Page 5 – Here for Life

Breastfeeding help… even before a baby is born

November 18, 2019

Whether you’re expecting your first baby or you’ve welcomed one before, visiting with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC or lactation consultant, for short) before your baby arrives can help you prepare to breastfeed or provide expressed milk. Here are some answers to common questions about prenatal breastfeeding visits.

Why should you visit a lactation consultant before delivery?

Breastfeeding is the natural conclusion to pregnancy and birth. But “natural” doesn’t always mean “easy”! Breastfeeding is a skill that takes some time for both parent and baby to learn, and each breastfeeding pair is unique. Breastfeeding is a social skill, passed along between generations, and that link has been broken for a lot of families. Prenatal education is one way we can continue to pass along knowledge of breastfeeding and caring for a new baby. (more…)

Local artist illustrates a day in the life at Hennepin Healthcare in 160 moments over 24 hours

November 18, 20191

At 1 pm, she was in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, sketching baby Emanuel as he is cradled in his mother’s arms.

At 4 am, she was in the Emergency Department, sketching a hallway of exam rooms and the sounds that were coming from each.

At 11 am, she was in the kitchen, sketching an assembly line of food workers as they put food on trays that would soon be lunch for hospitalized patients.

Over the course of a year and a half, local artist Anita White captured moments at Hennepin Healthcare that spanned every hour of the day – all 24 hours of it. She visited places as varied as the Emergency Department and Pediatric Clinic to Food Services and Hospice. She observed patients, families, and staff at the moment of care, and then she made sense of those moments by drawing them.

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144 nurses and counting: How nurse recognition blossomed at Hennepin thanks to DAISY program

November 11, 2019

“She is wonderful with her patients…her actions are excellent, a true statement of her skills. She…consistently demonstrates excellent nursing care.”

These words described Laraine Steel, a Hennepin Healthcare DAISY Award winner, in her nomination from January 2008. More than 10 years later, Steel continues to provide excellent nursing care at Hennepin Healthcare as a Diabetes Clinical Educator and the AADE Diabetes Program Coordinator. She also sees patients with diabetes at Whittier Clinic.

Laraine Steel, DAISY Award winner for January 2008

The DAISY Award is an international program created by the DAISY Foundation that recognizes nurses like Steel who make a difference in the lives of those they care for and work alongside with their clinical skills and extraordinary compassion. The foundation and program turn 20 this month and within two decades the program has expanded to over 700 healthcare facilities, including Hennepin Healthcare where it started 12 years ago. (more…)

Physical therapy can help kiddos with toileting problems

October 21, 2019

Bladder and bowel dysfunction (difficulty with urination and/or having a bowel movement) in children can be very distressing to families and especially the child. It is not uncommon, but is often dismissed as a stage or incurable problem. (more…)

Get your skin ready for the winter

October 8, 2019

October is National Eczema Awareness Month. Sounds like a good time to talk about winter and how the cold upcoming weather can be harsh on our skin. Dry skin and eczema are two of the most common conditions the dermatologists at Hennepin Healthcare see this time of year. Dr. Jenny Liu, from the Dermatology Clinic, shares some easy and simple gentle skin care tips that everyone can use.

Bathing tips:
1. Daily bathing is recommended. Baths are better than showers as soaking can help hydrate the skin.
2. Avoid super-hot water. Although it feels good with the cold weather, hot water can dry out the skin. (more…)

Two heart attacks – two different types of pain

September 27, 20193

Is it heartburn? Muscle strain? Pain from a heart attack can take on different forms for women – and unfortunately, it’s those subtle differences that could be making a huge difference in clinical outcomes for patients.

Coronary heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for women in the United States even though more is being done to identify and treat the disease. Ignoring the symptoms of heart attack is one of the key factors attributing to this statistic.

“Since the 1980s there’s been a steady decline in cardiovascular disease rates for women, and that’s great,” explains Dr. Michelle Carlson at Hennepin Healthcare. “Awareness of prevention efforts like reducing cholesterol, stress and smoking cessation as well as incorporating positive exercise and diet choices are making a difference. But there’s one obstacle we’re still not overcoming – and that’s the likelihood of women to dismiss symptoms until it’s too late.” (more…)

Soothe your soles and save your toes

September 18, 2019

Brenda Lutzke is feeling lucky. She’s heading to Las Vegas after a rough beginning to her summer when she was facing amputation due to a diabetic wound on her left toe that would not heal. “But I came here on a Monday and by Tuesday I started hyperbaric treatments,” she said. “Between the great care […]

Brooklyn Park Clinic expansion to bring more health care services and specialists to the NW suburbs

September 18, 2019

Hennepin Healthcare is completing a major expansion in Brooklyn Park. The Brooklyn Park Clinic, at the corner of Zane Ave. and Brooklyn Blvd., has doubled in size, added more specialists and opened a physical therapy gym and an onsite pharmacy.

“People need access to specialty care close to where they live and our expanded clinic brings more Hennepin Healthcare specialists and services to the northwest suburbs,” said Dr. Teresa Barrera-Anderson, Medical Director of Brooklyn Park Clinic & Pharmacy. (more…)

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