In this issue
Holiday
greetings from MHA
Happy holidays from the Minnesota Hospital Association! At this
festive time of year, we celebrate the hospital and health system staff,
volunteers, advocates and supporters who help make Minnesota the best place in
the nation for health care access, quality and outcomes. Thank you to the
hospital care teams who dedicate time away from their families to provide
high-quality care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a
year. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season! View our holiday card. return to top
Minnesota’s
hospitals improve concussion care
A slip on the ice. A big hit during the game. A car crash.
“Concussions can happen for a variety of reasons,” said Tracy Arduser,
pediatric physical therapist at CentraCare Health in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
“They can happen when our veterans sustain concussions during combat and
experience after-effects when they return home. They can happen in our
grandparents when they slip and fall.”
It’s clear: Concussions are not only a risk for athletes. Concussions can
happen to anyone at any time. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 3.8 million concussions occur each year
in the United States.
Concussions come with long-term health impacts if treated improperly. However,
not everyone knows how to recognize the signs and symptoms. That’s why it’s
important for everyone — from children to senior citizens, from athletes to
weekend warriors — to understand the critical signs and symptoms of a
concussion.
Visit the Minnesota’s Hospitals: Strengthening Healthy Communities website to learn more about common symptoms
and signs of concussions and to see how Minnesota’s hospitals are working with
their communities to improve concussion treatment and overall care.
Like the Minnesota’s
Hospitals Facebook page
to get regular updates on how Minnesota’s hospitals work beyond physical walls
to strengthen the health of Minnesotans and our communities. return to top
Open
house retirement party in honor of John Rau
John Rau, president
and CEO of Stevens Community Medical Center in Morris, will be retiring at the
end of 2015 after 33 years of service. An open house retirement party will be
held Saturday, Jan. 9, from 1-4 p.m. at the GrandStay Hotel, 5 E. State Highway
28, Morris, Minnesota 56267. Hotel reservations can be made online or by phone
at 320-585-4000.
Rau began his career at Stevens Community Medical Center in 1982, when he was
hired as nursing director for the New Beginnings Chemical Dependency Program.
He founded and directed the facility’s outpatient mental health program, Life
Center, in 1985. In 1987, Rau became vice president of professional services, a
position he held until 1989 when he was named interim administrator of Stevens
Community Memorial Hospital. He officially became president/CEO of Stevens
Community Medical Center in May 1990. As part of the management contract SCMC
had in place from 1989 to 2002, he was a vice president with Allina Health.
Prior to joining Stevens Community Medical Center, Rau worked in the St. Cloud
area as a psychiatric nurse at the St. Cloud and VA hospitals. He received his
RN degree through the St. Cloud School of Nursing and earned his Master of
Health Care Administration degree through the University of Minnesota’s ISP
program. Over the past 20 years, he has also served as chairman of the Rural
Health Alliance.
MHA thanks John Rau for his dedicated leadership and service throughout his
career and wishes him well on his retirement. return to top
Newsline
holiday schedule
Newsline will take a holiday break next week and
will return to its normal publishing schedule on Monday, Jan. 4. return to top