Fairview Health Services

Advocacy. Empowerment. Transforming lives.

Food resource navigators Kate Henschel, RDN, and Mang Vang do all this and more while connecting food-insecure patients in the Twin Cities with healthy food and resources, including no-cost meal boxes, vouchers to purchase groceries, and more. Their work is part of Fair Table, our new and growing food access effort.

Henschel, a pediatric dietician, was motivated to address the food access challenges facing her patients. “Sometimes there are transportation barriers, sometimes it’s housing barriers. There could be financial barriers,” Henschel said. “We are there to help find those resources and programs that work best for them, connect those dots, and make sure they are set up for success moving forward.”

For Vang, helping people make positive life changes is the best part of her job. “The greatest feeling is getting to meet patients where they’re at and say ‘we have these resources available to you. How can we help?”

Find out more about their roles and Fair Table here. 🍎 https://mhfv.care/4f3wItJ

When people worry about where their next meal is coming from, health takes a back seat. At Fairview, it’s our mission to change this. Fair Table is our answer to rising food insecurity in Minnesota, with programs, resources, and staff dedicated to helping patients get access to nourishing food. Our services include:

🍎 Fresh food prescription boxes with food, recipes, and nutrition information from our network of 40+ local farms and food distribution organizations.

🔖 A food voucher program that enables qualified participants to purchase groceries from Twin Cities Mobile Market and Fare For All.

👥 Food navigators who help people facing food insecurity get access to essential resources.

Learn more: https://mhfv.care/41eXGvj

Yesterday, nearly 500 food-insecure community members gathered during our annual Harvest at the Hub to receive a free meal and enjoy the spirit of the season. During the event, hosted at Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub, we distributed more than 200 whole turkeys, 300 turkey breasts, 200 chickens, and 80 hams, while providing free vaccines and other vital healthcare resources. But it was about more than a meal.

Yesterday, we also launched Fair Table, Fairview’s newly expanded Food is Medicine program. Fair Table is a new name, but it has the same goal: help people get access to healthy, nutritious food through a network of partnerships with 40+ local farms and food distribution organizations.

Harvest at the Hub and Fair Table are examples of how we are helping ensure our communities have health, well-being, and abundance during the holiday season and beyond. More about Fair Table here. 🍎 https://mhfv.care/4g4vbok

Announcing the launch of Fair Table, Food is Medicine by Fairview, a new name and an expanded commitment to nourish our communities. For years, we have worked with 40+ local farms and food distribution organizations to get fresh food to our patients and communities, because food insecurity can affect good health.

Fair Table will continue this mission at our clinics and hospitals, in neighborhoods, and at our hub in downtown St. Paul, where we distribute 2.5 million pounds of food each year alongside like-minded partners including the Sanneh Foundation, Second Harvest Heartland, and others.

“Social determinants of health, like access to healthy foods, are a significant factor in how we care for our patients and the community,” said Terese Hill, manager of food is medicine strategy for Fairview. “By connecting with patients outside of our hospital and clinic walls and providing resources like reliable food access, we can help prevent illness and close the health equity gap in our communities.”

Read more. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4eKzPH9

For over 35 years, Sandy Zeroth has been a familiar face at M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center. She worked in various departments of the hospital, including appointment scheduling, registration in the emergency department, and physician staffing, where she made life-long friends.

When she retired in 2023, Sandy wanted to continue doing things that “keep her soul full.” She now volunteers at the medical center, assisting infusion patients, supporting patients in the emergency department, and helping our team members keep rooms stocked and clean between appointments.

“Volunteering really gives you a warm hug,” she said. “I leave knowing I did the best I could and helped as many patients and employees as I could.”

We’re grateful for Sandy and our other volunteers who help make our hospitals feel a little more like “home” for our patients and visitors. ❤

When an M Health Fairview - EMS team responded to a house fire in Scandia, Minn. last month, they found Pearl, a dog suffering from severe smoke inhalation. On the spot, paramedic and dog-lover Steven Greenhow and his coworkers improvised a makeshift oxygen mask to fit over Pearl’s snout using McDonald's cup threaded with an oxygen hose.

