On Nov. 2, the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) program recognized Riverwood Healthcare Center for its CALS Hospital designation with a recertification certificate. “Riverwood first received this designation in 2008 and has long recognized the value excellence in emergency medicine education,” said David Taylor, emergency physician and chief medical officer at Riverwood. “We are pleased […]

Nurses at Riverwood Healthcare Center are being honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. The first DAISY Team award recipient is Rose Appel, a licensed practical nurse who has cared for Riverwood hospital patients for more […]

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Joel Madson, a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, 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 […]

September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month.  The goal is to bring more awareness to the issues that surround suicide and break down barriers for people to seek support.  Raising awareness about mental health needs and resources that are readily available is an everyday necessity for our community.  With this in mind, Riverwood Healthcare […]

Recently, Riverwood Healthcare Center achieved recertification for its designation as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital from the Minnesota Department of Health. The recertification period covers July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024; the initial designation was awarded to Riverwood in 2015. In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature authorized the Minnesota Department of Health to designate hospitals […]

The Riverwood Healthcare Center Board of Directors has approved moving ahead with two major capital projects that will enhance care for patients well into the future. Surgery wing addition The hospital’s surgery department, constructed in 2002 when a new hospital and clinic facility was built on Bunker Hill Drive, is in need of updating and […]

This article by Dr. Jennifer Tessmer-Tuck, OBGYN, was published in the Aitkin Independent Age on Aug. 25, 2021. Whether it’s pregnancy care, a preventative screening such as a pap smear or breast exam, or a specialty care need such as a menstrual or menopausal concern, Riverwood Healthcare Center’s obstetric and gynecologic clinicians are experts in […]

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome three new leaders, including Chief Nursing Officer Carla Zupko; Wendy Franke, Director of Quality; and Wendy Ryan, Director of Surgical Services. Chief Nursing Officer Carla Zupko As chief nursing officer, Carla Zupko’s responsibilities include nursing and patient care in hospital nursing services, the emergency department, and surgical services, […]

Riverwood Healthcare Center is launching a new award program to honor nurses who provide extraordinary care to patients and their families. The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) Award® for Extraordinary Nurses is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The DAISY Foundation was established by […]

Talking Tots on Facebook live Riverwood will host a Facebook live seminar on May 19 at 6:00 p.m. called “Talking Tots: Your Child’s Speech and Language Development” with Amanda Bostrom, speech-language pathologist. Her presentation will cover speech and language development for infants and toddlers and strategies to promote communication. Go to Riverwood’s Facebook page for […]

Riverwood Healthcare Center, along with other national, state and community organizations, are leading a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance health care decision-making—an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day. As a participating organization, Riverwood is providing information and tools for the public to […]

Fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon Jeffrey Klassen, M.D., who specializes in shoulder, elbow and knee injuries and conditions of all age groups, has joined the Minnesota Center for Orthopaedics and will begin treating patients at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby in January. “We are excited to add one of the […]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a very common disorder. One in every five Americans suffers from GERD. The annual GERD Awareness Week is November 22-28,2020. Reflux and heartburn symptoms are often triggered by consuming certain foods (chocolate, wine, fried or spicy foods etc.), beverages (coffee, wine, beer, sodas), or doing simple activities (exercise, sleeping), […]

Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Tessmer-Tuck, obstetrician and gynecologist, has joined its medical staff. Dr. Tessmer-Tuck joins Drs. Michael and Rachel Cady and Dr. Ann Johnson in offering obstetric and gynecological care at Riverwood’s specialty clinic in Aitkin. She specializes in high-risk obstetric care, teamwork education and general gynecology. Most […]

Press Ganey has named Riverwood Healthcare Center a 2020 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner.  Other than a Woodbury, Minn. surgery center, Riverwood is the only Minnesota hospital to receive this award. This award recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have achieved the 95th percentile or above for performance on patient experience. For this award, Riverwood’s […]