Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that can affect movement. These symptoms can vary from each patient and can consist of mild tremors, stiffness when walking, shuffling gait, rigid movements, freezing when walking, slurred speech, minimal arm movement, or little to no facial expression. Parkinson’s affects more than 50,000 people each year.

How can Parkinson’s be treated? If you or a family member is concerned about symptoms such as these, see you doctor to discuss treatment options. LifeCare Rehabilitation Services provides a program called LSVT BIG which consists of an individualized treatment plan for each patient.

What is LSVT BIG? The LSVT BIG Protocol is an evidence-based treatment shown to improve gait speed, step length, transfers, balance and function with activities of daily living in patients with Parkinson’s disease. This program is offered in a one-to-one treatment setting. This treatment can only be provided by a certified Physical or Occupational Therapist. During LSVT BIG therapy sessions the therapist will focus on improving bigness of each movement to help reduce the Parkinson’s disease through high effort, intensive treatment.

How often would patient’s complete LSVT BIG? Patients would attend therapy four times per week for a minimum of four weeks. Typical treatment is one-hour sessions customized to fit each patient’s needs and goals.

What do the LSVT BIG treatments consist of? Treatment consists of repetitive movements and challenges as well as home assignments that promote bigger movements in everyday life. These treatments help improve the patient’s ability to perform bigger movement and smaller movement daily tasks. LSVT BIG focuses on improving the patient’s ability to participate in functional daily tasks with increased safety and reduced risk of falls.

Outcomes from LSVT BIG? This therapy has been researched for over 25 years providing positive outcomes for patients who have completed the program. The goal is for patients to improve activities of daily living, working toward gaining back independence.

Where are these services provided? LifeCare Rehabilitation Services offers the LSVT BIG program at all locations; Roseau, Warroad and Greenbush. If you have additional questions please contact a therapist:

Roseau: 218-463-4787
Greenbush: 218-782-4003
Warroad: 218-386-3155

Improve your quality of life and let LifeCare Rehabilitation Services help you regain independence and function in your daily activities.

LifeCare Medical Center with locations in Roseau, Warroad and Greenbush, announced it has been recognized, for the fourth time, as one of the 2022 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™.

LifeCare received this distinguished honor out of 1,350 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States in 2018, 2020, 2021 and now in 2022. There are 77 Critical Access Hospitals in Minnesota; LifeCare is one of 5 hospitals recognized in 2022.

“To be granted this prestigious honor four times and especially over the past two most challenging years, is really a tribute to the dedication of our team! They continue to focus on excellence while providing high quality care” says Keith Okeson, President/CEO of LifeCare.” “The work that our team accomplishes every day is truly impressive. Every single employee deserves recognition in making this honor a reality.”

“Despite unprecedented adversity rural providers continue to display resiliency and a steadfast commitment to their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Honoring the Top 100 is one of the highpoints of our year. We are delighted to recognize the exceptional performance and innovation of this year’s recipients, particularly in light of the extraordinary challenges facing America’s rural health safety net.”

Over the course of the last 12 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives.

LifeCare Medical Center is a not-for-profit health care system employing approximately 450 people throughout Roseau County in Northern Minnesota. To learn more about LifeCare Medical Center, visit lifecaremc.org

August 23, 2021 | Warroad, MINN – As big changes in downtown Warroad have been announced, LifeCare Rehabilitation Services will be moving into a new temporary location in Suite 201, G entrance (formerly the DD HUB space).

In January 2021, LifeCare announced the purchase of the former Dollar Savers Building in Warroad with the intent to renovate and become a community wellness center. In early August 2021, the DD HUB announced their move in downtown Warroad, spurring some shifting of spaces at Lake Street Center.

“This move is a win-win for everyone as we grow and expand in Warroad. This temporary move will allow new growth on Lake Street as well as allow us to continue to serve area patients,” says Shannon Carlson, Chief Operating Officer at LifeCare Medical Center. 

LifeCare Rehabilitation Services is temporarily moving to the former DD Hub space next to Studio 212 located on the corner of Lake Street; Suite 201, G entrance. Beginning Thursday, August 26^th, patients can be seen at the new location. 

The LifeCare Fitness Center is currently closed but will be reopening in a temporary location soon. An announcement will be made as soon as it’s available. 

