Dalton Northway loves to water ski. Ending his 4th grade year this past May, his family was up at their lake home when a boat propeller accident turned a great day sour.
Dalton fell under a running boat propeller and suffered serious injuries. Quick thinking, teamwork and emergency and police response expertise fell into motion, and Dalton was airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare’s Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. (more…)
By Julie Philbrook, RN, DNP, MAN, MAL
Falls are the leading cause of trauma-related injury and death among those age 65 and older. Every year, more than 2.3 million non-fatal fall injuries among older adults are treated in emergency departments in the US resulting in more than 734,000 patients being hospitalized. The direct medical costs for falls in the senior population total over $34 billion. Twenty to thirty percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries, such as lacerations, hip fractures or traumatic brain injuries. Even if no injuries occur after a fall, many people develop a fear of falling, which in turn often causes them to limit their activities. This can result in reduced mobility and loss of physical conditioning, subsequently increasing their risk of falling.
Research has proven that the risk of falling decreases when seniors take part in educational programs, which teach exercises that target building strength and maintaining balance. These programs also address other fall-related topics, including, the effects medications can have on balance, sleep, mental alertness, the role a change in vision plays in the risk of falls, and safety in and around the home environment. (more…)
Construction on the HCMC Clinic & Specialty Center is moving along at a rapid pace, and we’re on track to open March 26, 2018. The new six-story facility will bring together outpatient clinics and ancillary services that are currently located across nine buildings on our downtown campus. By locating all of these services in one facility, we’ll provide patients an experience that streamlines their care and offers enhanced collaboration by our clinical team to deliver the best medical care possible.
To provide a preview of the new building and an early look inside, we’ve enlisted the help of Dr. David Hilden to conduct a series of walking tours featuring many of the new clinics and services that will be offered in the Clinic & Specialty Center. The first video features an overview of the building, the central lobby area and the Orthopedic Clinic.
Look for future videos featuring different clinical areas and unique aspects of the building and more information by visiting our Clinic & Specialty Center website.
Preparing to move to the new Clinic and Specialty Center next April is much more than packing boxes and moving the equipment to a new location. In reality, it represents a tremendous opportunity to rethink clinic flow, standardize the process and determine what it will take to deliver the best experience for our patients and the most efficient model for providers.
That’s why our orthopedic team started participating as a Model Cell, and evaluating every aspect of their operation almost two years in advance of their anticipated move. They are piloting tests of change to enhance our services, and the improvements will be imbedded in every clinical area that is moving to the new building. (more…)