During a touching reunion this week, Pearl and her owners Nate Meidl and Katie Faragher thanked the EMS crew who saved Pearl’s life. KARE 11 has the full story. 🐶 https://mhfv.care/3YZimF2

“I just want to be able to do for someone else what I would want done for me if I were in their shoes.”

Volunteer Carol Harms has a special way of connecting with patients and families. Every Monday, Carol volunteers at M Health Fairview’s St. John’s Hospital surgery department and cardiac specialty care, greeting patients as soon as they arrive, escorting them through our halls, and comforting them if they are nervous. Her passion for patient care began 30 years ago.

Before she was a volunteer, Carol was an emergency department nurse at St. John’s in Maplewood. When she retired in 2013, she knew St. John’s was the place she wanted to continue giving back to as a volunteer. “It’s really important to me to engage with patients and their families. Making sure they know it’s safe to ask questions and to let me know what they need.”

Sometimes, patients don’t even need to ask. Carol’s experience as an ER nurse gives her a keen ability to anticipate what a patient or a family might need – whether it’s reducing their anxiety, sharing helpful resources, or even just changing the channel on the TV to something more soothing.

Another part of volunteering she loves? Getting her steps in! “I get to walk almost 9,000 steps during my shift.” Join us in thanking Carol for all she does supporting patients and families. ❤

“Taking care of these precious little ones is a dream job.” Linda Graeve, APRN, a neonatal nurse practitioner at M Health Fairview St. John’s Hospital, has the privilege of taking care of sick and premature infants in our hospital’s .

“I absolutely love the babies and love seeing them grow,” she said. “I work with an incredible group of people. The NICU family is a strong, supportive family that endures and perseveres through very amazing and very difficult outcomes.”

Making a difference for these families goes beyond bedside care. Graeve is also passionate about quality improvement and always looks for ways to make healthcare for our tiniest patients the best it possibly can be. During Week, we celebrate the incredible daily expertise and passion NPs like Linda bring to our patients and families. 👏

Patients across M Health Fairview now have the option to hide weight-related information and BMI from their after-visit summaries. They can also decline discussions related to weight if they find them unhelpful.

Carol Peterson, Ph.D, LP, a psychologist and professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School was part of that group that helped change how we manage weight-related information after learning the impact this can have for patients living with eating disorders, body image issues, and weight stigma. “For people with eating disorders, weight can be a number that’s extremely triggering,” Peterson said. “So it was important to allow that choice.”

Learn how we are making a big difference with simple changes: https://mhfv.care/3AEOkhw

Treating pain or an injury starts with having the right team on your side. M Health Fairview orthopedic, podiatry, and sports medicine specialists help address orthopedic and sports medicine specialists help address:

🫱 Arthritis
🦴 Bone fractures, strains, and sprains
🦵 Knee, arm, and hand pain
🦶 Conditions affecting the ankles and feet

Learn more: https://mhfv.care/4fpWqJC

A special shoutout to all our staff who took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore this week!

Over 60 volunteers from across our health system signed up to help with construction of The Heights project, creating stable, affordable housing for St. Paul’s East Side. This work is a continuation of what began earlier this month when leadership across Fairview participated in Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project where we helped launch The Heights construction – Twin Cities Habitat’s largest-ever development.

These efforts are a testament to our health system’s unwavering commitment to investing in accessible housing helping keep our communities safe and healthy. Learn more about our housing initiatives here. 🏠 https://mhfv.care/4es40DE

What do a deer, a scuba diver, and a superhero all have in common? They’re celebrating their first Halloween in our NICU! 🦸‍♂️🦌

Newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital are making waves this Halloween with the cutest costumes around! Every year, our NICU teams go above and beyond to make the holiday special for our patients and their families.