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Warroad Rehabilitation Services; 218-386-3155.

April 7, 2021 – Roseau, MN | LifeCare Medical Center with locations in Roseau, Warroad and Greenbush, announced it has been recognized, for the third time, as one of the 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 11^th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®.

LifeCare received this distinguished honor out of 1,350 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States in 2018, 2020 and now in 2021.

“To be granted this prestigious honor in the midst of a pandemic is really a tribute to the dedication of our staff who focus on excellence while providing high quality care” says Keith Okeson, President/CEO of LifeCare.” “I am proud of our entire organization. The work that our employees have accomplished over the past year during the Covid-19 health crisis is truly impressive. Our entire team is so deserving of this award.”

“The Top 100 program continues to illuminate strategies and innovation for delivering higher quality care and better outcomes within rural communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be able to spotlight the efforts of these facilities through the INDEX framework.”

Over the course of the last 11 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives.

LifeCare Medical Center is a not-for-profit health care system employing approximately 450 people throughout Roseau County in Northern Minnesota.

January 11, 2020 | Roseau, MINN – LifeCare Medical Center has signed a purchase agreement of the former Dollar Savers Building in Warroad with the intent to renovate and become a community wellness center. “We have solidified the purchase of the building and are now ready to move forward with design and planning of a new Warroad wellness facility,” says Shannon Carlson, Chief Operating Officer at LifeCare Medical Center. “We started working with the owner of the 13,000 square foot building prior to the pandemic, and because of the health crisis, advancement on the purchase was delayed,” says Carlson. Working together, LifeCare Medical Center and Warroad Community Development, LLC (WCD) are excited to fulfill a community need that has arisen from the voice of the community. Both parties believed now was the perfect time to act. “The establishment of a community wellness center has been a consistent community request,” says Cyndy Renfrow, Executive Director of Warroad Community Development, LLC.  “We are excited to see this vision become a reality through this partnership.” LifeCare Medical Center opened LifeCare Rehabilitation Services in Warroad in October of 1997, housing a fitness center as well as full rehabilitation capabilities for the Warroad area. This purchase will allow them to expand into a new building, offer more services, and offer the community new wellness opportunities. “The long-term strategic planning lead by the WCD, LLC in conjunction with the City of Warroad is impressive. It has brought enthusiasm and energy to Warroad. LifeCare is pleased to be a part of this revitalizing growth and development of the community,” said Keith Okeson, President and CEO of LifeCare Medical Center. A Warroad Wellness planning team has been established in conjunction with LifeCare Medical Center personnel for the purpose of assessing the needs of the community and then defining and prioritizing services and programming for the 13,000 square foot Wellness Center. This group will work with LifeCare Medical Center’s architectural firm to map services and required space to the building plans. The design and build out of the facility along with the wellness services and programming is expected to begin in early 2021 with an opening targeted for Fall 2021.

LifeCare Medical Center’s Birthing Center is pleased to announce the 2021 New Years Baby, Paisleigh Grace-Lynn Jaros.

Born on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 12:26 p.m., Dr. Jessica Simmons delivered Paisleigh weighing eight pounds and measuring 19 inches long. She was born to parents, Lolah Cole and John Jaros, Jr. of Williams, MN.

“I was excited to hear Paisleigh was the first baby in the new year,” said mom, Lolah.

Congratulations to the family and welcome to the world Paisleigh!

LifeCare Medical Center, Chief of Medical staff, Shivali Devgon, M.D. was one of the first to receive the Pfizer/COVID-19 vaccinations at LifeCare today.

“This vaccination brings much needed hope to end this pandemic and darkness in our lives. I encourage everyone to get this vaccine and do their part. We all have a responsibility, let’s do it,” said Devgon.

LifeCare Public Health staff, escorted by the Roseau County Sheriff’s Department, traveled to Bemidji to pick up the vaccine earlier Monday morning.

“After months of exhaustion, we’re happy and relieved our front line staff are being offered this vaccine along with other Minnesota health care facilities. We’re hopeful that other community residents will choose to receive the vaccination as the next phases open in Minnesota,” stated Keith Okeson, President and CEO of LifeCare Medical Center.

