Nurse, wife, mother finds healing for depression
After struggling with depression for many years, Lisa Smith finally got the help she needed at Regions Hospital.
Five tips for curbing your cravings
Cravings for sweet or salty foods can make eating better tough, but with these tips, you can satisfy your taste buds without the guilt.
One year in, anti-stigma work is making a difference
A community campaign to reduce stigma is spreading a powerful message about how we talk about mental illnesses.
Running Injuries: what you (k)need to know
Knee injuries are the most common form of running pain or injury and are often the result of over striding, uneven hip alignment or poor form.
Love your vegetables
Celebrity chef and yumPower spokesperson Andrew Zimmern says that veggies aren’t really that scary after all.
Nine tips to help you say goodbye to back pain
Nearly 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives—if you’re one of them, here are some tips to get you back on track.
Building a healthy lifestyle one point at a time
Weight loss goals often go unmet, but a group of PNBC employees (and their trusty coach) are trying to make sure that doesn't happen.
Running away from injuries
Running is one of the fastest growing recreational activities, but more than half of runners will run into injury in the upcoming year.
Getting to the heart of patient-centered care
Feeling frustrated and out of options, one St. Cloud family took a leap of faith with Regions Hospital and found just the care they were looking for.
Wiping out hospital-acquired bloodstream infections
Regions Hospital began its mission to eliminate CLABSIs in 2005. The rate quickly dropped by 50 percent, and that was just the beginning.
Regions launches program to prevent deadly hospital infections
A pilot program, which began in the Regions Hospital ER, is being implemented hospital-wide to further increase the number of lived saved.
Learning to live healthy with heart disease
Regions Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program changed Paul Peciluna’s life. Now he is encouraging others to follow his example.
yumPower challenges kids to eat right
In January, HealthPartners launched a school challenge pilot program to get kids to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
New workbook offers strategies to fight memory loss
Although there are no known treatments to slow or reverse Alzheimer’s, there are therapies that can reduce its impact on daily life.
Program tries to make bedsores go the way of dinosaurs
At Regions Hospital, bedsores are becoming significantly less common thanks to an aggressive prevention program and a team approach.
New Year's Resolutions made easy
Skip the gym, eat more yogurt and other helpful tips from HealthPartners to feel your best in 2012.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Don’t let a little snow and cold foil your fitness routine. Walking is a great way to stay active—even in the winter.
Debate continues over vitamin D
Winter days are short and gray, which can make vitamin D, an essential nutrient for bone health, hard to come by.
New residency program fills a need in a growing field
Regions Hospital is creating a residency program that’s not only the first of its kind in Minnesota; it’s also a reflection of the current economic climate.
Avoid the aches and pains of shoveling snow
The rehabilitation specialists at Physicians Neck & Back Clinics share tips to reduce your risk for injury this winter.
New service at Regions Hospital eases the pain of an ER visit
Regions recently instituted Acute Care Service, meaning that every day there are surgeons dedicated to serve patients with non-traumatic, unexpected problems.
Battling Biases
A hospital campaign takes aim at the stigma of mental illnesses
By Michael Trangle, MD
Stuffed bears provide comfort to kids at Hudson Hospital
Surgery and recovery can be difficult, but a special gift for young patients at Hudson Hospital is helping ease their anxiety and light up their faces.
Chiropractic patient learns the value of integrated care
Not only does the HealthPartners system deliver quality care, but the efficiency makes the healing process less stressful.
More privacy, less time spent waiting at new Eagan clinic
The Eagan clinic, which opened Oct. 17, showcases HealthPartners work to redesign primary care.
Annual wine auction to benefit new mental health program
Each year, more than 1,000 members of the community raise their glasses to support new or improved health care options.
yumPower movement is all about eating better
Eating more fruits and vegetables, getting regular exercise, drinking in moderation and quitting smoking all play a big role in health and health care costs.
Improving life expectancy for people with mental illnesses
In Minnesota, the lifespan for adults living with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is 24 years shorter than the general population.
Same-day mammograms are saving lives
In the four years since the same-day mammography program at HealthPartners clinics began, thousands of eligible women have been screened for breast cancer.
Improving care for diverse communities
More than one-third of people in the U.S. identify themselves as racial and ethnic minorities.
Growing project tracks memory changes in aging adults
The Minnesota Memory Project is a first of its kind registry to track and collect information on memory changes in aging adults.