Let’s help them celebrate by wishing them all a Happy Halloween! 🎃

Honoring Francisco Ramirez, who was recently recognized as one of Twin Cities Business's 2024 Notable Hispanic Leaders for his unwavering commitment to advancing health and wellness in the Latine community. 👏

Ramirez, Community Advancement education and outreach supervisor with M Health Fairview, empowers families with education and knowledge about cancer, heart health, vaccines, in spaces where they feel safe: churches, schools, and community centers.

In 2014, he helped launch the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Program, which provides free colonoscopies to underinsured or uninsured adults -- potentially saving lives.

Join us in congratulating Ramirez for this honor and read more about his work here: https://mhfv.care/3NLJvG0

Kelly LaMarre had been training to hike the Colorado Trail for four years. But just two months before her trip, she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. “When you get a diagnosis like that, it stops you in your tracks,” she said. LaMarre found hope and expert care with our teams at M Health Fairview St. John’s Hospital, who were committed to making sure she got the treatment she needed – and could recover as soon as possible. For LaMarre, this meant undergoing a double mastectomy surgery to remove the tumor.

The result? LaMarre hiked 485 miles on the Colorado Trail – just five weeks after her surgery. “I don’t take things for granted anymore,” she said. Read her story: https://mhfv.care/3YFqMlR

There’s a known link between mental health and substance use. A new intensive outpatient program at M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center is helping teens overcome these challenges by treating mental health and addiction together.

“You really can’t separate substance use from depression or anxiety,” said Nicole Herlofsky, manager of outpatient programs at M Health Fairview. “So we treat those things simultaneously.

We’re one of the few programs in the state offering this specialized care, filling a critical care gap for families in rural Minnesota where there are often fewer options for treatment. Through comprehensive skill building, therapy, and education, teens receive the tools they need to return to their lives stronger than before.

Find out more: https://mhfv.care/3YggXtj

We are honored M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital is being recognized for their dedication to caring for any heart care needs, simple and complex. Recently, Healthgrades named St. John's the top hospital in the Twin Cities for heart care.

This achievement reflects the commitment of our staff who tirelessly strive to provide our patients and communities top care and better outcomes for cardiovascular health and wellbeing.

“Our cardiology team is focused on delivering exceptional care to patients in our community,” said Will Nicholson, MD, vice president of medical affairs at St. John’s. “That means top quality, full-spectrum cardiology care is now available closer to home for everybody here in the east metro area.”

Join us in congratulating them and find out why we are ranked among the best. 🏆https://mhfv.care/3NBE4cN

After Wendy Anderson learned she had an aggressive form of breast cancer, one thing was certain: she did not want the condition to define her.

Access to a lifechanging clinical trial put her on the fast-track to treatment and recovery. But it was more than just fighting the disease. Wendy leaned on her support network and found moments of joy that helped keep her going.

Infusion days where she received immunotherapy became dates with her husband. She reached out to friends who had gone through similar experiences. She learned how to ask for help. And she knew she had the support of her care team at M Health Fairview Breast Center in Maplewood standing beside her. “It changed my entire life to realize how much community we have that all just wanted to be there for me,” Wendy said. Read her story: https://mhfv.care/3BThutq

Meet Andrea Engdahl, CNM! As a certified nurse midwife, Andrea specializes in healthy pregnancy care for women during their childbearing years.

“The most rewarding aspect of my role is getting to know my patients and being present for the transformation of a family,” she said. “Watching these families grow and flourish and knowing that my presence with them had an impact is one of my favorite things about this work.”

She is constantly motivated by the passion from her team, who have always had her back through the highs and lows of work and life.

“We care for one another in goods times and bad. We advocate for work/life balance and support each other through life’s challenges,” she said proudly. “We all have our area of expertise, and the team values what each of us brings to the table. I cannot imagine a better place to do this difficult and rewarding work.”

is our chance to honor our certified nurse midwives for the compassion, expertise, and dedication they bring to caring for our patients and each other everyday. 👏