Health Archives - Page 11 of 38

Essentia Health Creates “Education-To-Employment” Scholarships And Opportunities For Rock Ridge Students

March 16, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

VIRGINIA, Minn. — Essentia Health is teaming up with Rock Ridge Public Schools in Virginia to create what they call “education-to-employment student scholarships.” Essentia is setting aside $300,000 for scholarships for students who pursue education after high school for certain career opportunities in healthcare. Those jobs range from respiratory therapists to radiology, surgical, and medical lab technicians, and more. The…

Saint Louis County COVID-19 Update

March 11, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — The whole nation is turning a corner in the fight against covid-19, and here in the Twin Ports it’s bringing some relief to healthcare workers who were overworked the past few months. We are still coming down from that surge that happened earlier this year due to the combined omicron and delta variants but those in the…

Douglas County Covid Response March 2022

As COVID Cases Drop in Douglas County, Health Officials Adjust Messaging

March 9, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

SUPERIOR, Wis. – After seeing a surge in COVID cases in January, Douglas County say they have dropped to levels not seen since last summer. That is allowing health officials to change their focus on how they respond to new cases, as well as their messaging to slow its spread. “We’re seeing definitely a decline in cases overall, which has been…

Bowling Teams Wanted For Saturday’s ‘Hunger Bowl Twin Ports’

March 7, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. – If you like to bowl and want to help those in need of food, Hunger Bowl Twin Ports is the place to be this weekend. Saturday’s bowling tournament at the newly remodeled Superior Lanes in Superior is part of a big fundraising effort for Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, with the help of nearly 50 insurance…

Essentia Health To Open New Outpatient Surgery Center At Miller Hill Mall This Summer

March 7, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health is getting ready to open its new outpatient surgery center at the Miller Hill Mall this summer. The Miller Hill Surgery Center will take over the empty building that sears left behind. The 41,000 square-foot building will have 12 operating rooms. The goal is to offer a place where patients can go home in less…

DECC Offers Free Skating Party For St. Luke’s Frontline Workers

March 6, 2022

Mason Kroll,

DULUTH, Minn. – Frontline pandemic healthcare workers at St. Luke’s Hospital got the chance to hit the ice with their families at the DECC Sunday for free. FOX 21 Photojournalist Mason Kroll takes us to this appreciation skating party. Categories: Community, Coronavirus, Health, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News

Masks Now Optional for Duluth ISD 709 Students, Staff

The option of a 10-day mask mandate will be on the table if transmission spikes in district buildings.

March 4, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- Masks will now be optional for students and staff in the Duluth Public School District. Superintendent John Magas says as of Thursday covid-19 community levels are low in St. Louis County. Under medium levels, the district would recommend mask-wearing in buildings and on buses, and under high levels, staff and students would have to mask up again. Magas…

Vision Northland Project 72% Complete, Crews Focus on Developing Interior

The Vision Northland Project is slated to be complete in the 1st quarter of 2023 and open to patients in the 3rd quarter.

March 4, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- The interior of Essentia’s Vision Northland redevelopment is taking shape and we have got an inside look at the inside of the building. Last week contractors marked the milestone of the multi-million dollar project being fully-enclosed. This means the exterior was largely completed, and crews got started on casework, flooring, painting, and more. The project is now 72%…

Essentia Donates $35k for Boys and Girls Clubs Mental Health Program

In 2019 the Boys and Girls Clubs began providing mental health services to integrate mental health staff and create dialogues to remove the stigma attached to mental health related issues.

March 4, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northland received a generous donation to support the mental health access program. Essentia Health donated $35,000 thousand dollars to support the growing program. The grant helps with the costs of adding a full-time behavioral health coordinator position to oversee the program. “For outpatient services to come on-site and see the youth…

Wellness Center Hosts Prayer Service For Ukraine

March 4, 2022

KQDS Staff,

DULUTH, Minn. – A local wellness center gathered to hold a prayer service Thursday night to express their compassion for Ukraine and the world. In Harmony Reiki and Inner Wellness held a non-denominational prayer to give people a voice to their inter peace. The owner, Debbie Merrick, said she thinks the community needed a place to meditate and draw positive…

Chum In Need Of Donations For Minnesota FoodShare

February 28, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota’s March FoodShare Month has kicked off, and local food shelves like chum are hoping for — and in need of — a lot of donations to get them through the coming months. Officials with CHUM Food Shelf said they hope to surpass the record of $220,000 and 56,000 pounds of food gathered last year. But since the…

Mayor Not Lighting Duluth Lift Bridge For Ukraine Adds To List Of Other Rejections

Mayor Emily Larson stopped taking community requests to light the Lift Bridge colors for causes after installing a $150,000 LED colored lighting system on bridge.

