Aitkin Community Hospital Inc

RIVERWOOD HEALTHCARE CENTER'S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE HEALTH BY PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY, COMPASSIONATE AND PERSONALIZED CARE. COUPLING THIS WITH OUR VISION OF BEING THE REGION'S PREFERRED HEALTH SYSTEM PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL CARE AND OUR VALUES OF INTEGRITY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, UNITY, RESPECT, COMPASSION, EXCELLENCE AND PASSION WE FOCUSED ON SIX STRATEGIC GOALS. THESE SIX PILLARS ARE PEOPLE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, GROWTH, COMMUNITY, STEWARDSHIP AND QUALITY. WE STRIVE FOR THESE IN ALL THAT WE DO FOR OUR PATIENTS.

RIVERWOOD HEALTHCARE CENTER'S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE HEALTH BY PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY, COMPASSIONATE AND PERSONALIZED CARE. COUPLING THIS WITH OUR VISION OF BEING THE REGION'S PREFERRED HEALTH SYSTEM PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL CARE AND OUR VALUES OF INTEGRITY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, UNITY, RESPECT, COMPASSION, EXCELLENCE AND PASSION WE FOCUSED ON SIX STRATEGIC GOALS. THESE SIX PILLARS ARE PEOPLE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, GROWTH, COMMUNITY, STEWARDSHIP AND QUALITY. WE STRIVE FOR THESE IN ALL THAT WE DO FOR OUR PATIENTS.IN FY 2021, RIVERWOOD ADDED MEDICAL PROVIDERS TO ITS SPECIALTY CARE STAFF TO INCREASE ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS TO UROLOGY, OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY, ORTHOPEDICS, AND SAME DAY CLINIC. IN ADDITION TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S ADDITION OF A NEW UROLOGIST, DR. REYNOLDS, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED UROLOGY NURSE PRACTITIONER CINDY HAUSER. TOGETHER, THEY OFFER THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CLINICAL UROLOGY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE, INCLUDING MEDICAL AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF KIDNEY STONES, INCONTINENCE, PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT, NO-NEEDLE/NO-SCALPEL VASECTOMY, OVERACTIVE BLADDER, AND MALE GENITAL PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, THEY TREAT CANCERS OF THE PROSTATE, BLADDER, AND KIDNEY. THESE ARE NEW AND ADVANCED PROCEDURES THAT HELP KEEP PATIENTS CLOSER TO HOME FOR THEIR CARE. THE BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS ARE LESS PAIN AND FASTER RECOVERY. DR. JENNIFER TESSMER-TUCK, OB/GYN PHYSICIAN, ADDED TO OUR TEAM, SPECIALIZES IN HIGH-RISK OBSTETRIC CARE, TEAMWORK EDUCATION AND GENERAL GYNECOLOGY. ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, DR. JEFFREY KLASSEN, EXCELS AT SHOULDER SURGERIES ALONG WITH DOING ELBOWS AND KNEES. TAMMY BERG, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT SEES PATIENTS AT RIVERWOOD'S NEW SAME DAY CLINIC, ALLOWING EXPANDED ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.RIVERWOOD CONTINUES USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE PATIENT CARE, INCLUDING CONTINUING TELEMEDICINE VIRTUAL VISITS FOR PRIMARY CARE AND SPECIALTY CARE, AND TAPPED VIRTUAL RESOURCES FOR INPATIENT CARE AS WELL. DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC LIMITATIONS, RIVERWOOD USED ZOOM WEBINARS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT COVID-19 AND OTHER HEALTH TOPICS. RIVERWOOD HEALTHCARE CENTER CONTINUES TO OFFER PATIENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS REMOTELY FROM HOME. VIRTUAL VISITS PROVIDE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MEANS TO FIGURE OUT WHICH PATIENTS NEED TO BE SEEN IN PERSON IN THE CLINIC. ONGOING, IT OFFERS GREATER CONVENIENCE FOR THOSE WHO FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET AWAY FROM THEIR JOB OR FIND THE TIME TO TRAVEL TO THEIR CLINIC FOR AN IN-PERSON EXAM. DR. TIM ARNOLD SAID, "FROM A PROVIDER PERSPECTIVE, THE VIRTUAL VISIT GIVES US A NEW WAY TO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS THAT IS MUCH BETTER THAN A PHONE VISIT. WE STILL LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE PATIENTS IN THE CLINIC, BUT THIS IS A GREAT OPTION FOR BOTH PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS."IN 2021, RIVERWOOD MARKED THE AVAILABILITY OF COVID-19 VACCINATIONS, BY ORGANIZING OVER A DOZEN OUTREACH CLINICS TO ADMINISTER THE INJECTIONS TO THE PUBLIC. BY PARTNERING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND LOCAL CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS, RIVERWOOD WAS ABLE TO OFFER SOMETIMES OVER FOUR HUNDRED VACCINATIONS IN A DAY. THROUGHOUT THIS TIME OF HIGH COVID CASES, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE "NORMAL" MEDICAL AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT. WHEN WE COULD NOT TRANSFER PATIENTS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CARE FOR THESE PATIENTS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A REALLY CHALLENGING TIME, STAFF LEANED ON EACH OTHER. THE AITKIN COMMUNITY EXPRESSED ITS GRATITUDE AND CONTINUES TO DO SO. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, RIVERWOOD RECEIVED HOSPITAL DESIGNATIONS IN 2021. THEY WERE COMPREHENSIVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (CALS) HOSPITAL, ACUTE STROKE READY HOSPITAL AND FIVE STAR HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE. RIVERWOOD WAS THE FIRST HOSPITAL IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO RECEIVE CALS DESIGNATION AND IT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. CALS CRITERIA REQUIRES ALL PROVIDERS WHO TREAT PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL TO BE CERTIFIED IN TRAUMA, ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS) AS WELL AS PEDIATRICS AND NEONATAL CARE CERTIFIED. ALSO RECEIVED WAS A 3-YEAR RECERTIFICATION AS AN ACUTE STROKE READY HOSPITAL. THIS MEANS THE HOSPITAL STAFF IS EQUIPPED TO EVALUATE, STABILIZE, AND PROVIDE EMERGENCY CARE TO PATIENTS WITH ACUTE STROKE SYMPTOMS. WITH A STROKE TEAM AVAILABLE, WE CAN ADMINISTER KEY CLOT-DISSOLVING DRUGS AND WORK WITH A STROKE NEUROLOGIST VIA ROBOT WHEN SEEING PATIENTS. WITH PATIENT EXPERIENCE BEING A RIVERWOOD PILLAR, RIVERWOOD WAS RATED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID (CMS) AS HAVING A FIVE STAR HOSPITAL PATIENT EXPERIENCE. BASED ON A PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY, THE RATING IS BASED ON NINE MEASURES RELATED TO DOCTOR AND NURSE COMMUNICATION, MEDICATION AND POST DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS, NOISE LEVELS AND FACILITY CLEANLINESS. TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN KEEP MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC UNDER OUR "PEOPLE" PILLAR, RIVERWOOD IS PLANNING TO BUILD A SURGICAL WING. WITH THE NEED FOR MORE OPERATING ROOMS AND LARGER ROOMS, THIS WILL ALLOW ACCOMMODATING THE TECHNOLOGY OF A DA VINCI ROBOT, VELYS ORTHOPEDIC EQUIPMENT AND UROSKOP INTERVENTIONAL UROLOGY OPERATING ROOM TABLE. THIS EXPANSION WILL ALLOW US TO MEET OUR LARGER SURGERY VOLUMES, OFFERING FOR PRIVACY NEEDS THOSE PATIENTS DESERVE FOR HEALING AND RECOVERY. ALONG THE LINES OF PATIENT VOLUME GROWTH, OUR MCGREGOR CLINIC, HAVING BEEN REMODELED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, IS NO LONGER ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MCGREGOR AREA. A NEW CLINIC BUILDING IS BEING PLANNED ON LAND RIVERWOOD OWNS ALONG THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE OF TRAFFIC ALONG HIGHWAY 210. THIS ALLOWS EASE OF ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY AND HELP FULFILL OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE GOAL.RIVERWOOD HEALTHCARE CENTER STRIVES TO DELIVER THE HIGHEST QUALITY PATIENT-CENTERED CARE. WE CONTINUALLY EXAMINE EMERGING HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE THROUGHOUT AITKIN COUNTY AND THE GARRISON AND MILLE LACS AREA. WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON HEALTH, WELLNESS AND PREVENTION, THE CENTER STRIVES TO EDUCATE AND INFORM ITS PATIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY ON HEALTH ISSUES. THE COMMUNITY'S AND PATIENT'S NEEDS ARE LISTENED TO AND INCORPORATED IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT, STRATEGIC PLAN, AND VISION.