Clinical care – Here for Life

Midwife means “with woman”

March 13, 2019

by Kate Pfaff, APRN, CNM

Did you know that the word midwife means literally, “with woman”? It is a simplified but accurate description of what Hennepin Healthcare Birth Center midwives do every day. We are skilled at listening to women’s concerns and priorities, and strive to be fully present for them through important life stages.

At the heart of midwifery is the belief that labor and birth are normal life events for most women. We, therefore, try our best to maintain the “normalcy” of the situation. This might look like quiet reassurance when labor is hard, or the encouragement to continue eating and drinking to keep up energy levels. Our laboring patients can be seen meandering the hallways slowly, soaking in our large hydrotherapy tub, or creatively positioned with pillows and yoga balls in a comfortable resting state. Many of our patients choose to use pain medication in labor, and we fully support these choices too. (more…)

Managing arthritis doesn’t have to be a pain

January 18, 2019

Arthritis is arthritis, right? And it’s just something every adult must face and endure as we get older, right? Wrong, wrong and wrong! There are two main types of arthritis, not every adult will experience arthritis, and there are pain management options for those who do experience either form of the disease.

When your body’s own immune system attacks your joints and causes inflammation and pain, rheumatoid arthritis is the culprit. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause permanent damage to your cartilage when it disrupts the balance of synovial fluids in joints, and it can be hereditary. (more…)

Go to sleep little one

November 21, 2018

Safe to Sleep® Recommendations Explained

Many people remember the “Back to Sleep” campaign that was initiated in the 1990s. Back to sleep recommends babies should always be put to sleep on their back for safety. Since the 1990s, the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), initially declined and now has plateaued for several years. This prompted the National Institutes of Health to recommend the slogan “Safe to Sleep®” in order to improve upon the initial recommendations and better educate families and communities on more comprehensive safe sleep recommendations. (more…)

Statins and other cholesterol medications work best when partnered with healthy lifestyle choices

November 21, 2018

Concerned about your cholesterol levels? It’s important not to rely on a medication-only approach. Your daily physical activity and diet choices play an important role in reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke. With the holidays coming, why not start implementing some new goals for cardiac health in 2019 – and beyond?

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on cholesterol management released updates on clinical practice guidelines for the reduction of heart disease and stroke (cardiovascular disease). The guidelines remind us that heart-healthy lifestyles including regular exercise, maintenance of healthy weight, balanced diet and smoking cessation remain the cornerstone of cardiovascular disease risk reduction. All cholesterol-reducing medications work best when used in concert with a healthy lifestyle. (more…)

Celebrating ten years of breast cancer survivors

October 30, 2018

On Saturday, October 6th, almost 200 Hennepin Healthcare breast cancer patients, their friends and families and volunteers from the Comprehensive Cancer Center came together for the 10th annual Breast Cancer Survivors Celebration. Every year our clinic staff recognize women and men for their strength and commitment to fight and heal from breast cancer. We held the event in our new Clinic & Specialty Center‘s Stillman Education Room and spilled out into the atrium. Children and guests decorated pumpkins and won prizes at the fish pond. Patients and family visited information tables from our community supporters, including the African American Breast Cancer Alliance, Firefly Sisterhood, Livestrong, the American Cancer Society and Open Arms of Minnesota, just to name a few. Lunch was served and we had a raffle – all patients won a gift! This year’s celebration has been our biggest yet and we can’t wait for next year. (more…)

Getting from here to there: updates and resources for child passenger safety

October 23, 2018

Did you know 4 out of 5 car seats are installed or used incorrectly? Keeping up with the changes and recommendations for child passenger safety can be a challenge. Here are a few current recommendations and resources for keeping your child safe when traveling around Minnesota.

Rear-facing versus forward-facing positioning

This fall the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their recommendations to promote keeping children in the rear-facing position for as long as possible. As infants and young children are at increased risk for head and spinal cord injury due to their relatively large head and developing musculoskeletal system, a rear-facing position reduces this risk by providing more head and back support in the event of a crash.²Therefore, instead of an age limit, the AAP now recommends children be rear-facing until they meet the highest rear-facing weight or height limit allowed by the manufacturer of their car seat.¹ (more…)

Free Hernia Information Session and Screening

September 27, 2018

The return to function and quality of life starts here

Abdominal wall hernias occurs when a part of an internal organ (typically the small intestine) breaks through a tear or weak point in the abdominal wall.

Hernias can happen to anyone, and significantly impact your activity level and quality of life. They can also lead to complications that are life-threatening. So, it’s important to seek treatment.

Hernias will not resolve on their own and can only be repaired with surgery. Fortunately, many hernias can now be repaired with robotic assisted minimally invasive procedures. This technique reduces recovery time, pain and potential complications

Signs and Symptoms

A lump or bulge that is apparent when standing and can sometimes disappear when lying down. For males, they can sometimes experience a swollen and/or painful scrotum.
Pain or discomfort during physical exertion, straining or lifting.
Weakness or pressure in the groin.

Free Screening Event – Saturday, October 13 from 9:00 – 11:00 am

We invite you, a colleague or family member who may have a hernia, to attend a free information session with our surgery team.

Schedule:

9:00 – 9:30 am Presentation for Jon Krook, MD and Ashley Marek, MD

9:30 – 10:00 am Demonstrations of the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System

9:30 – 11:00 am Optional hernia screening discussion with Dr. Krook or Dr. Marek

Location:

Clinic & Specialty Center

715 South 8^th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55404

Learn more, and register here

Parking

Free parking is available in the Clinic & Specialty Center’s underground garage off of Park Avenue between 8^th and 9^th Streets. Take the elevator to the first floor for our event.

A new perspective on standard care – CDC issues guidelines on mild pediatric brain injuries

September 26, 2018

There is nothing ‘mild’ about a mild traumatic brain injury, especially when we’re talking about kids. This is something we at Hennepin Healthcare have known for years. And we also know that the number of children getting mild traumatic brain injuries, more commonly referred to as concussions, are on the rise. (more…)