Apple a Day

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease - early signs, care for patients and caregivers, and protecting brain health Our guest for this episode is Missy Koehl, AG-PCNP. She's a nurse practitioner specializing in adult gerontology, who joins us to discuss Alzheimer's disease and brain health. She explains Alzheimer's as a progressive type of dementia, details its early signs, and explains the diagnostic...

Today we get to meet the newest provider at Lake Region Healthcare, Jordana Miller, NP. She is joining Dr. Chesley Johnson in the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department to help Dr. Johnson’s patients post-op and to provide aesthetic services including botox and laser treatments. She shares her background, her care philosophy, and a health tip based on her wound care experience in this qui...

May is High Blood Pressure Education month and Dr. Dustin Sperr, primary care physician in our Elbow Lake and Evansville clinics joins us today to talk about the importance of understanding and managing blood pressure. We discuss knowing your numbers as well as the significant health risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure, such as heart disease, stroke, and dementia. You’ll also he...

Laura Knopp, a licensed mental health therapist with the LRH Senior Life Solutions program joins us to discuss the critical importance of mental health, particularly for older adults, in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month. Laura debunks some common myths about aging and mental health and describes the strong connection between mental and physical wellbeing. She also offers practical, acce...

Chaplain Aaron Christensen is our guest on this episode of Apple a Day. He joins us to discuss the importance of healthcare directives in observance of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16th. We cover who needs one, how to make one, when to update it, things to consider when choosing your healthcare agent, and more. Listen in to learn more or visit our website to access an easy-to-use tem...

Mick Siems, the program coordinator for Rock Steady Boxing at Lake Region Healthcare joins us to share more about the program during April, Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact boxing exercises to help people with Parkinson's disease fight its symptoms. Mick shares examples of how it improves physical strength, balance, and movement, while also providing a vital communi...

On today’s episode we get to know Dawn Dahlgren Roemmich, a Certified Nurse Midwife joining the women’s health team at Lake Region Healthcare this month. Dawn shares her background in nursing and midwifery and her philosophy of care, which emphasizes treating patients like family and providing holistic, personalized support. Dawn also explained the scope of a nurse-midwife's practice and highlight...

The Story of Buzzwell - Lake Region Healthcare’s New Mascot  Lake Region Healthcare introduced Buzzwell to the community earlier this month and Kate Bjorge joins us today to share more about the story behind the new mascot. Listen in for a fun conversation about what sparked the idea, why a bee was chosen, how the name was picked, and where you can expect to see Buzzwell out and about promoting he...

Heart Health Month - February is heart health month and Kayla shares some practical heart-healthy tips for prevention of heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death among men and women. She also gives background on the benefits of cardiac rehab for those who have experienced a cardiac event and previews the new “Intensive Cardiac Rehab” program coming to LRH later this spring.

January is a time for resolutions as we seek a "reset" after the holidays. Natalie Knutson, Director of Wellness Lake Region Healthcare's Unity Wellness Center, joins us for a two-part series focused on lifestyle medicine as a basis for a new year reset. In this first episode, the pillars of nutrition and physical activity were the focus. In the second episode of the series, Natalie continues to e...

January is a time for resolutions as we seek a "reset" after the holidays. Natalie Knutson, Director of Wellness Lake Region Healthcare's Unity Wellness Center, joins us for a two-part series focused on lifestyle medicine as a basis for a new year reset. In this first episode of the series, Natalie shares some background on Lifestyle Medicine as an evidence-based approach to health and takes a clo...

Join us as we get to know Lake Region Healthcare’s newest member of the women’s health team, Dr. Marie Johnson, OB/GYN . Dr. Johnson shares her background in high-risk obstetrics and fertility care and how her personal experience with IVF fueled her passion for helping women with fertility.  She also explains how practice will cover the full spectrum of women’s health from adolescent care and preg...

Get to know Lake Region Healthcare’s newest General Surgeon, Dr. William Schertzing. On today’s episode we talk with him about his philosophy for holistic patient care based on shared decision-making and the importance of clear, comprehensive patient education. He also shares how he specifically sought a rural practice in Minnesota to be closer to family and wants to keep his surgical practice bro...