February 27, 2022

Natalie Noury, Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. — From London to Milwaukee, to Minneapolis — structures are being lit blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. But in Duluth, its most iconic structure, the Aerial Lift Bridge, is not. Mayor Emily Larson is instead sticking with the usual lighting of the less-visible Enger Tower, which went blue and yellow over the weekend after community requests…

Salvation Army Among Those In Need Through March FoodShare Campaign

February 27, 2022

KQDS Staff,

DULUTH, Minn. – Starting Monday, the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign begins for food shelves across Minnesota. And for the Salvation Army in Duluth, the donations couldn’t come any sooner. Through April 10, people are urged to donate non-perishable food and even cash so they can buy more food at a lower price from area food banks. The Salvation Army says…

Wisconsin Prisons To Allow In-Person Visits Again

February 27, 2022

Dan Hanger,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin prisons will allow in-person visits again beginning next week as COVID-19 cases continue to decline. Department of Corrections officials said Friday that they will reopen their facilities to visitors starting Tuesday. The prison system initially closed its doors to visitors in March 2020 as the pandemic was taking hold. The DOC reopened to visits in…

Coffee Conversation: Cloquet COVID Update from Community Memorial Hospital

February 21, 2022

Arman Rahman,

CLOQUET, Minn.- COVID-19 cases continue to decline across much of the country. FOX 21’s Brett Scott got an update on the situation in the Cloquet region from Rick Breuer, CEO of Cloquet Memorial Hospital. Categories: Coronavirus, Health, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News Tags: Community Memorial Hospital, Rick Breuer

Essentia Health Cardiologist Discusses Link Between Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease

February is American Heart Month

February 16, 2022

Brett Scott,

Categories: Health Tags: Cardiovascular Disease, health, Heart Health, Local News

Itasca County Public Health Warns Residents Are ‘Not Out of the Woods’ Just Yet

February 10, 2022

Brett Scott,

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Itasca County continue to decline, but public health officials warn residents they’re not out of the woods just yet. Kelly Chandler, Division Manager with Itasca County Public Health, says with the spread of the Omicron variant, the county has experienced difficult fall and winter months. Just over 62 percent of…

Duluth Mask Mandate Set To Expire

"We are now moving not towards ending this pandemic, but finding ways to co-exist with it,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said.

February 9, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — With the Duluth mask mandate ending Saturday, businesses are looking forward to serving their community face to face, once again. “We are now moving not towards ending this pandemic, but finding ways to co-exist with it,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said. The past 30 days, Duluth has had to mask up in attempts of trying to slow…

U Of M Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For Athletic Events

February 8, 2022

Dan Hanger,

(University of Minnesota) DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota has announced it will end its vaccine mandate Wednesday for large campus and athletic events. This includes UMD men’s and women’s hockey and basketball games. The policy had been in place since Jan. 26, but in a letter from U of M President Joan Gabel Tuesday, she credits a decrease…

FDLTCC Holds Annual Nursing & Healthcare Expo

February 8, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

CLOQUET, Minn. – It was a busy Tuesday at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. It was a campus visit day for prospective students, and the college’s annual Nursing and Healthcare Expo. Everyone who attended, from current and future students to members of the public, got their chance to learn more about what opportunities are available in health care. The…

Nurses and Lawmakers Come Together To Promote New Legislation

February 4, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — Nurses are joining Minnesota lawmakers, desperately urging support for a bill to address the short staffing and retention of employees in hospitals statewide. The “Keeping Nurses at The Bedside” Act is being introduced to correct an already-existing staffing crisis, nurses say existed long before the pandemic. The bill hopes to set a maximum number of patients any…

National Wear Red Day Raises Awareness for Cardiovascular Disease

February 4, 2022

Ken Slama,

DULUTH, MN – It’s the first Friday of National Heart Month and across the country, people are wearing red to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is still the number one killer of both women and men in the United States. By raising awareness early in the month, the rest of February can be spent doing things to reduce…

Sen. Smith Introduces Legislation to Improve Veteran Hearing Benefits

February 2, 2022

Brett Scott,

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Senator Tina Smith (D) is trying her hardest to make sure veterans have quick, easy access to obtaining care for hearing loss. Smith recently introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many vets face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service. Right now, if veterans wish to receive benefits…

Kickstart American Heart Month with Mindful Nutrition

February is American Heart Month

January 31, 2022

Brett Scott,

DULUTH, Minn. – February is known as American Heart Month. It’s a time when people of all ages are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. The Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The Division is committed to addressing barriers to…

U of M Proposing New Academic Health Center Building in Duluth Medical District

The University is asking the state legislature for $12 million to start designing the standalone building close to both Essentia and St. Luke's Hospitals.

January 27, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- A new University of Minnesota academic health center could be a part of the skyline of Duluth’s medical district, with legislative approval being the green light for design work to start this summer. “Duluth has always provided really great healthcare and the challenges that exist now to keep people in their community to be served really that’s one…

Essentia Joins Nationwide Study to Test Medications for COVID-19

January 24, 2022

Brett Scott,

DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health has joined a nationwide study to evaluate repurposed medications in the search for effective, safe treatments for mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Repurposed medications are those already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for other indications. “We are very excited and fortunate to have this important clinical trial available to the communities we serve,” said Dr. Rajesh…

UMD Vaccine Clinic on Wednesday

January 24, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — UMD is offering a vaccine clinic to the campus community and beyond this week. The university has partnered with Saint Louis County Public Health for past vaccine clinics where the turnouts have exceeded expectations. This time around they will have Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson shots on hand, whether you want to come in for your…

Sen. Smith Promotes Bipartisan Idea To Keep Public Health And Social Service Workers Incentivized To Stay

January 20, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Tina Smith is teaming up with another Democrat and two Republicans to push legislation that would encourage more people to stay in the public health industry. The lawmakers say that more people are leaving certain sectors of the field, causing a shortage of much-needed employees. The director of the CDC says America is short about 80,000…

Cloquet Follows Duluth in 30-Day Mask Mandate

January 19, 2022

Natalie Noury,

CLOQUET, Minn. — It’s been nearly a week after Duluth mandated masks around the city, and a neighboring town is now doing the same. Last week the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital was “crisis planning”, for a wave of covid patients, and now this week, they were sending letters to the mayor supporting a mask mandate. The Community Memorial Hospital in…

St. Mary’s Medical Center to Be Demolished When Vision Northland Completed

The redevelopment will be funded with $12 million in state dollars and headed by SEH local consulting firm.

January 18, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- As the new Vision Northland building for Essentia Health goes up in Duluth the decades-old St. Mary’s Hospital will come down. Essentia Health says the Medical Center will be demolished on East Third Street after the new building is ready for care in the third quarter of 2023. The oldest part of St. Mary’s hospital is almost 100…

The Northland’s Largest Baby Shower is Happening Now

Donate Now Through Monday, January 31, 2022

January 17, 2022

Brett Scott,

DULUTH, Minn. – Life 97.3 and St. Luke’s Hospital have partnered again to throw the 4th annual Northland’s Largest Baby Shower. Throughout the month of January, Life 97.3 is encouraging its audience to donate typical baby shower items that will ultimately benefit a number of organizations spread across the Northland that are helping families in need. Below is a list…

Cedar and Stone Sauna Offering Opportunities to Re-Charge this Winter

January 16, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — A one-of-a-kind local sauna experience hit its 2 year anniversary this month and continues to help people decompress, reduce stress, and feel rejuvenated on the shores of Lake Superior. The Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna in Canal Park is a traditional Nordic sauna inspired from Duluth’s Finnish history. It’s an indoor wood fired sauna that runs between…

