In the News

“It’s not going to be an immediate thing,” said Dr. David Hilden, internal medicine physician at Hennepin Healthcare.

Damaged relationships not only cause hurt feelings. They can lead to significant physical distress.

“This is rampant in my patients,” said Talee Vang, senior clinical psychologist at Hennepin Health Care. “Some notice they feel irritable, exhausted, anxious. Internalized pain may come out in depression, sleep disorders or substance use. They may overindulge in alcohol or food.”

“I don’t feel comfortable” or “I don’t want those kinds of patients in my practice,” are common sentiments among health providers, explains addiction medicine specialist Gavin Bart, M.D., Ph.D. of Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the state’s largest safety-net hospital, noting that those patients are often already in the practices of these providers.

Dozens of Minnesotans respected the spirit of the day by using their sewing talents to help those who are sick or in the hospital.

#8220;Palliative care is a multi-specialty care, performed by a team,” Hennepin Healthcare’s division director for Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Tom Klemond said. “Physician, social workers, nurse practitioner, we help out patients and families in teams that are facing serious circumstances, usually serious illness.”

“The patients in the ICU were so sick and they just didn’t have any beds available,” said Dr. John Hick, a Hennepin Healthcare physician who helped coordinate Minnesota’s response to the pandemic. “No question, every hospital was having to make decisions about who went to intensive care.”

It can be heartbreaking for parents of a baby born prematurely or with health problems to go without visiting their fragile newborn. It’s also become common, as COVID-19 restrictions limit how many visitors at-risk newborns are allowed, said Laura Gary, nurse manager of the neonatal intensive care unit at Hennepin Healthcare.

Psychologist Talee Vang, PsyD, from Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota, tweeted, “Mental health is as important as physical health. Throughout the pandemic I have continued seeing patients at bedside. So glad today I got my #covidvaccine2020. #mybestshot at keeping my patients, my family, and myself safe! Psychologists on the front lines!”

“I think it’s incredible in this time of Covid,” said Laura Gary, nurse manager of the NICU at Hennepin Healthcare, who described the app as an “all-access pass” to newborns. The hospital first explored getting the technology in the spring, when the Covid-19 pandemic restricted the number of visitors NICUs allowed at a time to just one. That one was almost always the mother.

“Right now, we’re not letting any siblings in, so none of these siblings at home get to see the babies up until now when we have Angel Eye. They can watch their little brother or sister on camera,” said NICU nurse Sam Low. “I’ve had one mom say that it’s their new favorite TV show. Another mom said she ended up staying up all night because she couldn’t stop watching her babies.”

Dr. Shirlee Xie featured in CBS Sunday Morning.

As the holiday settles in, workers like Tyana Chatham-McCaskill

“They have done an incredible job battling this virus and this pandemic and today is the day we take over that battle.” – Jennifer DeCubellis, CEO.

“It’s been an incredible almost 300 days of sweat and tears by these team members, they’ve done an incredible job battling this virus in this pandemic and today is the day we take over that battle,” Hennepin Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Jennifer DeCubellis said.

“We cannot afford to continue these levels going into the major holiday season,” said John Hick, a Hennepin Healthcare physician who has helped coordinate the statewide response to the pandemic.

“We want to see our families, too. But in order for us to be here for all of you, we’re not seeing our families.” – Heidi Proehl, RN, Hennepin Healthcare.

Home monitoring is “making space” for patients who need hospital beds the most and getting people into ER care faster when needed, said Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant and coordinator of the Hennepin program.

“There is really close and consistent follow-up with our transplant patients,” Dr. Paul Stahler, with Hennepin Healthcare, said.

The Rev. Andrew Jaspers walked into the hospital room of a man dying of COVID-19 with a mask over his mouth, a shield over his face and a prayer in his heart.

“As a result of COVID-19, there’s heightened focus on self-care, and I think that’s been a positive thing.” –  David Hottinger, M.Div, Manager of the Spiritual Care Department at Hennepin County Medical Center.