Continuing our Empowered Birth series, Dr. Katie Bressler and Heather Foresman, CNM today discuss empowerment in delivery options. Vaginal or c-section, medicated or unmedicated, water birth or side-saddle, the options for women with the LRH Women’s Health team are many and varied, and what you’ll hear in this episode is that the most important option is the one you prefer.

Meet the newest member of our cancer care team, Dr. Michael Hessenauer. He comes to us from InterMountain Healthcare in Utah where he has been practicing since completing his residency and fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Hessenauer shares his care philosophy, his perceptions of the level of care and treatments available in Fergus Falls, and his desire to be part of the rural cancer care community in Fergus Falls that’s keeping exceptional cancer care close to home.

Continuing the series on Empowered Women’s Health, Dr. Bressler and Heather join us today to talk about the benefits of team-based to care. The role of the midwife, physicians, nurses, anesthetists, moms and partners are all crucial to create the best possible birth experience. Beyond that, this topic is important to the overall commitment to ensure continued birth services in rural communities like ours. We hope that listeners will find it relevant even if you're not a woman of childbearing age, as it speaks to some important themes in rural healthcare and how Lake Region Healthcare is adapting to remain viable and avoid the OB “desert” by continuing to offer essential services like obstetrics in our community. Listen in to hear firsthand from two very passionate women’s health providers how common goals and common values of patient-centeredness and evidence-based care across the team come together for safe and empowered deliveries.

Meet the newest member of our medical staff, Dr. Samantha Luer. She is a small town girl who grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and chose Podiatry after her own ankle injury exposed her to the specialty. Hear more about why she chose to move her practice from Nebraska to Lake Region Healthcare and the services she offers here.

Trace Mendler, Physician Assistant, has recently joined Lake Region Medical Group to serve patients at the Fergus Falls Walk-In Clinic. He joins us today to share his interesting background as a paramedic in San Diego and working in a mobile urgent care unit in California prior to moving to Minnesota where he’s worked in the Long Prairie Emergency Department the past several years. Trace also talks about his care philosophy, tips for when it’s best to go to the ER instead of the Walk-In Clinic, and his favorite hobbies (including surfing on Lake Superior – brrrr!).

Women often tend to minimize health warning signs. One health condition that offers no warning is the silent but potent threat of hypertension. Understanding this condition across different stages of a woman's life is important for many reasons, and of particular importance during pregnancy. Dr. Bressler joins us today to share a few high blood pressure facts every woman should know.

Dr. Katie Bressler is a family medicine physician who does obstetrics at Lake Region Healthcare, and she kicks off our summer series on Women’s Health topics today by discussing the benefits of pre-conception counseling. It’s a conversation she hopes any woman planning a future pregnancy will have with their providers well in advance to be proactive about making it the healthiest pregnancy possible for both mom and baby. Health conditions, immunizations, diet & exercise, supplements, fertility, and more are all topics of today’s conversation on Apple a Day.  

Meet the newest physician in our Fergus Falls Emergency Department, Dr. Janessa Sickler, who has moved here from the Pacific Northwest to be closer to family and bring her extensive knowledge & experience to our team. She shares more about her background, what to expect when you end up in the Emergency Department, and some tips for what to have on hand to treat minor emergencies as well as tips for avoiding an emergency visit all together.

Dr. Sarah Myron joins us to share her background, how joining LRH will actually cut down on her commute, and some timely advice for eye health.

What is the Patient & Family Advisory Council at Lake Region Healthcare, how is it used to improve patient experiences in healthcare, and how can people interested in contributing get involved.