Fans React To New UMD Proof Of Vaccine To Attend Games

January 15, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — Fans have gotten used to wearing masks here at Amsoil arena, but in a few weeks, they’re going to have to bring one extra thing to allow them to come support the Bulldogs. Friday, the President of the University Of Minnesota System announced a new temporary change across their 5 campuses — proof of vaccination or a…

UMD Continues Mask Requirement, Students Mixed on Duluth’s New Mandate

January 14, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

DULUTH, Minn. – While the City of Duluth is resuming its mask mandate Friday evening, mask requirements are nothing new for students, faculty, and staff at UMD. People have been asked to wear one, regardless of vaccination status, inside campus buildings since early August. For some students, wearing a mask elsewhere in the city will help keep everyone safe from the…

UMD Students Signing Petition to Protest Vaccine Form for Enrollment

January 14, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

DULUTH, Minn. – The start of the spring semester at UMD saw one recent student begin an effort to end the vaccine requirement to attend classes. Lucius Lafromboise is protesting against the form required by the University of Minnesota system that identifies a person’s vaccination status, or list a medical or religious exemption against getting one. He chose not to fill…

Hospitals in Carlton County Meet to ‘Crisis Plan’ as COVID Continues Surging

Crisis planning is to prepare the hospitals, and make a course of action in case they become overwhelmed and have to send patients elsewhere.

January 14, 2022

Natalie Noury,

CLOQUET, Minn. — Doctors from the Community Memorial Hospital met on Thursday to “crisis plan”, concerned that the latest surge of the Omicron variant might overwhelm medical facilities. Crisis planning is to prepare the hospitals, and make a course of action in case they become overwhelmed and have to send patients elsewhere. But with so many medical facilities bogged down…

University Of Minnesota System Announces Temporary Proof of Vaccination

January 14, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — The president of the University of Minnesota System announced a new temporary change to how they are allowing people into events with more than 200 people. The university system, across the 5 campuses in the state, will be requesting proof of vaccination or a negative test 72 hours prior to the event in order to attend. This…

Mayor Larson Announces 30-Day Duluth Mask Mandate; Restaurant Assoc. Not Thrilled

January 13, 2022

Natalie Noury, Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. — Just days after the Duluth City Council was unable to unanimously vote to pass a new city-wide mask mandate, and after councilors agreed Mayor Emily Larson should take the lead on emergency orders of that kind, Larson stepped to the podium Thursday afternoon announcing just that — a new mask mandate for the next 30 days effective…

St. Louis County’s Size, Local Governments Within County Make It Unlikely For Mask Mandate

The only mask mandate within the county has been inside county buildings.

January 13, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Louis County’s Public Health Director, Amy Westbrook, spoke in support of Duluth’s mask mandate Thursday, and the county released a statement on its take on a possible county wide mask mandate. Westbrook, along with Essentia’s Chief Medical Officer, pointed to growing concerns over hospitalization rates. Out of the 342 hospital beds at Essentia in Duluth, 58…

Wisconsin Healthcare Systems Under Pressure

January 13, 2022

Mason Kroll,

Wisconsin healthcare systems are still under pressure due to the increase of COVID cases and staffing shortages. In Wisconsin, 95 percent of intensive and intermediate care beds are currently in use, and 13,000 thousand new cases were reported in the state. To provide relief to Wisconsin hospitals, since October, DHS has recruited 626 new healthcare workers, and the state is…

UMD Professor Talks Open Winter Waters Of Lake Superior

January 12, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. – Scientists continue to study the effects of climate change on Lake Superior the big lake is still showing plenty of open water in Duluth. While we have experienced a mild winter so far, experts say a lot can change with the temperatures, which can quickly add ice cover to Lake Superior and help scientists understand what the…

Douglas County Public Health Reports Rapid Rise in New COVID-19 Infections

In the Past 30 Days, 11 Residents Have Been Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Douglas County

January 12, 2022

Brett Scott,

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Douglas County Public Health is reporting a steady rise in new COVID-19 cases, with reports coming from PCR and rapid testing. Throughout the month of December, the health department reported 439 cases. In the first two weeks of 2022, the department has reported 349 new cases. Officials say the virus is spreading throughout all ages, however, more…

