RiverView Health is proud to join communities across the country in celebrating National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 20. According to the State Offices of Rural Health, nearly 61 million people live and work in rural America.
“Rural communities are the backbone of our state, and their health is vital to our collective future,” said Carrie Michalski, president/CEO of RiverView Health. “We’re proud to celebrate National Rural Health Day and honor the unwavering commitment of rural healthcare providers, organizations, and community leaders who work every day to improve the lives of others.”
RiverView Health is committed to ensuring everyone has access to quality health care, regardless of where they call home, whether it’s National Rural Health Day or any other day of the year. Rural health care can take many forms. Below is a partial list of the rural health services offered by RiverView:
- An emergency room and hospital that are always open
- Labor and delivery service
- Surgical services, including ophthalmology, general surgery, gastroenterology, and more
- Orthopaedics
- Minimally invasive, complex spine care
- Home Care services
- RiverView Recovery Center, offering chemical substance recovery with locations in East Grand Forks, Crookston, Thief River Falls, and Roseau
- Clinics in Crookston, East Grand Forks, Fertile, Red Lake Falls, and Thief River Falls, providing a variety of services such as family medicine, internal medicine, orthopaedics, podiatry, and gynecology
- Extended clinic hours during the week and weekend availability in Crookston, recognizing that illnesses and injuries don’t adhere to a regular schedule
- Rehab services available at four locations, offering physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, cardiopulmonary rehab, occupational health, and a sleep center
- Diagnostic imaging utilizing state-of-the-art technology, including a new mammography suite
- A pharmacy with extended weekdays and weekend hours
- Senior Life Solutions, an outpatient program designed for older adults facing mental health challenges commonly associated with aging
- Transitional care (swing bed) for patients who are not quite ready to return home from the hospital
- Mental health services
- Laboratory services
- Telehealth options
Rural health care for RiverView also means playing a part in the community by offering free education and events, participating in community activities, and offering health-related knowledge on area committees.
The following are some of the events RiverView hosts or participates in:
- Breast cancer awareness events to share the importance of annual mammograms, give tours of the mammography suite, introduce new staff to the community, and have some fun
- Weighing teddy bears at the annual Teddy Bear Clinic, designed to ease children’s fears of the hospital
- Free balance classes for anyone who has fallen in the past or has a fear of falling
- Donation drives to help residents in need
- The annual Ox Cart Days Dodgeball Tournament for local kids
- Volunteering for Nite to Unite, Lion’s Torchlight Parade, Home Delivered Meals, and Month of the Young Child events
- Holding a free Scrubs Camp for high school juniors and seniors interested in healthcare
- Giving tours to local groups interested in learning more about healthcare, like local 4-H clubs
- Hosting free presentations to educate the community on the latest information in health news
Rural health is a way of life and an opportunity to celebrate the “Power of Rural,” the annual recognition’s theme. Thank you to everyone whose work and contributions positively impact the vast and varied healthcare needs of people and families living, working, and raising their families in rural America.
Alisa Leas, R.T.(R)(CT), RDMS, RVT (ARRT), gives area women a tour of RiverView’s new state-of-the-art, 3D mammography suite during a free breast cancer awareness event in October.