Here for Life

Teen pregnancy and mental health

March 29, 2023

For many, pregnancy is usually a time of emotional well-being. For those who are teens, pregnancy can impact their mental health in drastic ways that differ from older pregnancy experiences. It is estimated 20% of pregnant people suffer from mood or anxiety disorders during pregnancy. However, researchers found that teens ranging from 15 to 19 years old experienced postpartum depression at a rate that was twice as high as people aged 25 and older. As a teen or parent of a teen, understanding some of the emotional stages that pregnant teens go through is important. Understanding and offering support can significantly alleviate stress experienced throughout the pregnancy. (more…)

Hennepin team member uses connection to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to purchase wild rice for food insecure patients

March 24, 2023

For the past four years, Hennepin Healthcare has purchased and distributed shelf-stable, nutritionally balanced bags of food from Every Meal for patients facing food insecurity. However, Senior Community Health Worker Paula Brown noticed a gap.

Currently, there are five varieties of bag that cater to different cultural preferences. For example, orange bags are tailored to Latino dietary preferences and have foods such as black/pinto beans, corn flour, rice, enchilada sauce, and chipotles in adobo. Blue bags on the other hand are pork-free and tailored to African dietary preferences. (more…)

How a supply chain initiative helped Kamesha Davenport grow her small business in life-changing ways

March 22, 2023

When Kamesha Davenport got a call from the Supply Chain team at Hennepin Healthcare, she was excited—and surprised. Kamesha’s landscaping business, Pinky Fence, was a small business with just Kamesha as the main employee, marketing her services by word of mouth through her personal Facebook. Kamesha still worked a full-time job at Wells Fargo. She didn’t have a website or an accountant.

The call from Hennepin Healthcare was the biggest opportunity so far to make her entrepreneurship dream a reality. She had memories of her grandmother’s last moments at Hennepin Healthcare, and she’d lived across from the downtown campus as a teen. “I just remember being a little kid running through the hallways,” she said. “The campus has a special place in my heart because of that.” She was overwhelmed—but determined to make it work. (more…)

Gratitude for the smallest things

March 20, 2023

Linda Johnson had never been a patient at Hennepin Healthcare until an accident made the Level I Trauma Center the perfect place at an unfortunate time. Linda was picking up her two grandsons from school in mid-November 2022. While standing at the top of a set of stairs, she turned to watch the boys run down a ramp. Not realizing she was at the top, Linda walked forward and fell down eight or nine cement steps.

“I was completely unaware of what was happening for the next couple of days,” Linda said.

Luckily, her daughter, Catherine Justice, is a physical therapist for Hennepin Healthcare. (more…)

2-year-old suffers partial ear amputation; re-attachment success helped by hyperbaric oxygen treatments

March 14, 2023

From frostbite injury to pediatric trauma – hyperbaric oxygen (re)generates results

On November 2, 2022, 2-year-old Kenzie Riemenschneider was attacked by her family’s 10-month-old puppy and suffered multiple head and facial lacerations. Her right ear was also partially amputated from the attack.

“At first, we thought it was just her lip that was sliced wide open and would need stitches,” explained Kenzie’s mom, Jaisa Riemenschneider. “Once the paramedics arrived, they took over caring for Kenzie and immediately started to wrap her head, which confused me. They said she was missing part of her ear.” (more…)

Shoveling snow can trigger a heart attack

February 22, 2023

Digging out from a big snowfall is stressful enough. In the midst of all the other preparations that keep your life at a busy pace during a snowstorm, it’s important to remember not to neglect your heart health.

“Lifting heavy, wet snow can cause undue stress on your heart,” explains Dr. Gautam Shroff, Director of Cardiology at Hennepin Healthcare. (more…)

Read Hennepin Healthcare’s 2022 Health Equity Report

February 21, 2023

Hennepin Healthcare is embarking on a journey to become what does not yet exist. We must envision a new path to serve our communities in the way they deserve and reach outcomes that are not predicted by race.

(more…)

American Heart Month highlights an employee patient story tearing at your heartstrings

February 21, 2023

We usually celebrate February’s American Heart Month promoting heart disease prevention, healthy habits, and education. Taking care of your heart health is a lifestyle we can all embrace. But some people aren’t so lucky.

Megan Ireland is a nurse on 5 Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare. She loves where she works, and the diverse population she cares for. She is currently on a medical leave and missing her co-workers terribly. (more…)

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