Medial Professionals Tell How to Keep Your Skin Healthy During Winter Months

January 12, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — Even though it’s a little warmer today the cold can still pay a huge toll on the health of your skin and professionals remind us how important it is to cover up. We get some of the harshest winters in the US up here, and the frigid temps can dry our skin out while also creating long…

Red Cross Blood Crisis Continues in the Northland

January 12, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — As the blood shortage crisis continues throughout the country, the Northland Red Cross chapter is doing what they can to keep donation numbers up. Since the pandemic, donation levels have decreased by 10%. And while getting donors has been a challenge, finding volunteers to work drives has also been hard. But now the Red Cross is promoting…

Proctor Schools, Essentia Health Host Student Career Fair

January 12, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

PROCTOR, Minn. – Students at Proctor High and A.I. Jedlicka Middle schools got the chance to learn more about the various job opportunities the medical field has to offer. Proctor Pathways and Essentia Health showcased nearly two dozen different departments, ranging from nursing to athletic training to sterile processing tech. Organizers say this is the first time since the start…

Emergency Mask Mandate Fails to Pass with Unanimous Vote By Duluth City Council

The Council voted 7-2 on the mandate, with Councilors Roz Randorf and Derek Medved voting against it.

January 10, 2022

Arman Rahman,

DULUTH, Minn.- There will be no indoor mask mandate in the City of Duluth, as the emergency ordinance failed to garner the unanimous vote needed by City Council Monday night. The discussion about a mask mandate turned into a discussion about the council’s powers and whether or not it is their job to manage how the city navigates the pandemic….

Safe Heating Tips as Temperatures Drop Below Zero

January 10, 2022

Rusty Mehlberg,

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Recent deadly building fires in New York City and Philadelphia are bringing extra attention to safe home heating practices. The Superior Fire Department says heating equipment is one of the top causes for fires in the fall and winter. By taking several action steps before turning out equipment, such as having a professional check it and using space heaters…

Hospitals Talk About Reasoning Behind Endorsing Now-Failed Duluth Mask Mandate

January 10, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health and St. Luke’s had a united front when it came to endorsing the now-failed mask mandate proposal that went up for a vote on Monday during Duluth city council’s meeting. One Essentia doctor who works in the emergency department says she knows a new possible mask mandate seems sudden, but explained that hospital beds are…

Council to Vote on New Emergency Mask Mandate Monday

January 9, 2022

Natalie Noury,

DULUTH, Minn. — A second city wide Duluth mask mandate will be front and center for a vote at Monday night’s first city council meeting of 2022, with a hot topic to start the new year for sure. If Thursday night’s tense agenda session says anything about the mask mandate topic, this proposed emergency declaration isn’t going to be a…

Minnesota Virus Positivity Rate Reaches 15.6% In New Record

January 9, 2022

Dan Hanger,

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s COVID-19 positivity rate over the past seven days reached 15.6% on Friday, in an indication of the rapid spread of the omicron variant across the state. State health officials said the figure demonstrates the increasing spread of the omicron variant and expect a new surge of case growth for at least the next month. Minnesota’s previous…

Health

The option of a 10-day mask mandate will be on the table if transmission spikes in district buildings.

The Vision Northland Project is slated to be complete in the 1st quarter of 2023 and open to patients in the 3rd quarter.

In 2019 the Boys and Girls Clubs began providing mental health services to integrate mental health staff and create dialogues to remove the stigma attached to mental health related issues.

Mayor Emily Larson stopped taking community requests to light the Lift Bridge colors for causes after installing a $150,000 LED colored lighting system on bridge.

February is American Heart Month

"We are now moving not towards ending this pandemic, but finding ways to co-exist with it,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said.

February is American Heart Month

The University is asking the state legislature for $12 million to start designing the standalone building close to both Essentia and St. Luke's Hospitals.

The redevelopment will be funded with $12 million in state dollars and headed by SEH local consulting firm.

Donate Now Through Monday, January 31, 2022

Crisis planning is to prepare the hospitals, and make a course of action in case they become overwhelmed and have to send patients elsewhere.

The only mask mandate within the county has been inside county buildings.

In the Past 30 Days, 11 Residents Have Been Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Douglas County

The Council voted 7-2 on the mandate, with Councilors Roz Randorf and Derek Medved voting against it.

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