The month of April is dedicated to promoting Esophageal Cancer awareness and education around the risk posed by persistent heartburn or acid reflux disease (GERD). Esophageal cancer is deadly and is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer in the United States. Only one in five esophageal cancer patients will survive five years […]
In memory of the late Roger and Sandy Wilson, the Wilson family of Aitkin created the Roger and Sandy Wilson Scholarship to help individuals better themselves. The fund is administered by Riverwood Foundation at Riverwood Healthcare Center. These scholarship funds are intended to ease the burden of tuition costs so that aspiring students or health care […]
Terry Buisman, a seasoned physical therapist with Ortho Rehab Specialists in Minneapolis, presented a continuing education course on shoulder pathology and therapies at Riverwood Healthcare Center on March 1 and 2. The educational event, focused on shoulder pathology and therapies, was presented to seven therapy professionals, including two physical therapists from Riverwood. During the course, […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce that Nurse Practitioner Laura Biewer of the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute (MHI) has joined the cardiology provider team. Specializing in cardiovascular and preventative cardiology, Biewer will work closely on patient care with Dr. Peter Stokman and Dr. Tim Dirks, MHI cardiologists who have been offering care at […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center participates in the DAISY Award honoring exemplary nurses who have been recognized by a patient for their extraordinary act of compassion or a relationship that they have created with a patient that truly made a difference. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to introduce Katie Pudas as the new Radiology Department manager. Pudas, former radiology technologist who served in the role of supervisor of the department for the past four of five years at Riverwood, manages the daily operations of the diagnostic imaging department to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and regulatory […]
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus connecting to the vagina. It is a significant global health concern, but with advancements in medical science, early detection, and appropriate treatment, the prognosis has improved significantly. Learn about how cervical cancer is detected, the importance of […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to introduce Nurse Practitioner Tyler Zuk, who joined the primary care staff at its McGregor clinic in January. Growing up on a farm in Kettle River, Minn., Zuk earned his associate degree in nursing from Lake Superior College and went on to complete his master’s degree in nursing from Walden […]
Margaret Curry Michelangeli, who lives in Rome, Italy, is the patient who likely traveled the longest distance in 2023 to have hernia surgery at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, Minnesota. Given her plans to visit her family in northern Minnesota, Margaret asked her sister, Kim, if she would check into the possibilities for hernia surgery […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome a new member to its orthopaedic team in Aitkin, Nurse Practitioner Jeff Temple. With a wide array of clinical and surgical experience, Temple has worked in the orthopaedics field for more than 35 years, beginning his career as a surgical technologist in 1987. He has advanced training and […]
The holiday season, often portrayed as a time of joy, can also bring about stress and anxiety for many. Almost two-thirds of people with mental illness feel the holidays worsen their conditions. However, it is important to remember we have more control than we think we do. Prioritize your mental well-being It’s easy to […]
Each year during Thanksgiving week, Riverwood Healthcare Center joins the national observance for promoting awareness of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to provide education and to connect those who are suffering from GERD to resources and care. Ten tips for curbing GERD symptoms during the Thanksgiving holiday include: Schedule an earlier meal. It’s best not to […]
Kelly Anderson, a certified nurse anesthetist (CRNA), has joined Riverwood Healthcare Center’s surgical services provider team. Anderson brings more than 20 years of anesthesia experience, including 14 years at Regions Hospital’s, a Level I Trauma Center in St. Paul, Minn., and eight years with South Valley Anesthesia at Regina Hospital in Hastings. During her CRNA […]
Since 1984, the Riverwood Auxiliary has annually honored and memorialized the loved ones of area residents with the Lights of Love program, including a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the lobby of the hospital. This year’s ceremony will take place on Sun., Nov. 19, at 1:00 p.m. in the hospital lobby. A short program will […]
On Nov. 2, Riverwood Healthcare Center honored 46 employees and retirees who have celebrated milestone anniversaries or retirement in the past year at a special dinner at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge. Their collective years of service total 880 years! Riverwood CEO Ken Westman opened the program with a warm welcome for the employees and retirees […]
