Tag: pediatric

Vaccines are like bike helmets

Dr. Colianni and her daughter
Dr. Colianni and Elena

In addition to being a pediatrician, Dr. Sonja Colianni is a mom who loves her children.

She recently brought her daughter Elena in for a check-up, which included immunizations.

“I vaccinate my children because it is something simple I can do to protect them from harm, and to help protect the children around them,” Dr. Colianni explains. “I view vaccines like bike helmets and seat belts – well worth using because they can prevent serious harm from things we encounter every day.”

Dr. Colianni recommends the same for her patients. “It is clear to me that the benefit of vaccines far outweigh any possible risks. While I have seen several children harmed by vaccine-preventable diseases, I have never seen a negative vaccine reaction that would prevent me from giving them.”

If you have concerns about vaccines, she recommends that you have an honest talk with your child’s physician about your concerns and ask for reliable sources of information.

“As pediatricians and parents it’s our job to protect the health of all children, not just our own. We take that job very seriously.”

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Colianni or any of the pediatricians at Hennepin County Medical Center, call 612.873.6963.

Helping kids learn the importance of brushing teeth

February is National Children’s Oral Health Month
The Dentistry clinic and Pediatric departments at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) will once again join together to help educate children and their parents about the importance of good oral health and its impact on systemic health. And this year they’re getting some help from HCMC’s bigger-than-life 2015-02-02 Bernie dentistry Evamascot, Bernie the Rescue Dog, who will visit with children in the Dentistry and Pediatric waiting rooms every Monday throughout the month of February to demonstrate good brushing habits.

Encouraging good home health habits is critical in breaking the oral disease chain in families. This includes teaching families how to properly feed their children; minimizing saliva transmission from parent to child; promoting good nutrition; and establishing strong tooth-brushing habits. It also involves working with families to help them establish a dental home and seek routine, preventive care.

According to Healthy People 2020, tooth decay (dental caries) affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. Untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to problems; such as eating, speaking, playing, and learning.

If your child has not had a dental examination, pediatric dentist Dr. Patricia Tarren and pediatrician Dr. Eileen Crespo recommend that you schedule a “well baby checkup” for his or her teeth. The American Dental Association says that it is beneficial for the first dental visit to occur within six months of the appearance of the first tooth, and no later than the child’s first birthday. To schedule an appointment, call 612.873.6963.

 

 

 

Visit HCMC at the Fair!

State Fair 2013

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), Minnesota’s first Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, is excited to be at the great Minnesota get-together on the following dates this year:

Friday, August 23 – staff from HCMC’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Center will participate in the Governor’s Annual Fire Prevention Day in Carousel Park from 7 a.m.  until 6 p.m.  Burn care professionals will be on hand to offer injury prevention tips , answer questions about burn care, and give away prizes.

Sunday, August 25 –  Dr. David Hilden, host of the Healthy Matters radio program heard every Sunday morning at 7:30 AM on WCCO Radio, will be answering questions from the audience live at the fair. Join Dr. Hilden and co-host Denny Long from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the WCCO booth  located on Carnes Ave. between Nelson and Underwood Streets.

Sunday, September 1 – Healthy Matters with Dr. David Hilden will be at the WCCO Radio booth again for a live broadcast!  Meet Bernie the Rescue Dog and staff from HCMC’s Level I Pediatric Trauma Center from 7-9 a.m. Prizes will be given away to the first 100 visitors to the WCCO Radio booth beginning at 7 a.m. From 7:30-8:30 a.m. please join our live audience where Dr. Hilden will answer your health-related questions. The WCCO Radio booth is located on Carnes Ave. between Nelson and Underwood Streets.

Daily at the Fair  –  Make a difference every time you turn off your cell phone before getting behind the wheel.  Take the “I Just Wish”  pledge and be eligible to win a gas card.  Sign up at the KSTC-45 tent on Carnes Ave.

HCMC re-verified as an Adult and Pediatric Burn Center

The American Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) announced the re-verification of the Hennepin Burn Center as an Adult and Pediatric Burn Center.

Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) Burn Center is one of only 64 verified burn centers in the country and one of the few centers that manages both adult and pediatric burns. This verification provides a true mark of distinction and is an indicator to government, third-party payers, patients and their families, and accreditation organizations that the Center provides high quality patient care from the time of injury through rehabilitation.

Dr. Anne Lambert
Dr. Anne Lambert

“We’re delighted that our Burn Center is recognized as having all of the key elements of an outstanding program,” explains Dr. Anne Lambert, Medical Co-Director of HCMC’s Burn Center. “We always put our patients first, and that’s why they have great outcomes. It’s so rewarding to see them progress to their full potentials after an injury, and to receive the exact kind of multidisciplinary care they need.”

Burn Center Verification is a joint program of the American Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). To achieve verification, a burn center must meet the rigorous standards for organizational structure, personnel qualifications, facilities resources and medical care services set out in the in the ABA chapter on Guidelines for the Operation of Burn Centers in the ACS publication on Resources For Optimal Care Of The Injured Patient 2006. Elements of this voluntary program include completion of a pre-review questionnaire and an in-depth on-site review by members of the ABA Verification Committee, which took place at HCMC in May.

A written report by the site visit team is reviewed by the ABA Verification Committee and by the Committee on Trauma of the ACS. In the re-verification letter, the committee commended HCMC for its “commitment to excellence and its commitment to providing quality burn care to its patients.”

HCMC was also recently re-verified as a Level 1 Adult and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. HCMC was the first hospital in Minnesota to achieve this status, and in 2014 it will mark its 25th year as a Level 1 Trauma Center.

The Burn Center at Hennepin County Medical Center is nationally recognized for its expertise in treating burn patients of all ages. Staffed by specially trained burn care nurses and physicians, the 18-bed inpatient unit and ambulatory care clinic provide comprehensive burn care to patients from throughout the Midwest.