Julie Pahlen, Director of LifeCare Public Health mentioned how important it is to continue to protect those that are the most vulnerable. “We must keep in mind that we still need to mask up, social distance and avoid gathering to minimize the spread of this virus in Roseau County. Since initial supplies of the vaccine are limited, it is critical to remain cautious,” said Julie Pahlen, Director of LifeCare Public Health.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccination and Minnesota Department of Health public vaccination phases, please visit: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine

“There can be a lot of confusion about testing,” said Nima Mostofi, MT, Director of LifeCare Laboratory. “We want people to be confident and trust LifeCare staff to make the right decision on what type of test is best in each individual situation.”

Since March 2020, the world we live in has changed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Throughout the last months, we’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge about the virus, testing, and ways to treat it.

Since the start of the nationwide health crisis, LifeCare has been extremely proactive in researching and sourcing Covid-19 testing services for Roseau County.

LifeCare’s Director of Laboratory Services, Nima Mostofi was interviewed to give us a basic course in COVID-19 testing availability at LifeCare Medical Center.

“There can be a lot of confusion about testing,” said Nima Mostofi, Director of LifeCare Laboratory. “We want people to be confident and trust LifeCare staff to make the right decision on what type of test is best in each individual situation.”

Mostofi broke down the differences between testing processes at LifeCare to help us gain a better understanding of what COVID-19 testing means.

In March, most people knew of two tests; the widely available nasal swab test that was sent out to Mayo Clinic Laboratories and the limited “rapid” test that was processed at LifeCare Lab. Mostofi will explain more about these tests as well as other LifeCare resources.

MOLECULAR/PCR TESTS

Molecular tests are commonly referred to as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, which detects virus’s genetic materials. PCR tests are considered the gold standard method for diagnosing COVID-19. These are typically a nasal swab test.

By far, the most commonly used test at LifeCare and throughout the nation. These tests are very accurate and can be performed with a very tiny amount of genetic material. “This PCR test is able to pick up very small amounts of viral RNA very early in an infection, so there is a low chance for false negatives, including pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases,” says Mostofi.

Running a PCR test and reading its results requires specific supplies and testing equipment. “The reference lab we use is Mayo Clinic Lab in Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo’s turnaround time for testing depends on the transportation/delivery of the specimen. They are able to run over 10,000 tests per day”, says Mostofi. “LifeCare receives a special transport media and collection swab directly from the Mayo Lab. They are very prompt and reliable with their supply delivery.”

The PCR Rapid point-of-care tests are another type of diagnostic Covid 19 testing. The chemicals (known as reagents) are a major obstacle in the testing ability due to a nationwide shortage. LifeCare is able to perform these tests in-house, however the testing ability is directly dependent on reagents availability. These tests are in very low supply and used only in specific circumstances.

Mostofi was quick to note that although patients know they are getting swabbed for COVID-19, they might not know the exact test that’s being used based on their symptoms. “We have worked hard to source tests from several different vendors. Many other hospitals our size (and larger) have only been able to locate PCR Rapid tests from one supplier, whereas we have been able to obtain 4 different types of PCR rapid tests from a variety of resources and that’s been a game changer for us,” said Mostofi.

To date, LifeCare Medical Center front line staff have collected nearly 8,000 COVID-19 tests total and nearly half of those have been processed in the LifeCare Laboratory. “Our Lab team is exceptional and we are working around the clock to support our providers and patients,” said Mostofi.

Saliva Tests – The other type of PCR testing available in our area for COVID-19 diagnostics is the Saliva Test. Like the PCR and Rapid point-of-care test, the saliva test also detects disease by looking for traces of the virus’ genetic material on a sample. In this case the sample comes from spit, instead of from a nose or throat swab.

The test is available to all Minnesota residents at no cost through Vault Health at https://learn.vaulthealth.com/state-of-minnesota/.

The test kit will be delivered by UPS to your home where a Vault Test Supervisor will guide you through your collection process. Tests seem to be readily available, with test results coming in as little as two days.

In all Covid-19 diagnostics, time of testing is an important piece to getting accurate results. Infections can be missed if testing happens too soon following exposure. The sweet spot seems to be testing roughly 2-5 days after possible exposure. However, keep in mind that science has shown that a person can turn positive from 2 to 14 days after exposure, others have been entirely without symptoms.