The Minnesota Department of Health has recertified Riverwood Healthcare Center as a Health Care Home. This means that Riverwood primary care clinics in Aitkin, Garrison and McGregor have met a set of rigorous standards to provide patient and family-centered care and will continue working to improve the quality, experience, and value of care. Health Care […]
Heather Molenda, physical therapist, has joined Riverwood Healthcare Center’s therapy services team. Molenda’s prior experience includes working in physical therapy roles for 30 years in a variety of health care settings, including acute care, outpatient care, transitional care and homecare. She spent 16 years working with patients with complex conditions at MHealth Fairview University of […]
While breast cancer most often occurs in women 50 and older, some women face this diagnosis at a younger age. A mother of three young children, Mary Voss was 44 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Voss received treatment and continued with recommended annual mammograms. A routine mammogram at Riverwood Healthcare Center […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center was recognized by the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) for one of the outstanding community programs in Minnesota with its Riverwood Connects program. At the recent 2023 MHA annual meeting, Riverwood representatives accepted the award for exemplary achievement in community benefits for addressing social determinants of health with patients. MHA shared these comments […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce the addition of Evan Kelly, MD, to its general surgery team. Dr. Kelly was the fifteenth surgeon to complete a one-year Fellowship training program for advanced surgical training at the Minnesota Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIMIS) at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center […]
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer diagnosed in men, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the […]
Undergoing an MRI imaging scan can be daunting, especially if a person is prone to feeling claustrophobic in small, tight spaces. When Colleen Richards needed to undergo an MRI to help diagnose neck and back pain recently, she was pleasantly surprised with her positive patient experience at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin. “I’m claustrophobic so […]
The Minnesota Department of Health recently recertified Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin as a Level III Trauma hospital. After participating in an intense training process to become part of Minnesota’s statewide trauma system, the Aitkin County hospital earned its initial designation in December 2006 and was the first rural hospital in Minnesota to achieve the […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce Tanya Pietz as the new Riverwood Foundation director. In this position, she will provide leadership, support, strategic direction, management, and coordination for all functions of the Foundation. She will also be responsible for fund development through special projects, events, annual giving, capital campaigns and planned giving. “We are […]
Physical difficulties with her knee joints began interfering with Jody Slinger’s enjoyment of life eight years ago when she was in her mid-50s. Today at age 60 two new knee joints are enabling her to pursue her passion for being physically active outdoors. She works as a paraprofessional teaching assistant with children in kindergarten through […]
Dr. Brandon Reynolds, a urologist practicing at Riverwood Healthcare Center, has been designated as a Medtronic InterStimTM Center of Excellence physician. This designation is awarded to physicians with high-level training and experience with InterStim, a minimally invasive treatment for overactive bladder, a condition that causes urinary frequency, urgency and incontinence. InterStim uses electrical pulses to […]
Riverwood Healthcare Center participates in the DAISY Award honoring exemplary nurses who have been recognized by a patient for their extraordinary act of compassion or a relationship that they have created with a patient that truly made a difference. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform […]
August is the perfect time to shop your local farmers market for zucchini, a low-calorie food that can help you lose weight as part of an overall healthy diet. Like other fruits and vegetables, zucchini is low in calories but contains satiating fiber and water that can help keep you full. Substituting it for empty-calorie […]
Katherine Paul, D.O., of Kansas City, Mo., on August 1 will begin her post graduate advanced orthopaedic surgical training at the Minnesota Center for Orthopaedics (MCO) located at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby. She comes to MCO from Kansas City University-HCA Research Medical Center where she worked as […]
By Kelsey Guthmiller, Trauma & Stroke Program Manager, Riverwood Healthcare Center Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of disability in Minnesota. In fact, globally about one in four adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime. Yet, most adults in the U.S. […]
