Clinical care – Here for Life

The Hennepin Assault Response Team recognizes 45 years of helping sexual assault victims heal

November 14, 2022

Sexual violence has a profound effect on a person’s physical and psychosocial health throughout their lifespan. According to the CDC, over 50% of women and a third of men experience sexual violence in their lifetime. In the immediate aftermath of sexual assault, a holistic response by medical professionals has the potential to have a positive impact on healing. It is during this incredibly vulnerable and traumatic time that the Hennepin Assault Response Team (HART) program steps in to create a safe space for patients. (more…)

Virtual reality comes to Hennepin

November 10, 2022

Virtual reality has been a new buzz phrase the past few years and has started to be seen within healthcare.

Virtual reality technology has provided a new option for rehabilitation within occupational therapy and is an exciting modality for treating cognition, coordination, oculomotor skills, reaction time, eye hand coordination, peripheral awareness, depth perception and visual memory. Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on life skills and utilizes a variety of treatment interventions to achieve functional goals. (more…)

Sleep cycles and what is going on inside while you’re snoozing!

October 19, 2022

This time of year, when we lose daytime light to dark of night, many people find challenges with sleep. Sleep plays an important role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. (more…)

Help your child cope with pokes!

September 30, 2022

With the new school year and flu season soon to arrive, caregivers are looking for ways to support their children for positive immunization experiences. As child life specialists, it is our job to help children and families cope with scary, painful and potentially traumatic experiences—especially at the hospital or clinic.

There are many ways that families can partner with the medical team to assist with anxiety about pokes. (more…)

The Great Slimdown program meets patients where they’re at through a supportive, patient-centered approach

July 26, 2022

With summer comes the impulse to get out and enjoy the sun and move our bodies more—swimming, running, biking, hiking. For some people, excess weight may affect their ability to enjoy these activities or their comfort with completing everyday tasks. Hennepin Healthcare’s The Great Slim-Down team meets these patients where they are, with an approach that treats obesity through nutrition, behavior adjustments, physical activity, and medication therapy. (more…)

Resident reignites her passion for surgery through service

June 29, 2022

One Hennepin Healthcare resident has transformed the way she provides care. Alexandra Coward, MD, MPH, (third from the left), spent 10 days in Guatemala providing surgical services to a rural community through the nonprofit, HELPS International.

Dr. Coward was inspired to pursue a medical service trip by her interest in public health, surgical development, and service to vulnerable populations. Working at Hennepin Healthcare fueled those interests even more. Paul Stahler, MD, in transplant and trauma advocated for Dr. Coward to join a service trip – and was successful. (more…)

Keeping your cool when it’s hot

June 19, 2022

When those thermometers rise it’s not uncommon for even the hardiest folks lose their cool, and there’s actually a physical reason why we get more irritable or are quicker to anger when we’re hot.