Emergency Care
TRUSTED CARE WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
Riverwood is a Level III Trauma Center, providing expert emergency care 24/7. Whether you or a loved one is facing an illness, cardiac event, injury, or another urgent concern, our Emergency Department is here to help—any time, day or night.
When every second counts, you can trust Riverwood to deliver fast, expert care.
Our Commitment to Excellence
At Riverwood, you receive care from a team trained to respond quickly and confidently in critical moments. Our emergency providers maintain advanced certifications in cardiac and trauma care, supported by technology that helps guide timely decisions when every moment matters.
As a participant in the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Stroke program, Riverwood is dedicated to delivering faster, guideline-based stroke care to improve outcomes for our patients.
Our focus on quality and compassion has also earned Riverwood the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award®, recognizing us among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience.
Medical Airlift Services
Riverwood’s on-site helipad offers fast transfer of patients who need additional care outside of our facility.
Our emergency team provides the initial evaluation and stabilization for any medical problem or injury. Diagnoses that typically require air lift service: heart attacks, stroke, and trauma injuries.
Medical airlift services are offered through North Air Care and Life Link.
Average transport times:
Duluth: 25 minutes
St. Cloud: 30 minutes
Minneapolis: 45 minutes
For information on patients’ rights to emergency medical care regardless of ability to pay, see the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). Or see EMTALA in Spanish/Espanol.
Hours
7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Phone
(218) 927-2121
Location
200 Bunker Hill Drive
Aitkin, MN, 56431
7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Phone
(218) 927-2121
Location
200 Bunker Hill Drive
Aitkin, MN, 56431
Meet our emergency department team
From urgent care to specialized treatment, our emergency team is here 24/7 to provide expert, compassionate care for medical emergencies.
Jessica Hodson, DO
Lynn Stottler, MD
Real patients. Real stories.
We have a diamond in Riverwood
Kathy Herbranson watched helplessly as Gary, her husband of 41 years, was loaded into an ambulance after a sudden heart attack and cardiac arrest. In that moment, she feared she might never see him again. “I honestly didn’t think he was going to make it,” Kathy shared. “It was one of those situations you never want to experience.” Their morning had started like any other at their cabin on Big Sandy Lake in McGregor, Minn., where the couple enjoys their retirement. But Gary soon felt unwell, and moments later, Kathy was on the phone with 911, performing CPR. Fortunately, a first responder arrived quickly and brought with him a LUCAS chest compression device, which took over CPR, delivering consistent, high-quality compressions during Gary’s transport. As Gary fought for his life, Riverwood’s Level 1 Heart Attack Program team coordinated with Abbott-Northwestern in Minneapolis, ensuring he received the best possible care. Thanks to the team’s expertise and the life-saving LUCAS system, Gary survived, and today, he and Kathy are back to enjoying life, grateful for every moment together. Reflecting on their experience, Gary shared, “I personally believe we have a diamond in Riverwood serving our small rural communities. We are so fortunate to have access to the excellent medical staff and quality of care they deliver here.” Today, Gary and Kathy are partnering with the Riverwood Foundation to help raise $16,000 for an additional LUCAS device, knowing firsthand the difference it can make. “This machine could save your life or somebody you love,” Gary said. “You never know who could need it next. It’s a lifesaver.”
I came back to thank the doctor that saved my life
“As I was cutting firewood west of Aitkin, I started feeling nauseous and weak, so I stopped and headed home. With chest pain coming on, I took a nitroglycerin pill and called my wife, asking her to meet me at Riverwood’s emergency room. When I got to the hospital, I told the staff I had chest pains, and they rushed me into the ER. One minute I was joking with the doctors and nurses, and the next thing I remember is my wife coming in and the nurse telling her they had to shock me back to life right there in the ER. I’d had a heart attack from a blood clot in my stent and was flown to Duluth for advanced cardiac care. After a couple days in the hospital, I came back to Riverwood to thank the doctor and nurse who saved my life. Their quick response gave me a second chance. Riverwood might not have all the cardiac resources of a larger hospital, but it’s where you should go first in an emergency. Don’t travel further than you have to, and don’t drive yourself—pick up the phone and call 9-1-1. I’m so grateful for Riverwood, where the doctors and nurses really care about you getting better, just like the close-knit community of Aitkin.”
Dr. Ehnstrom put us all at ease
A fall off his brother’s dirt bike brought Willie to the emergency room at Riverwood Healthcare Center. The diagnosis was a dislocated left elbow. The emergency physician, Dr. Jeff Ehnstrom, consulted with Dr. Erik Severson, the orthopaedic surgeon on call, on putting Willie’s elbow back into the socket. Willie was put under anesthesia while Dr. Ehnstrom performed this procedure. “The entire 3-hour care process went quickly, and before we knew it, Willie was waking up and in a splint,” says Rachelle Glunz, Willie’s mother. “Dr. Ehnstrom’s empathy and care during the whole process put us all at ease.” During a follow-up appointment with Dr. Susan Moen, orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hand, wrist and elbow care, new x-rays showed the knob of Willie’s elbow had come off during his accident and required surgery to repair it. Rachelle added: “Before and after the surgery, Dr. Moen took the time to answer all of our questions and to make sure Willie and my husband, Chris, and I understood everything. All went according to plan and Willie came out of surgery with a screw to hold the knob onto his elbow and a cast.” “We had a bad thing happen to our boy, but the care and attention he has received has made it easier for all of us. From the emergency room to orthopaedic surgery and physical therapy, everyone we came in contact was so caring; they made us feel like Willie was their only patient.”