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Saturday, May 16, 2009
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Biz Buzz: Work begins on a center that could save lives
Senior Reporter More than the typical ceremonial shovelfuls of dirt, the groundbreaking ceremony for Brainerd Lakes Heart and Vascular Center had large earth-moving equipment on scene and workers on site.
Brainerd Lakes Health, which includes the hospital and Brainerd Medical Clinic, hosted the groundbreaking and dedication ceremony at the site Thursday afternoon at the hospital in north Brainerd.
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A groundbreaking ceremony at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd marked work on the Brainerd Lakes Heart & Vascular Center, which is expected to be complete by January 2010. Nor-Son Inc. is behind the construction effort. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
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"Today we officially begin building the Brainerd Lakes Heart and Vascular Center at St. Joseph's Medical Center," said Tom Prusak, Brainerd Lakes Health chief executive officer. "This new heart center will offer full service cardiac care right here in the heart of Minnesota."
The heart center will save long commutes and the strain of receiving care far from home, Prusak said.
"In emergency situations we will be saving lives," he said.
The heart center is expected to be completed in early 2010. It will operate as a department of St. Joseph's Medical Center. St. Joseph's is partnering with The Central Minnesota Heart Center of CentraCare in St. Cloud and St. Mary's Duluth Clinic Heart Center. Nor-Son Inc. is behind the construction.
Brainerd Lakes Health said "the heart center will provide full-service cardiac non-invasive diagnostic imaging, invasive and interventional cardiology, including emergency intervention, enhanced inpatient services, specialized care for heart failure management and a pacemaker clinic."
Invasive services include cardiac catheterization, diagnostic angiography, pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators other interventional services include blocked arteries of the leg. The center will not involve cardiovascular surgery.
"There is a need for this level of care," said Jani Wiebolt, St. Joseph's Medical Center president, noting the creation of the catheterization lab to perform invasive cardiovascular diagnostics. Those diagnostics include angiograms where dye is injected to find blocked arteries.
The addition of the heart center is expected to add about 23 jobs.
Dr. Bernie Erickson, Central Minnesota Heart Center, discussed the scope of care. Erickson said while it's easy to focus on invasive procedures and the creation of the cath lab, other components include ways to improve survival of a sudden cardiac event from teaching high school students CPR to therapeutic hypothermia to improve patient recovery. All will be brought to Brainerd, Erickson said.
Funding for the $12 million project was jump-started by a $1.02 million donation as an anonymous gift from a woman who lives in the lakes area. The donation was matched dollar-for-dollar by the St. Joseph's Foundation. A capital campaign expects to raise the remaining $2 million needed for the project.
Grand View Lodge, Nisswa, announced the continuing restoration project for the resort's landmark main lodge.
The lodge was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Grand View reported it was involved in a multi-phased project to restore the lodge building, which was constructed with locally cut logs. The lodge was built in the early 1900s by M.V. Baker to house real estate clients interested in purchasing land on Gull Lake, Grand View reported. Baker sold the lodge in 1937 to Reynolds Frederick Brownlee "Brownie" Cote.
Cote owned two area camps - Camp Lake Hubert for Girls and Camp Lincoln for Boys. Grand View already completed Phase One, winterizing second floor guest rooms and renovating the lower level lounge, creating the Northwoods Pub. Grand View reported remaining phases will focus on restoring the log structure.
"The distinct charm and character of Grand View Lodge is embodied in the historic lodge," Thierry Roch, executive director of Historic Hotels of America said in a news release. "I commend them for investing in the preservation of such a beautiful historic landmark as travelers will appreciate, and benefit from, these efforts for many generations to come."
RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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