediatric specialist who cares for children and adolescents in the Northfield Clinic, starting August 7.

“I enjoy working with families to provide the best possible care for their children during all the stages of growth and development,” Dr. Kraushaar says. “The best part of my job is working with children. There is always laughter and curiosity.”

It’s a return to Northfield for Dr. Kraushaar, who is a graduate of St. Olaf College.

At every check-up, one of the routine steps is a blood pressure check. Why is it so important?

High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. But high blood pressure has no symptoms. The only way to know you have it is to check regularly.

A normal blood pressure reading is 120 over 80. While there is some variation from person to person, if your blood pressure is much higher than this, your health care provider will talk with you about the consequences of high blood pressure.

Got travel plans for summer? Dr. Katherine Helgen offers tips on preparing before you go, to stay healthy while you travel:

Are your hands aching from yardwork and gardening?

Here’s some advice from certified hand therapist Kathy Heimer OTR/L, CHT:

“Your garden is not usually a dangerous place, but any time you work with your hands, there is a risk of injury or strain. A hand therapist can help with seasonal injuries – and with chronic conditions like arthritis or tendonitis.

“Hand therapists provide non-operative interventions, preventative care and post-surgical rehabilitation for a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions.