Blog – Here for Life

Service opportunities available on the Hennepin Healthcare Board of Directors

January 23, 2023

Hennepin Healthcare is looking for candidates to serve on its Board of Directors beginning in January 2024.

Hennepin Healthcare is a nationally recognized system of care that is changing lives every day. Our comprehensive health care system includes the medical center, network of clinics, EMS, home care, a research institute, and a philanthropic foundation. Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. is a public corporation operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hennepin County. (more…)

Integrative, holistic, whole person care – served-up at your doorstep!

January 19, 2023

The Heals on Wheels (HoW) program at Hennepin Healthcare centers around the concept that to truly provide whole person care to everyone in our community, sometimes we must make the effort to literally meet patients where they are. Barriers to transportation and access to whole-person, integrative care are a seemingly insurmountable problem for many. HoW strives to eliminate these barriers by bringing our integrative team directly into the community, fostering deeper connections between the healthcare teams and the people they serve. (more…)

Frostbite sidelines patient visiting from New York

January 17, 2023

On the one-year anniversary of his first visit to Minneapolis, Minnesota, David Rice reflects back on the eventful and memorable trip.

Back on January 8, 2022, the 35-year-old accountant – a native of New Zealand now based in Brooklyn, NY – and a few friends paid a visit to Minnesota for the weekend to enjoy ice fishing on one of our beautiful lakes, a Minnesota Wild hockey game, and a Minnesota Vikings football game. Unfortunately, David was sidelined at the football game on January 9 by injuries he sustained the night before. That’s when he spent time outside in brutally cold conditions without gloves and it didn’t take long for frostbite to set in. (more…)

The longest living HCMC kidney transplant patient – DuWayne’s story

January 16, 20232

DuWayne Virnig of Little Falls, MN, formerly of Coon Rapids, is Hennepin Healthcare’s longest living kidney transplant patient, at the age of 82. Thanks to a donor kidney when DuWayne was 37 years old, he has led a long and prosperous life with a loving family and much to be thankful for.

DuWayne began dialysis in 1978 at the age of 37 and, within 6 weeks, had surgery to receive a donor kidney. He and his wife, Lottie, had two small children, Jon and Lora, and were living a good life in Coon Rapids, MN. His daughter, Lora, tells his story. (more…)

A day to carry with me forever

December 15, 20226

I’m watching my hospice patient die, in his bed. Above him on the wall hangs his wedding photo; in his hand are sacred images and a rosary wrapped tightly. I bet on his wedding day, he never thought that many years later lung disease would claim his life. Not for one moment did he think he’d be here – dying much earlier than the long life he planned to live – with his wife at his bedside, broken and keeping vigil. My heart is heavy as it observes the beginning and end of their journey together.

As the nurse appointed to manage his pain, I am privy to the all-too-intimate moments of life at its end. All that is left in this room is love. I’m wrapped up in it, pulled and compelled by it. It’s in all the details: the many, many family members here, how gently and lovingly they talk to and touch their loved one, the music – the patient’s favorite, of course – and even how family members adjust his clothing and position to make sure he is comfortable. (more…)

Walk like a penguin

December 15, 2022

Winter weather can be beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. Just like adjusting to driving on the snow and ice, we need to remember how to walk on the snow and ice. A fall on snow or ice can be embarrassing, but also harmful. Falls are the number one reason for brain injuries, not to mention what a fall can do to your bones and the rest of your body.

Penguins are seasoned veterans walking on snow and ice. Maybe we could learn something from them. Spreading your feet out slightly— like a penguin— while walking on ice increases your stability. When we walk, our legs’ ability to support our weight is split mid-stride. To walk on ice, keep your center of gravity over your front leg. (more…)

Introducing the Digital Equity Experts (DEX) Program at Hennepin Healthcare

December 7, 20221

Healthcare delivery and consumption have become highly dependent on digital tools. So much so that digital literacy and access could be viewed as super social determinants of health and well-being because they truly impact many social drivers in a patient’s life. Hennepin Healthcare is on the path to making better access to care by creating more digital equity. Introducing the Digital Equity Experts (DEX) program!

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Youth dive into medical knowledge at Youth with Stethoscopes Summits

November 28, 2022

Our Talent Garden wrapped up the year with two Youth Summits. Latine Youth with Stethoscopes was held on Nov. 5 with 74 youth in attendance. Black Men with Stethoscopes was held on Dec. 3 with 40 youth in attendance.
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