Reflux & Heartburn
Your Trusted Leader for Reflux & Heartburn Care
Find advanced solutions and smooth access to care for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) at the Minnesota Reflux and Heartburn Center (MRHC) at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin. MRHC is Minnesota’s only comprehensive treatment center for GERD. Experience personalized, team-based care, plus convenient appointments to meet busy schedules.
We also offer Telehealth virtual visits, allowing you to connect face-to-face with your healthcare provider from the convenience of home or work. You will talk with your provider like you would if you were together in an exam room. To schedule just call our regular appointment line and ask for a virtual visit.
Introducing the TIF procedure
Learn about a “no incisions” surgical solution to reflux and heartburn from Dr. Paul Severson in a TIF Talk.
MRHC now offers the TIF (transoral incisionless fundoplication) procedure – a safe, effective and incisionless intervention to treat chronic heartburn and reflux. This approach uses a device to reconstruct the reflux valve to restore the body’s natural protection against refluxing stomach contents. TIF outcomes are long lasting, and recovery is fast – getting patients back to normal activities in just a few days.
Patients & Referring Physicians, Dawn is Here to Help

Dawn Harcey, RN
Contributing to outstanding patient satisfaction is a concierge-type service with a designated nurse coordinator, Dawn Harcey, RN, to facilitate the entire process of GERD care. She follows each patient through the entire process of clinic appointments and testing.
At Riverwood, you can expect to receive a comprehensive evaluation with a reflux specialist within one to two weeks. Dawn is happy to do a phone or in-person consultation about testing and treatment information at no charge.
For an appointment or information, call Dawn at Riverwood at 218-429-3930.
Our Trusted Team for Reflux & Heartburn Care
National Recognition for Reflux & Heartburn Physicians
- Our team of highly experienced reflux specialists—Dr. Tim LeMieur, Dr. Andrew Loveitt, Dr. Howard McCollister, Dr. Shawn Roberts and Dr. Paul Severson—is nationally known for their expertise in advanced minimally invasive reflux surgery.
- In 2017, they gave 16 presentations on comprehensive GERD care and treatment around the country, including two presentations in France and Germany.
- In 2018, they gave 20 presentations in the United States, including one in Haiti.
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically medications are very effective in treating acid reflux disease. However, there may be health side effects with long-term PPI use and they do not stop esophageal cancer from developing. If medications don’t work to control GERD symptoms, MRHC offers minimally invasive surgery procedures that can help.
LINX magnetic sphincter augmentation procedure The LINX System is a small flexible bracelet of interlinked titanium beads with magnetic cores. It is implanted with a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure around the weak lower esophageal sphincter. The magnetic attraction between the beads helps the LES resist opening to gastric pressures, preventing reflux from the stomach from going into the esophagus. Swallowing food temporarily opens the magnetic bond, allowing food and liquid to pass normally into the stomach.
TIF Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication The TIF procedure is performed from inside the patient’s stomach without incisions. This procedure delivers patient outcomes similar to those provided by conventional ARS procedures, but is less invasive, has fewer adverse effects, and does not limit future treatment options. Following the principles of ARS, the TIF procedure repairs the anti-reflux barrier by reducing a hiatal hernia (≤ 2 cm), and creating a valve 2 to 4 cm in length and greater than 270-degree circumferential wrap.
These are three surgical procedures in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower end of the esophagus and stitched in place, reinforcing the closing function of the lower esophageal sphincter. Each fundoplication procedure can be done laparoscopically. This means that the surgeon makes several small incisions and inserts tiny surgical instruments and a small, thin tube with a camera and light to perform the surgery. The outcome is faster recovery with minimal scars.
Nissen Fundoplication The Nissen works by restoring the function of the damaged valve that is the actual cause of acid reflux. The fundus is wrapped all the way around the bottom of your esophagus to tighten the sphincter. This is done by wrapping part of the stomach very loosely around the lower esophagus at the location of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
Toupet Fundoplication The fundus is wrapped about two-thirds of the way around the back side, or posterior, of the bottom of the esophagus. This creates a sort of valve that lets the patient more easily release gas through burps or vomit when necessary.
Collis-Nissen Fundoplication Collis gastroplasty is a procedure to lengthen a shortened esophagus, in order to treat the underlying cause of GERD. A shortened esophagus happens when irritation from chronic acid reflux leaves scar tissue in the esophagus.
Riverwood Patient Success Stories
Rita Oaks
“I had struggled with acid reflux for many years and my symptoms really got worse over the past 10 years. Lifestyle issues such as frequent national travel and job stress contributed to my GERD issues.”
Click Here for Rita’s full story.