Brainerd Lakes 2008 Relocation Guide - (Page 34) HEALTHCARE The new Lakewood Health System hospital and clinic are growing to meet the future. Also underway is the construction of the new Heartwood senior community, a partnership of CRMC and Presbyterian Homes based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The new senior community will include 50 independent living, 36 general assisted living, and 12 memory care assisted living units. Heartwood is expected to be complete in late 2008. Another example of keeping pace with community needs is St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s (SJMC) commitment to establishing a regional cancer treatment center. Patients from the Lakes Area are able to stay close to home, where their friends, family, and support networks are nearby. The addition of five family clinics—in Pierz, Pine River, Pillager, Pequot Lakes, and Crosslake—is another important contribution to the area. Primary care is delivered in the smaller towns, while specialty services are referred to the Brainerd facilities. Also affiliated with SJMC is the Brainerd Lakes Surgery Center, which provides ambulatory surgical service to patients not requiring an overnight stay. Specialties include gynecology, orthopedics, plastics, ENT, urology, and podiatry. Brainerd Medical Center (BMC) is a multi-specialty clinic that has provided healthcare to Lakes Area residents since 1974, offering a broad range of medical specialties and in-house ancillary patient care services. In order to offer area residents the breadth and depth of healthcare services they deserve, SJMC and BMC joined forces and created the Brainerd Lakes Integrated Health System in January 2007. The partnership brings together the region’s largest healthcare organizations, representing 1,500 employees, physicians, and volunteers. The integrated system allows the sharing of services to avoid duplication. It also frees up resources to expand the range of services offered, including a new interventional cardiology program; investment in new technologies; the addition of new physicians, and a focus on providing the best possible specialist care in critical areas like obstetrics, ICU, and emergency services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. “Our shared vision allows us to serve this area as an integrated health system that is highly responsive to the healthcare needs of a growing community,” said Dale Benson, Vice President of Planning, Marketing, Human Resources, and Community Relations. In Aitkin, Riverwood Healthcare Center provides a critical-access hospital and clinic, with additional clinics in Garrison and McGregor. The hospital has four state-of-the-art intensive and coronary care rooms that provide medical intervention and monitoring. Expansion plans for the Aitkin clinic include 7,000 square feet for specialty care. In McGregor, key changes include increased patient exam rooms and expanded space for patient treatment, including mammography screening, physical therapy, and cardiopulmonary care. “Our team of caring and dedicated medical professionals includes family practice physicians and nurse practitioners who provide all levels of care, from routine child exams to annual physicals, preventative health education, and special services like obstetrics and geriatrics,” explains Michael Hagen, Riverwood CEO. Regardless of when and where accidents happen, ambulance service is nearby. North Memorial Ambulance’s helicopter air ambulance can fly patients from the scene to the closest level-one trauma center or heart center in a matter of minutes. North Memorial Ambulance is one of only five ambulance services in the nation to achieve AAA accreditation from the Commission of Accreditation of Ambulance Services. Stringent requirements for patient care, patient reporting, and billing have to be met to retain this accreditation. When orthopedic conditions, strokes, or other injuries necessitate physical therapy, Lakes Area residents turn to Cindy Rieck, PT, and her staff at Pequot Lakes Physical Therapy. Most physical therapists treat adults, but not many treat youngsters. “We treat children from infants on up,” Rieck says. As the population of the Brainerd Lakes Area grows, so do your options for healthcare. You no longer have to drive to the Twin Cities to receive excellent healthcare. It’s available throughout the Lakes Area, at clinics, hospitals, and state-of-the-art facilities right here in your community. Photo courtesy of insideoutstudios.com 34 Brainerd Lakes Area Business & Relocation Guide http://insideoutstudios.com
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