Here for Life Expo

Looking for ways to keep you and your family healthy and safe? Look no further than Altru Clinic- Lake Region’s Here for Life Expo, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Devils Lake Memorial Building. This health and wellness fair is free to the public.

The Expo features more than 25 booths highlighting many of the health and wellness programs and services available in the lake region. A few examples of the free screens offered at the expo include: free blood pressure and blood cholesterol screen. There will also be free carbon monoxide testing, free onsite massages and more. Safe Kids will be selling bike helmets for $7, and multi-sport helmets for $10.

For more information about Altru Clinic - Lake Region’s Here for Life Expo, call Alicia Sandbakken at (701) 780-1663 or visit altru.org.

CPR class offered

CROOKSTON — On May 15 RiverView Health in Crookston is offering a Instructor CPR Course as a part of its American Heart Association (AHA) Community Training Center. The course is being held from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Classroom at RiverView. If you are interested in becoming a CPR Instructor, you must have a current Healthcare card. The cost of the class is $150.

Contracted Community Training Centers (CTCs) and their sites are the only facilities permitted to offer AHA courses to the public and professionals through their affiliated instructors and programs. The American Heart Association is not responsible for any fees charged for this course.

For more information or to register for this class or information on other courses offered through the CTC, contact RiverView at (218) 281-9405 or (800) 743-6551 extension 405.

See our Web site: www.riverviewhealth.org

Scott joins RiverView

CROOKSTON — RiverView Family Practice and Integrative Medicine Center, which includes Dr. Debra Bell and a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, welcomed a new member to their ranks. Megan Scott began working at the center on April 20. She will work out of the clinic on the second floor of RiverView Health. She is relocated from the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Center in Edina, Minn., to work as part of an integrative medicine team and live and work in a smaller community.

Scott received her Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin before completing her training in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota, graduating with a Master’s degree in acupuncture. She is board certified in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

For more general information on acupuncture services, length or cost of treatments, or to schedule an appointment with Scott, call the RiverView Family Practice and Integrative Medicine Center at (218) 281-9519 or toll free (800) 743-6551, extension 519.

RiverView implements EHR

CROOKSTON — RiverView Health’s affiliated programs and services began the first phase of Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementation on April 13. This phase will include the installation of a new computer software system for the admission/registration of patients at RiverView’s seven clinics, the RiverView emergency department, RiverView x-ray, lab, and therapy programs, and for RiverView Hospital patients. Individuals using RiverView services will be asked to confirm their personal and health insurance information and other medical data at the time of admission. Patients are being asked to make sure they bring insurance information with them when they come to RiverView to receive services. This verification may cause short delays in registration so patients are being asked to arrive 15-20 minutes before their scheduled appointments to allow adequate time to complete the process.

Development of an Electronic Health Record at RiverView Health was a goal established for the organization by the governing board in 2007. It involves transitioning to a system that collects and stores all patient-related information, whether medical, financial or personal, in an electronic computerized format. “We will be working on converting all our systems and processes to a single, fully integrated computerized system between now and November of this year,” said Deb Boardman, president/CEO of RiverView Health. “This is a huge commitment of staff time and money but will make patient information more accessible to our doctors and staff, regardless of their location and will help make us more efficient,” she added.

Phase II of the EHR implementation is scheduled for June and will include the conversion of the hospital patients’ medical information to an electronic format. “This will be a major adjustment for our nurses, pharmacists and other hospital staff,” noted Vicky Korynta, Chief Nursing Officer at RiverView. “But our organization has recognized the tremendous benefits of EHR for better patient care, greater patient safety and improved efficiency and we believe it is an important step forward for us.”

The final phase is to take place in October and will include computerization of patients’ medical information in the seven RiverView clinic locations. Once all forms of information are included in the electronic record system, which is anticipated by November of 2009, patients who have to travel to referral locations such as Mayo Clinic will be able to get their complete health record on a computer disc or some other electronic form and take it with them.

Wong to speak on colon cancer

CROOKSTON — The April RiverView Health Luncheon will feature Dr. Alex Wong, general surgeon, from RiverView Clinic. The title of his talk will be “Colon Cancer: Surgical Perspective.” Wong will help you to understand colon cancer and its symptoms. He will discuss the different treatment options. Wong is a board certified general surgeon. He received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and completed an internship and residency in general surgery at Drexel University in Philadelphia before completing a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and bariatric surgery at the Alta Bates medical Center in Oakland, Calif. He began practicing in Crookston in 2008.

The luncheon is being held at RiverView in Meeting Room No. 1 on April 28 and Thursday, April 30, beginning at noon. Meeting Room No. 1 is located near the new RiverView Clinic entrance on the north side of the hospital and across from the elevators on first floor.

The luncheon series is in its eleventh year of sponsorship by RiverView Health and invites all men and women interested in improving their health to attend. Each starts a few minutes past noon and luncheons are kept under one hour so those needing to return to work can attend. The presentations are free and attendees can bring their own lunches or purchase a bag lunch for $3. Pre-registration is required. Call (218) 281-9405 or toll free (800) 743-6551, extension 405, for additional information and to pre-register.

Tags: health, riverview crookston, altru health system, colon cancer, cpr class, features