Riverwood Healthcare Center is proud to announce it has received the Minnesota Hospital Association’s 2025 Quality and Safety Improvement Award, recognizing the organization’s outstanding commitment to patient safety and continuous quality improvement. This prestigious award celebrates hospitals that take extraordinary and innovative steps to make safety a top priority. Riverwood was selected for its deeply […]
September marks Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about cancers that affect the female reproductive system—including uterine, ovarian, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. Every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, yet many of these cancers have no early screening tests and symptoms that are often overlooked. At Riverwood, our […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce that Dr. Krishna Prabhu of the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute (MHI) has joined the cardiology provider team. He will begin seeing patients at Riverwood’s specialty clinic in Aitkin. Specializing in cardiovascular disease, Dr. Prabhu joins fellow MHI cardiologists, Dr. Tim Dirks and Dr. Sohaib Basharat, who have […]
Discover how orthopaedic care can help you move better, feel stronger, and live with greater confidence. Riverwood Healthcare Center, based in Aitkin, Minn., invites community members of all ages to a free lunch seminar on Wednesday, October 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at CoHaus in Grand Rapids. Whether you’re dealing with joint pain, […]
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and others from serious illness. The flu vaccine helps reduce the risk of severe complications like pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death. The same goes for the COVID-19 vaccine. Riverwood Healthcare Center is offering flu and COVID-19 vaccines to the public by appointment at the following community clinic locations and times: Aitkin […]
AITKIN, Minn. — Hosted by Riverwood Healthcare Foundation, The Legacy Gala was a night to remember, bringing together friends, neighbors, and supporters to celebrate 70 years of exceptional rural healthcare and to raise support for the future of care in the region. More than 135 guests enjoyed dinner, entertainment by dueling pianos, a live auction, […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Physician Assistant Dayelise (Daya) Fleigle to the orthopaedic care team in Aitkin. Fleigle joins Physician Assistant Erin Mason and Nurse Practitioner Jeff Temple in seeing patients at Riverwood’s specialty clinic, Monday through Friday. The team collaborates closely with Dr. Erik Severson, Dr. Jeffrey Klassen, and Dr. Susan Moen—orthopaedic […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Troy Scott, a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, who is participating in the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP). Through the RPAP program, a third-year medical student lives in a rural community for nine months and participates in rotations of hospital and clinic care […]
Local resident and artist Bill Hermans has turned a personal vision into a meaningful gift for patients at Riverwood Healthcare Center. With a passion for creativity and a heart for giving, Bill recently donated 225 adult coloring books—each paired with colored pencils—to the Infusion Department at Riverwood, offering patients a moment of peace and color […]
Craig Kampfer M.D., began his post graduate advanced orthopaedic surgical training at the Minnesota Center for Orthopaedics (MCO) at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin on Aug. 1. He comes here from his last duty station, Fort Cavazos in Texas, where he served in the Army as a general orthopedic surgeon at Carl R. Darnall Army […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Nurse Practitioner Matthew Jerulle to its cardiology provider team. Jerulle, a specialist in cardiovascular and preventive cardiology with Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute (MHI), will collaborate closely with Dr. Peter Stokman and Dr. Tim Dirks, MHI cardiologists who have provided expert care at Riverwood’s specialty clinic in Aitkin […]
Riverwood Foundation is thrilled to announce that its annual charity golf tournament was a tremendous success, raising $36,000 to support the Riverwood Cancer Care Fund. The event held at Minnesota National Golf Course on July 11th, welcomed 100 golfers to enjoy a beautiful day on the course with family, friends and colleagues. Golfers competed in […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center’s Surgery Expansion has been named one of Finance & Commerce’s Top Projects of 2024. CEO Ken Westman accepted the award at a ceremony held July 17 at the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis. The project was completed in partnership with Kraus-Anderson, DSGW Architecture, and Northland Consulting Engineers. Each year, Finance & Commerce recognizes outstanding developments […]
