Six Questions with Dr. Katie Helgen
Dr. Helgen sees patients in the Northfield Clinic. She also treats in-patients as a hospitalist.
First job? McDonald’s. I started out as a fry girl, and then I moved on to drive-thru. Fryer was the only job available when I started; I’d come home with burns on my arms. I still have some of the scars to prove it.
Free time? I walk every day. I read prolifically, and I like to antique. I read a lot of world history, especially British histories, and a lot of mysteries.
NH&C’s Northfield and Farmington Clinics honored for diabetes and vascular disease care
Northfield Hospital & Clinics has been recognized with a 2016 Minnesota Bridges to Excellence Award for improving care delivery and outcomes for patients with diabetes and vascular disease at its Northfield and Farmington clinics.
You don’t have to swim to get Swimmer’s Ear.
ENT specialist Dr. Gerard O’Halloran explains:
The formal name for Swimmer’s Ear is otitis externa. It’s an infection of the skin of the ear canal that can be caused by swimming, but can also be caused by trauma to the skin of the ear canal by Q-tips or scratching. The bacteria that cause otitis externa love moisture, so the infections are more common during swimming season and when the weather is humid, but it can also occur during dry winter months. Anyone of any age can get it.
How do I know if I have swimmer’s ear?