ANTIGEN TESTS

Like PCR tests, Antigen tests are a diagnostic test that determines if someone has an active COVID-19 infection. Antigen tests usually require a nose or throat swab also. “Unlike PCR tests, which look for genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, antigen tests look for proteins that is a part of the virus’ surface,” says Mostofi. “These test are processed in-house at the LifeCare Lab and take less than 30 minutes to complete.”

Antigen tests are particularly useful for identifying a person who is at or near peak infection. Antigen tests are less expensive and generally faster. The downside is that they can be less accurate.

Since the antigen test is much less sensitive than PCR, it is even more important to only utilize this test for those with active COVID-19 symptoms that are shedding a large amount of virus. Antigen tests are not recommended for screening those who do not have symptoms. If a person has symptoms and receives a negative antigen test result, a provider may even order a PCR test to confirm the result.

“LifeCare has an adequate number of this rapid Antigen tests on hand, however this test will only be used for those who are very actively shedding the virus,” says Mostofi.

ANTIBODY (Serology) TESTS

Unlike the other tests listed above, antibody tests aren’t meant to pick up on current infection with SARS-CoV-2. Rather, they search the blood for antibodies; proteins the body makes in response to an infection that may provide immunity against the same disease in the future. “These tests look for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies to see if you’ve previously had coronavirus,” says Mostofi. “After receiving a physician order, a blood sample is collected by LifeCare laboratory and sent to the Mayo Laboratory where the antibody test is performed; with results taking 2-4 days to complete.”

These tests can be useful for people who had telltale COVID-19 symptoms but received negative test results—perhaps because they were tested later in their illness—to determine whether they likely had COVID-19 in the past.

Scientists do not yet know how well or for how long coronavirus antibodies protect someone from a future case of COVID-19. Current science suggests that a positive antibody test result does not mean you can’t get COVID-19 again.

As we continue to learn more about this virus every day, we do know getting tested and quarantining close contacts will help lower the infection rate of Roseau County. Even though the first COVID-19 vaccine was released this week, staying cautious to the virus is critical until many people are vaccinated.

Getting tested at LifeCare is easy. Simply call the 24HR Testing Hotline to set up an appointment: 218.463.4750

Nima Mostofi, MT (ASCP) joined LifeCare in June 1997 as the Director of Laboratory Services.

November 20th, 2020 | Roseau, MINN — LifeCare Public Health has received confirmation from the Minnesota Department of Health of a second death in Roseau County due to COVID-19. The individual was a resident in their 70s who lived in Roseau County.

“Although this is not unexpected, it is still sad news for our community. Our hearts go out to all the loved ones and care givers affected by this tragic death, and to all those suffering from this virus,” said Julie Pahlen, Director of LifeCare Public Health. “We are committed to fighting the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota and across the country. Together we will get through this historic health challenge.”

“We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. Not only to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us,” noted Keith Okeson, President and CEO of LifeCare Medical Center.

As of today, Roseau County has had 885 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. While the virus does not discriminate, individuals over the age of 65 are at higher risk of severe illness and negative consequences.

With two deaths in Roseau County, it serves as a sad reminder how critical it is to follow the guidelines and be respectful of the health of others. It is important that individuals and organizations take action to slow the spread of the virus – adhere to the stay at home order and follow all applicable guidance and recommendations from national, state and local health officials. Please continue to wear a mask, avoid large gatherings, and stay home if you are sick.

LifeCare Public Health continues to work closely with the Minnesota Department of Health, and our public and private partners to understand the challenges and find ways to address the spread of COVID-19 in Roseau County.

Roseau, MINN – LifeCare Medical Center has confirmed the first COVID-19 death in Roseau County.

The individual died at LifeCare Medical Center on November 5th, 2020 from complications associated with the virus. The patient was a Roseau County resident in their 70s with underlying health conditions. To protect the family’s privacy, no further information about this patient will be released.

“Our condolences and prayers are with the family. This is a sad reminder of how COVID-19 can impact anyone. It is important that we all do our part to stop the spread of this virus by staying at home, practicing social distancing if you must go out, and following other MDH and CDC guidelines,” said Keith Okeson, President and CEO, LifeCare Medical Center.

For more Covid-19 related information, please visit.
www.lifecaremc.org/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/