Team approach to diabetes care puts patients first
Feeling down after his recent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, one patient found that the simple act of being heard made all the difference.
HealthPartners Travel Medicine Clinic has a global reach
There are six billion people in the world and 700 million of them are traveling every year.
Young Haitian patient gives and receives musical gift
When 19-year-old Schneider Chery came to Regions Hospital from Haiti for a crucial operation, he was anxious, depressed and had been fighting pneumonia for four years.
Commitment to the community extends to troops overseas
Sandy Holien, a medical lab technician at HealthPartners Bloomington Clinic demonstrates that HealthPartners commitment to the health of our community can be extended overseas.
Advanced care planning is about honoring choices
Talking about our preferences and values for what health care treatments we want or don’t want before a serious health crisis can be a difficult conversation to have with family.
Steps to avoid tipping the scale at the State Fair
With deep fried cuisine on every corner and endless variations of food on a stick, eating healthy at the State Fair is no easy task.
Alzheimer’s Research Center looks for a cure
Alzheimer’s disease affects 5.4 million Americans. The typical Alzheimer's patient lives about four to eight years after diagnosis, and there is no treatment or cure for the disease.
Grow your farmers market knowledge
Minnesota is lucky to be home to more than 140 farmers markets around the state and 25 markets within 10 miles of the metro area.
Midway Clinic makes a promise to the neighborhood
Improving the health of the community is part of HealthPartners mission, and a few staff members at the Midway Clinic in Saint Paul have been working toward that right in their backyard.
Employees link housing and health through Habitat build
From veterans and victims of domestic violence to young workers earning minimum wage and retirees living on fixed incomes, homelessness can affect anyone at any given time.
Athletes beware: nobody is immune to heat exhaustion
This August marks the 10-year anniversary of the death of Minnesota Vikings football player Korey Stringer, who died of complications caused by heat stroke.
New concussion law aims to protect young athletes
This fall, Minnesota will join a growing number of states that are treating concussions more seriously.
Sports Medicine is all about being flexible
Flexibility is imperative in Sports Medicine, and Heather Cichanowski, MD, bends over backward for her patients.
Calcium: Too much of a good thing could be bad
Everyone knows the importance of calcium to women’s health. In fact the National Institutes of Health recommend that women over 50 consume 1,200 mg daily.
Sleep tight and don’t let the tamales bite
Do you get a good night’s sleep? If you don’t, you might wonder why.
PNBC patient gets back in the swing of things
Andy Rollwagen, 56, had an active lifestyle. He enjoyed golf, tennis and skiing, and he wasn’t about to let some random bouts of lower back pain get in his way.
HealthPartners makes depression care a priority
Major depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and affects more than 15 million adults every year.
Building a new future for mental health care
In Minnesota, one in five people experience mental illness directly and countless others feel the effects. Regions Hospital is one of the largest providers of mental health care in Minnesota and recently broke ground on a new state-of-the-art, inpatient mental health facility.
Caring for our returning military
Amid the joyous celebrations of a military homecoming, many soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan face challenges integrating back to life at home.
HealthPartners CEO inducted into MN Business Hall of Fame
Mary Brainerd, HealthPartners president and CEO, will be joining the ranks of Minnesota greats Elmer L. Andersen and Carl Pohlad when she’s inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame this July.
Fourth of July safety tips from ER docs
Every year the emergency room doctors at Regions Hospital see a spike in injuries around this summer holiday, but they have a few simple tips to help you stay safe over the holiday weekend.
Avoid the extra pounds this Fourth of July
Although it’s no surprise that some barbecue favorites are not the best for your waistline, HealthPartners health coach Heidi Schmidt has easy and tasty tips for a healthier holiday weekend.
Regions Hospital taking steps to fight stigma
Mental illnesses are diseases that can be treated and often times cured, but nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental illness never seek help from a health professional.
Burn Center staff takes on the family role for birthday party
Elaina Dupris' family and friends couldn't be at her 17th birthday party June 10, so staff at the Regions Hospital Burn Center stepped in. They threw a party that included pizza, cupcakes and, of course, presents.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid is ancient history
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid has officially been retired and replaced with MyPlate. Many people, including Regions Hospital dietitian Sina Teskey, are excited and are encouraging others to embrace this dietary makeover.
Web service offers new option for treating summer ailments
Nothing can ruin a weekend at the cabin or a family vacation faster than an unexpected illness, but a new website is giving sick while away from home a dose of convenience.