After suffering with back pain on and off since his 20s, Jerel Nelson, age 67, feels like a new man after having a spine care procedure at Riverwood Healthcare Center. “Over the years I would get episodes of severe back pain whenever I did hard physical work, Nelson explains. “The pain would go away after […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is proud to announce Teerza Misner, RN, as the latest recipient of its prestigious DAISY Award for nursing excellence. The DAISY Award honors nurses who go above and beyond in delivering extraordinary care, as nominated by patients and their families. Riverwood participates in the national DAISY Foundation program, which celebrates the compassion, […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin has been recognized as a Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) Hospital, joining an elite group of facilities dedicated to excellence in rural emergency care. This designation reflects Riverwood’s commitment to high standards in staff training, use of state-of-the-art technology, and adherence to CALS principles. “Riverwood first received this designation in […]
At just 15 years old, Ava Horbacz knew she wanted to become a Radiologic Technologist. Today, six years later, she’s living that dream as a Radiology Tech at Riverwood Healthcare Center. Ava began her journey while attending McGregor High School, taking college-level classes in 10th grade to prepare for a future in radiology. “My first […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Kelsey Morinville to its Anesthesia team at the Aitkin hospital. Morinville brings nine years of experience in nurse anesthesia, having practiced at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho, as well as the Twin Cities metro area. Her clinical expertise spans several specialty areas, […]
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of Americans and often limiting their ability to stay active and enjoy daily life. At Riverwood Healthcare Center, our orthopaedic experts are here to help patients manage joint pain and get back to doing what they love. “Osteoarthritis is often referred to as ‘wear and […]
Aphasia affects each person differently—but one point is clear: it’s a loss of language, not intelligence. “There are varying degrees of aphasia,” explains Speech-Language Pathologist Amanda Bostrom at Riverwood Healthcare Center. “Some people struggle with finding the right words, while others may have more difficulty understanding speech, reading, writing, or spelling. It affects everyone in […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is proud to celebrate its exceptional team, recognized with four awards at the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) Spring Innovation Forum Award Ceremony. These awards highlight Riverwood’s unwavering commitment to innovation, community engagement, and high-quality patient care. Angela Harmon, RN, ED Supervisor, was honored with the Nursing Excellence Award for her outstanding leadership, […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to introduce Provider Recruitment Specialist Alaina Hagestuen. In her new role in Provider Recruitment, Hagestuen will oversee and coordinate the entire process of attracting, screening, interviewing, hiring and onboarding new medical staff members to Riverwood, focusing on finding the best providers who have a passion for providing care and making […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Deb Gruber as its new director of Human Resources. In this key leadership role, Gruber will plan, lead, and coordinate the activities of Riverwood’s Human Resources department—ensuring legal compliance, fostering a positive work culture, and aligning HR strategy with the organization’s overall mission and goals. […]
[Aitkin, Minn., May 20, 2025] – Riverwood Healthcare Center announced that it has been recognized as a 2025 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the top website Americans use when searching for a doctor or a hospital. This achievement reflects Riverwood’s commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 5 […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center and the Developmental Achievement Center (DAC) of Aitkin County closed on the sale of the log building property at 601 Bunker Hill Drive in Aitkin on April 18. In 2008, Riverwood began renting the log building from Aitkin County Growth (now Growth Innovations) to house a sleep center and several outpatient services. […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce that Pharmacist Jake Heggem is the new manager of its retail pharmacy in McGregor. Heggem has worked in pharmacy roles since 2011 when he began working as a pharmacy technician while attending college. He then worked as a pharmacy intern while pursuing his pharmacy degree and most recently […]
Nancy B. is deeply thankful to Riverwood Healthcare Center for providing the expert medical care that helped restore her mobility and independence. Several years after retiring from a fulfilling career teaching optometric technology at St. Cloud Technical College and serving as a paraoptometric education coordinator for the American Optometric Association, Nancy began experiencing severe hip […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is making its voice heard at both the state and national levels as leaders advocate for the future of rural health care. U.S. Senator Tina Smith recently visited Riverwood to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural hospitals. During her visit, she met with leadership and clinical staff […]
We want to take a moment to recognize the critical role that our laboratory plays in patient care every single day. At Riverwood, our lab is more than a behind-the-scenes operation. It’s a vital part of how we deliver timely, accurate diagnoses and guide treatment decisions for our patients. Recently, our laboratory took a major […]