Our guest today is Nurse Practitioner Kayla Valdez from Lake Region Healthcare's neurology department, who shares expertise on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of headaches. The conversation covers the common types of headaches, particularly tension and migraine headaches, and the importance of proper diagnosis for effective treatment. It also touches on various treatment options from over...

Meet, Keri Anderson, our newest physician assistant joining the emergency department at the Elbow Lake Medical Center. Keri shares her background, including her non-linear career path from nursing to cosmetology and back to medicine. She talks about her passion for the unpredictability of emergency medicine, her patient-centered philosophy of care, and explained the role of a Level Four Trauma Cen...

Paige Fritz is a Physician Assistant and is joining Lake Region Healthcare to serve as a Physician Extender for Dr. Dennis Gerold, Dr. Kristina England, and Susie Berg, PA. She's a Dalton, MN native and is excited to be back home to establish her PA practice here with these exceptional providers. Listen in to learn more about Paige, about the role of a Physician Extender, and to hear how Paige pla...

Today we welcome Dillon Boen, PA as the newest member of our growing medical staff. Dillon shares what led him to a career in medicine after growing up helping his parents run the “Bluebird Gardens” farm near Fergus Falls. He talks with us about his previous work in cardiology, his new dual role in internal medicine and cardiology at Lake Region Healthcare, and his patient care philosophy centered...

Today’s guest is Emily Janochoski, the newest nurse practitioner joining the family practice team at Lake Region Healthcare. Emily shares her motivation for becoming a nurse practitioner, her patient care philosophy, and the types of appointments she’ll be offering to patients of all ages. She also lets us in on one of her favorite hobbies, her dahlia garden and the hummingbirds it attracts!

Dr. Steven Moore from the LRH Urology department joins us for September, National Prostate Health Month, to discuss the symptoms, screening, and treatment of prostate issues including background on the controversy around PSA screening. He also emphasizes the importance of shared decision making between patients and providers as a crucial aspect of prostate cancer treatment and recognition.

Dr. Herold-Ordonez has returned to his home state of Minnesota to join the General Surgery team at Lake Region Healthcare. Listen in to hear more about his background, motivations for pursuing medicine and surgery, his patient care philosophy, the types of procedures he’ll perform, and his special interest in helping people find relief from hemorrhoid problems.

National Immunization Awareness Month: Addressing Vaccine Questions, Concerns & Misconceptions Dr. Ibrahim Khan, a primary care family medicine physician at Lake Region Healthcare, joins us for this discussion during National Immunization Awareness Month.  We ask Dr. Khan about the most common patient concerns about vaccines, how he approaches these conversations, the evidence supporting vacci...

Today’s guest is Danielle Lesmeister, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who recently moved from her administrative role at Lake Region Healthcare to join the medical group and offer psychiatry services. She will see patients from infancy to older adulthood in both Elbow Lake and Morris. Hear about Danielle’s background in nursing, including work in home care and psychiatric nursing, a...

Today we’re excited to introduce Dr. Theresa Holladay, OB/GYN to our community. She is an experienced OB/GYN provider with over 30 years in the medical field. She has had a diverse career, including a solo private practice and working in federal clinic systems serving underserved populations, along with a wide range of expertise, including obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive psychiatry. In ad...

Miranda Mathison is the newest member of our medical staff, serving as a Physician Assistant in the Wound Care Center. Originally from Devils Lake, ND and originally a dental hygienist, Miranda shares why she became a Physician Assistant later in life, what wound care is, and who can benefit from it in this episode of Apple a Day.

A Pelican Rapids native, Shelby is excited to return to her hometown area and join the pediatrics team at Lake Region Healthcare, where she feels a strong sense of community and familiarity. On today’s show she shares educational and professional journey, her care philosophy, which emphasizes shared decision-making, evidence-based practice, and a holistic approach that considers both traditional a...