In the News
Good Question: How does a breast cancer risk assessment work?
Dr. Tony Severt, Assistant Chief of Radiology with Hennepin Healthcare said any score higher than 20% likelihood should warrant further testing. Olivia Munn’s score was 37%. That led to an MRI, then an ultrasound, and lastly a biopsy which revealed her cancer.
Hennepin Healthcare warns of heart attack risk clearing heavy snow
Felicia Ikebude, a nurse practitioner at Hennepin Healthcare‘s Brooklyn Park location, says they often see an increase in emergency visits after a heavy snowfall.
Why acting out in dreams may signal a health issue
“The brainstem has two linked nuclei that generate the protective paralysis of REM sleep, and when one of them, or their connecting pathway, becomes damaged, that releases muscle tone,” said Carlos Schenck, a psychiatrist at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. “People can then act out their dreams.”
Hennepin Healthcare’s Adventurama 2024 set for June 8
After a successful launch in 2023, Hennepin Healthcare Foundation returns with Adventurama 2024, an urban experience in downtown Minneapolis.
Dr. Behnam Sabayan talks strokes, from atrial fibrillation to TIA’s and more
Dr. Behnam Sabayan of Hennepin Healthcare joins Susie Jones to talk about strokes. He answers listener questions about things like atrial fibrillation risks to TIA’s and talks about Hennepin Healthcare’s new technologies to help in stroke treatment.
Hennepin EMS sets standard with ambulance patient weighing system
Hennepin EMS will become the first ambulance service in the country to equip its entire fleet with a weighing system, according to Charlie Sloan, the deputy chief of operations.
“A dream. It’s perfect”: Helium discovery in northern Minnesota may be biggest ever in North America
Dr. Grant Larson, a radiologist at Hennepin Healthcare, said the health system’s four MRI machines rely on helium to operate.
Minneapolis man learns importance of getting care after pancreatitis scare
“With pancreatitis sometimes you get this really aggressive inflammatory response, so his heart was racing and he was spiking fevers on and off during his hospital stay,” Dr. Dave Kahat said.
Are Hennepin Healthcare and the medical examiner prepared for large-scale emergencies?
“We like to talk about space, staff, and stuff — or supplies,” explains Seth Jones, Emergency Program Manager. “So if we get we get inundated to the point where it overwhelms our capacities and our capabilities, that would result in a mass casualty incident.”
State of Emergency: How agencies in Hennepin Co. joined forces to train for threats
“All of us play a piece in that. And when one of those pieces falls out of line or doesn’t do their part, that’s when things start to break down. We all have to be on the same team,” Battalion Chief Tyler Lupkes with Hennepin EMS said.
State of emergency: how Minnesota hospitals, state officials prepare for cyber attacks
Yan Kravchenko, director of core technology and information security at Hennepin Healthcare, said his team manages more than 50,000 devices.
“Quite literally every aspect of health care at this point has some technology component to it, which is to say nothing of all the medical devices that we rely on every single day,” he added. “An attacker has to be right once, but someone responsible for defending our systems we have to be right 100% of the time. We have to always be prepared. It never stops.”
Ellison announces low-cost insulin for all Minnesotans
“People who have insulin deficiency or type one diabetes simply cannot live without this medication,” said Dr. Laura LaFave, a physician with Hennepin Healthcare.
What pharmacists suggest for patients struggling to find Adderall amid shortage
“What we would want with the patient, if they decided to make that change, that would be a provider-patient decision for sure,” explained Mark Holtan, Specialty Pharmacy Manager at Hennepin Healthcare. “They may expect an adjustment period of going off one med and on another. You will always have that period of time where you’re sort of washing out of one medicine and adding a new one on.”
Hennepin Healthcare’s East Lake Clinic expands trauma-informed care
East Lake Clinic’s stated vision is to “transform the clinic into a place for trauma healing for staff and patients—transforming the health of our community by transforming the health of our clinic.”
“At times it can be a heady exercise, trying to wrap my head around the sheer number of individuals from all walks of life and ethnicities who come to East Lake Clinic with current and past traumas poorly affecting their mental and physical health,” says Dr. Ndidiamaka Koka in a reflection she wrote about the clinic’s transformation.
Good Question: Why do we get hangry?
For Dr. Ann Kearns, it’s a lived experience and a scientific one. The longtime Mayo Clinic physician is now an endocrinologist at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
Who’s calling the Minnesota Poison Control Hotline?
“Poison Control,” answers Renee Petroski, a poison information provider of 24 years.
“That’s the rewarding part about the job,” says Minnesota Poison Control System director Samantha Lee, “caring that moms thank you so much. For us, it’s like a daily thing, hearing about babies eating butt paste and stuff. But for the moms who call, it’s their first time.”
When people call with a poisoning problem from home, adds Dr. Jon Cole, Minnesota Poison Control System medical director, “the vast majority of the time, we can safely keep you at home and avoid an emergency department visit.”
Good Question: Why do our noses run in cold weather?
“When the cold wind blows, the sense of nose will flow,” Dr. John Sweet, medical director for the allergy clinic at Hennepin Healthcare, said. “The purpose of the nose is to warm and humidify the air before it enters down into our lungs to prevent irritation.”
Metro hospitals see longer than normal ER wait times amid surge in COVID, RSV, flu
Hennepin Healthcare is telling patients it’s experiencing high demand and longer wait times in its clinics and emergency departments. Allina Health has put out similar advisories for its hospitals citing a surge in flu, SRC and other seasonal illness cases.
Minnesota companies capitalize on America’s sleep problems
A large percentage of Americans are not getting a good night’s sleep, in many cases because of a sleep disorder — and a growing number of Twin Cities companies are developing new technology to treat the issues.
Take sleep apnea. It is the top issue for U.S. sleep clinics, said Dr. Ranji Varghese, medical director for the Hennepin Healthcare’s Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center.
“It can be so disruptive to someone’s life,” Varghese said. Untreated sleep apnea can also increase risks for stroke, heart attack and hypertension.
Another COVID wave hits U.S. as JN.1 becomes dominant variant
“Every hospital that does pediatric care is saturated,” said John Hick, an emergency physician at Hennepin Healthcare, in downtown Minneapolis, which has 25 pediatric beds.