In the News
Good Question: What causes laryngitis?
Vocal cords are responsible for voice production. As a person breathes air out, vocal cords come together and the air that flows out causes the vocal cords to vibrate, according to Dr. Stephanie Contag, an ear, nose and throat specialist with Hennepin Healthcare.
Hennepin Healthcare breaks ground on $30 million parenthood-depression center
The center is an extension of the work of Hennepin Healthcare’s Mother-Baby Program, Minnesota’s first initiative that addresses parental mental health after birth. One in seven new mothers experience depression or anxiety after pregnancy, as well as one in 10 fathers, according to Dr. Helen Kim, director of the Mother-Baby Program who will also serve as the director and co-founder of the Redleaf Center.
“We know from developmental science that babies can’t wait,” Kim said at the groundbreaking. “They need caring adults right now.”
Bulky winter coats could prevent car seats from working
“The way we check for tightness is we shoudn’t be able to take a tuck in the webbing. This is too loose. So what we will do is pull and snug it up, and you can see here that I can’t take a pinch,” Hennepin Healthcare nurse and trauma prevention specialist Julie Philbrook said.
Ever wondered what it is like having a traumatic brain injury?
“We see about a thousand TBI’s a year in Hennepin,” said Dr. Walter Galicich, who is the medical director of Hennepin Healthcare’s Traumatic Brain Injury Center.
Director of the Regional Sleep Disorders Center talks about our body’s need for rest
Today is the end of Daylight Saving time, giving us all a much appreciated extra hour of sleep overnight. Still, for some of us any disruption in sleeping habits can have a lasting impact. Dr. Ranji Varghese, the director of the Regional Sleep Disorders Center, joined Esme in studio to talk about it.
Water Gremlin, state meet in Ramsey County court over closure of the plant
Health officials did not say if the children suffered any specific lead-related illnesses.
But Dr. Stacene Maroushek, a Hennepin Healthcare pediatrician, said lead delays brain development and is linked to many other conditions.
Feeling under the weather? Doctors say it’s likely one of these 3 things
“Colds and flu-like illnesses are very widespread. They’re in probably almost every workplace right now,” said Dr. David Hilden, Internal Medicine Physician at Hennepin Healthcare.
What age is it okay to give a kid a phone? New study says 53% have one by 11
“It’s concerning to see these levels,” Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian says. Subrahmanian works with a lot of children as a pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare.
Wall of Hope unveiled at Hennepin Healthcare
A new photo display at Hennepin Healthcare is meant to bring hope to families going through a tough time.
Health officials: Flu is here, prepare now
For many, that opportunity is now. Hennepin Healthcare has been mobilizing flu-shot clinics since September, and they still have plenty of doses available.
“It’s not too late,” said Nan Loman, Clinical Supervisor of Hennepin Healthcare Worksite Wellness. “The last 3 weeks, we’ve been doing about 3,000 vaccinations a day.”
Lake St. victim benefiting from groundbreaking treatment
Doctors at HCMC are working with a research team at the University of Minnesota in order to administer hyperbaric oxygen therapy for brain injuries.
“We’ve demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen improves energy production in the brain. Oxygen is really acting like a drug here,” said Dr. Gaylan Rockswold, a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota, and principal investigator of the trial. “The sooner we get them treated the better.”
CDC: Pregnant women are more susceptible to getting the flu
“What really concerns me is only about 50% of pregnant women are getting vaccinated,” said Hennepin Healthcare clinical supervisor Nan Lomen.
80-year-old Minnesotan ‘lives his faith’ — from early civil rights to comforting the sick today
Twice a week, 80-year-old Quaintance walks from his home in Minneapolis’ Lowry Hill neighborhood to work as a volunteer chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Part of the problem can be that parents don’t emphasize the importance of safe sleep practices when leaving their infants with relatives or licensed or unlicensed child care providers, said Jennette Flynn, a clinical supervisor of inpatient pediatrics at Hennepin Healthcare.
MDH: Majority of unexpected infant deaths are sleep related
“An infant who is used to sleeping on their back but goes to grandma’s house and takes a nap on their tummy is much more likely to die during that nap because they’re not used to it,” Hennepin HealthCare pediatric nurse Jennette Flynn said.
Report: Unsafe sleeping practices still leading cause for sudden infant death in Minnesota
Health officials on Wednesday reiterated that the safest place for an infant to sleep is in a cradle fitted with a tight sheet. They also recommended the use of “sleep sacks,” which are garments that babies can be wrapped in for warmth without risk of suffocation.
The safest way for babies to sleep, they said, is by themselves and on their backs.
Minnesota Health Department: 82% of infant deaths are sleep-related
The recommendations have babies sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib.
“And what that means is there is nothing in here,” said Jennette Flynn, an HCMC Critical Care Supervisor. “There is just a mattress with a fitted sheet on it. There is no loose bedding. There are no toys. There are no pillows and no blankets. There are no diapers or plastic bags anywhere near that would blow around.”
Lawmaker’s insulin advice draws fire
We asked Dr. Laura LaFave, an endocrinologist at Hennepin Healthcare, about the difference between the lower cost Walmart insulin brands and the newer versions of the drug that have skyrocketed in price over the past decade.
Low-profile HCMC museum holds medical gems
“The amazing thing about that first patient is that he was Norwegian and they had just opened Swedish Hospital in 1898 to take care of Swedish immigrants,” said Carol Oeltjenbruns, 78, one of the three retired nurses who served as volunteer docents during a recent visit.
Hundreds now treated for opioid abuse disorders in Hennepin jail
“We still have an opioid crisis, and I think the numbers will go up as more people learn about the treatment we offer,” said Dr. Tyler Winkelman, a physician with Hennepin Healthcare who works with the program.
