Allina News

[Prior Lake American, January 28, 2011] There’s no question that first responders save lives every day, but as is the case in every facet of emergency response there are unsung heroes who make the wheels of public safety go around. Allina responds to an average of 260 calls per day, and about 240 of those [...]

[KSTP-TV, Jan. 26, 2010] Undetected, abdominal aortic aneursyms, commonly known as a triple-A, can be deadly, but relatively new and quickly improving  minimally-invasive surgical procedures that treat the condition are helping more people live longer and productive lives. With new devices, these procedures can be done on patients instead of open chest surgery. Dr. Brian [...]

[KARE 11, Jan. 26, 2011] New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show 26 million Americans have diabetes, up 9 percent from just 2008. Allina Medical Clinic’s Dr. Ward Godsall talked with KARE 11′s Diane Pierce and Pat Evans live in studio about those numbers. Watch the full interview below.

[Star Tribune, Jan. 25, 2011] The Twin Cities are among the nation’s top five cities for hospital excellence, says a report by HealthGrades, a private rating company. In Minnesota, 10 hospitals won the “Distinguished” designation including Abbott Northwestern, Mercy and United Hospitals, all part of the Allina Hospitals & Clinics family of nonprofit hospitals. Read [...]

[CTN-Coon Rapids, Jan. 14, 2011] Mercy Hospital’s trauma center has been verified as a Level Two Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. Mercy is one of nine Minnesota hospitals that have achieved Level One or Two status. Mercy will be the fifth level two in the state, one of two in the seven-county [...]

[KMSP Fox 9, Jan. 17, 2011] The Minnesota Department of Health says the norovirus is hitting it’s peak. Long-term care facilities across the state have reported outbreaks of the norovirus. MDH says this is the normal time of year for the gastrointestinal bug to infect nursing homes. The norovirus symptoms include abdominal cramping, pain, nausea, [...]

[KSTP-TV, Jan. 18, 2011] The Minnesota Department of Health says a common stomach bug is once again making the rounds. Norovirus have been reported in a number of schools and long-term care facilities. Dr. Eric Barth, a pediatrician with Allina Clinic in Ramsey, says the norovirus is very contagious and spreads quickly in environments like [...]

[Shakopee Valley News, Jan. 14, 2011] St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee has been designated as a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacement. Read the full story at shakopeenews.com.

[WCCO-TV, Jan. 13, 2011] The U.S. Department of Agriculture is raising nutrition standards for the first time in more than a decade in hopes of getting kids to eat healthier, cutting down on the amount of starchy vegetables, things like potatoes, corn and peas, and counting calories, too. “It’s age appropriate so when they’re smaller, [...]

[KARE11, Jan. 13, 2011] Found too late, esophageal cancer is often deadly. Found early enough, it can be treated with surgery. At Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital, a surgical robot is being used for that surgery, one of the few place in the U.S. where that is happening. Watch the story below.

[River Falls Journal, January 13, 2011] Stroke care experts at United Hospital in St. Paul will soon be accessible, 24-hours a day, to patients at River Falls Area Hospital via the Allina Telehealth Network. For patients experiencing a stroke, rapid access to therapy that can restore cerebral blood flow improves the likelihood of a successful outcome. [...]

[KSTP-TV, Jan. 12, 2011] Would you know the warning signs of esophageal cancer?  They can sometimes mask themselves by something as simple as heartburn. KSTP’s Megan Newquist talked with Dr. Dean Gesme from Minnesota Oncology about this form of cancer.