Walking the talk on health
Studies show that employees who are active and healthy are more productive at work, have fewer sick days and feel less stress.
Millions of people losing sleep over not sleeping
One study estimates the direct cost of sleep disorders in the United States to be almost $16 billion, with related accidents costing billions more.
Pedal power— bike without injury this summer
With summer just around the corner, people are pulling their bikes out of storage and hitting the trails. But biking isn’t always a ride in the park.
Regions Hospital takes a Time Out for Secretary Sebelius
In a hospital filled with state-of-the-art equipment, it’s hard to imagine something as simple as a cloth towel saving lives.
HealthPartners employees first on the scene to aid tornado victims
Karen Waldron, manager of HealthPartners Hospice Services and a 2010 HealthPartners Wilbur Thomas Community Service award winner, jumped into action when she got word of the tornado that hit our community.
Diabetes program improves health and lowers costs
HealthPartners is a national leader in helping people deal with diabetes, a disease found in nearly one out of every 12 Americans, including more than 30,000 HealthPartners members.
A hopeful pathway for lung cancer patients
People who have lung cancer want to have one focus: getting better. So the fewer side issues they have to deal with, the more they can concentrate on their health.
HealthPartners dentists provide a new approach to care
Most people don’t consider going to the dentist a life-changing experience, but for two recent patients, it was. Credit the HealthPartners Dental Group’s unique approach to looking at the overall health of our patients.
Medical education trains health care professionals to provide outstanding care
In Minnesota there are six major "teaching hospitals" or "academic medical centers" whose mission goes beyond patient care. They are training sites for the next generation of health care professionals. Regions Hospital is one of those six.
Mother and son on a mission
There is a special bond that exists between a mother and her child. For Peg Palmer, a nurse in the Regions Hospital Special Care Nursery, the bond with her son was strengthened as they worked side-by-side in the Dominican Republic.
Employee gives back to the community that helped him succeed
Sanga is now a principal application developer at HealthPartners. He has a master’s degree in software engineering, a wife and two sons, but he wanted to give something back.
Trauma physicians urge bicycle helmet use
Warmer weather and the arrival of spring means children will be hopping on their bikes soon and saying goodbye to the hibernation winter often brings.
For many patients, antipsychotic drugs are not necessary
In 2010, the HealthPartners geriatrics team implemented a plan to reduce use of these drugs for patients in long term care with the principal diagnosis of dementia.
Regions Hospital residents combine education and disaster relief
Two resident physicians at Regions Hospital traveled to Haiti and volunteered their services at small, overcrowded hospitals.
HealthPartners doctor travels to Nicaragua to help children
In February 2011, David Griffin, MD, an associate medical director with HealthPartners Medical Group, his wife, and a handful of pediatric residents and nurses returned from a mission trip to Nicaragua.
One more strike against smoking: Increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women
A new study has found breast cancer risk increased by nine to sixteen percent.
Tackling childhood obesity before it takes hold
Most people agree that the rates of childhood obesity are overwhelming. In 2008, 19.6 percent of children ages 6 to 11 were considered obese, which is an increase from 6.5 percent in 1980. An additional 15 percent of children are considered overweight.
HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education director honored with the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead award
This award, given by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, acknowledges the leadership and commitment of leaders who foster an excellent educational environment for resident education.
HealthPartners leads the way in mental health services
Mental health affects everyone from every walk of life. About one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year.
Sufferers of chronic back pain find relief
Nearly two-thirds of all adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Those who experience chronic pain -- pain that persists for more than six weeks -- aren’t automatically headed for back surgery.
Reducing infections in the hospital
The last place you’d think about getting sick is in the hospital. However, patients can develop infections from certain therapies – especially those provided in intensive care units. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.7 million infections contribute to 99,000 deaths in hospitals each year.
Regions hospital equipped to handle most serious trauma
Regions Hospital is a designated Level 1 Trauma Center for Adults, and -- in partnership -- with Gillette Children’s Hospital, is the only Level I Trauma Center for Children in the Twin Cities.
An aging population means changing workforce needs
This year will be an especially significant one when it comes to health care and not just because of the federal reforms that take effect. In 2011, the first of the baby boomers turn 65.
Birth center gets babies and their moms off to great start
Every year, more than 2,300 babies begin their lives in the comfort of the Regions Hospital Birth Center. Of course those tiny bundles of joy have no idea that they’re already getting a head start because of the place their mother chose to give birth.