Business Notes Nov. 22

CAREER

Hartman receives national real estate honors

BAXTER - Joel Hartman, agent with EXIT Lakes Realty Premier, was recently recognized for sales transactions in North America at the company's international conference in Tennessee.

Hartman was honored last month for 50+ buying and selling transactions between July 2014 and July 2015 at the EXIT Realty Corp. International convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.. EXIT Realty Founder and Chairman Steve Morris and CEO Tami Bonnell made the presentation.

EXIT Lakes Realty Premier has offices in Baxter, Crosby and Pequot Lakes.

Steele joins Birchwood Therapy Services

Robert "Bob" Steele, licensed psychologist, joined Birchwood Therapy Services on Cypress Drive in Baxter.

For the past seven years Steele worked at Northern Pines Mental Health Center in Brainerd where he served as a psychologist in the outpatient office. Steele also provided crisis support as part of its Mobile Crisis team. Prior to his time at Northern Pines Mental Health Center, Steele served for 25 years as the executive director of a community mental health center in Owatonna.

Steele obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He is a member of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis and utilizes multiple therapy modalities. Steele uses hypnosis interventions, which are proven effective for trauma, he reported. Steele has extensive experience helping with clients with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. He has widespread community relations and has worked with many businesses to provide employee assessments and conflict resolution.

KLJ hires Byrne

KLJ, an engineering, surveying and planning firm, hired Garrett Byrne in its Brainerd office.

Byrne is a surveyor in the survey group. He earned a bachelor's degree in survey engineering from Michigan Technological University. Byrne has three years of experience in field engineering.

Since 1938, the employee-owned KLJ has provided multi-disciplinary engineering-based solutions for national, large-scale operations. And KLJ currently has 24 office locations throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and Florida.

Weston promoted to principal at CliftonLarsonAllen

Jon R. Weston, certified public accountant, has been promoted to principal, effective Nov. 1, 2015.

Weston is a part of the Construction and Real Estate Group in the Brainerd office of CliftonLarsonAllen and has been with the firm since 2005. Weston spends the majority of his time serving privately held general contractors and subcontractors ranging from sole proprietorships to large corporations. Weston also serves multi-entity, multi-specialty contractors doing business throughout the United States. Weston has been involved in business startups, business acquisitions, transition planning, and information technology services, as well as traditional tax and business planning. He is also the office technology leader and operational excellence champion. He serves as the treasurer of the Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project, is a member of the Baxter Kiwanis Club, and a lifelong resident of the Brainerd lakes area.

Russell Herder, DHS gain honors

Know the Dangers, a public service initiative designed to increase awareness about synthetic drugs, earned Russell Herder and their client, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Best Marketing Campaign honors in the national 2015 eHealthcare Leadership Awards. Healthcare organizations representing a broad industry spectrum received recognition for outstanding websites and digital communications at a special presentation in Orlando, FL, this month during the Nineteenth Annual Healthcare Internet Conference.

Winners of the 2015 eHealthcare Leadership Awards were selected from nearly 1,000 entries. A total of 113 individuals familiar with healthcare and the Internet judged the entries.

"This is an incredibly exciting time in health care marketing and ehealth, a fact clearly reflected in this year's award entries," says Mark Gothberg, eHealthcare Leadership Awards chairman, in a news release. "Major improvements have occurred in website design, service content, and operational support. Video, audio, and other rich media forms are now playing a significant role in engaging current and potential customers. In addition, an increasing number of sites are optimized for mobile, in recognition that most people now access the Internet with their phones and tablets."

"A significant number of organizations are running marketing campaigns that aggressively integrate websites and other digital communications with traditional media," Gothberg said. "These initiatives are showing strong results."

Winners of platinum, gold, silver, and distinction awards represented 16 industry classifications, from hospitals and health systems to pharmaceutical firms and online health companies. Awards were given in 15 different categories: Best Mobile Communications, Best Patient Access and Convenience, Best Site Design, Best Healthcare Content, Best Interactive, Best Care/Disease Management, Best Annual or Special Report, Best Patient Safety Communications, Best Doctor Directory, Best Social Networking, Best Rich Media, Best Marketing Campaign, Best Overall Internet Site, Best Intranet, and eHealth Organizational Commitment.

Judges looked at how websites and other digital communications compared with others in their organization's classification. They also reviewed entries based on a proprietary multi-point standard of Internet excellence.

To view project work and information about synthetic drugs, visit KnowtheDangers.com/now and the corresponding social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Russell Herder was founded in Brainerd and continues to serve numerous area clients.

Zuerner joins Nystrom and Associates

BAXTER - Frederica Zuerner recently joined Nystrom and Associates and has new duties as an adult mental health day treatment group therapist in Baxter.

Adult day treatment, a new program, is for individuals 18 years of age and up that need more intensive or structured support throughout the week without needing inpatient hospitalization. The treatment is a group experience, providing structure, support and therapy for mental health concerns. There are morning or afternoon groups offered. Consistent attendance of three to five days per week will allow participants to complete the program in 6-8 weeks.

Zuerner has a masters in social work and is a licensed graduate social worker.

Severson gains appointment

Minnesota Center for Orthopaedics surgeon Erik Severson, of Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby and Riverwood Healthcare in Aitkin, was recently appointed to a three-year term on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Hip, Knee & Adult Reconstruction Evaluation Committee.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is a medical organization for orthopedic surgeons that provides patient information on injuries and diseases of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Founded in 1933, the Academy is the preeminent provider of musculoskeletal education to orthopaedic surgeons and others in the world. The organization's continuing medical education activities include a world-renowned annual meeting, multiple continuing medical education courses held around the country and at the Orthopaedic Learning Center, and various medical and scientific publications and electronic media materials.

Severson has practiced at CRMC and Riverwood Healthcare the past five years. He completed a fellowship with specialty training in hip and knee reconstruction and joint replacement surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Severson received his undergraduate degree from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio; completed medical school at the University of Minnesota; and his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Utah. His work has been published in numerous professional publications and he has made presentations at national conferences.

Keysor Joins Gammello, Qualley, Pearson & Mallak

Seth Keysor has joined the law firm of Gammello, Qualley, Pearson & Mallak PLLC as an associate.

Keysor received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Minnesota in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, he was employed by another firm in the Brainerd lakes area. Keysor will be representing clients in the areas of real estate, corporate and business law, estate planning,

probate, elder law, civil litigation, family law, municipal law and criminal defense. Keysor resides in Brainerd with his family. He also serves as a youth pastor at the Brainerd Church of the Nazarene, where he serves as a board member.

CRMC gains recognition

CROSBY - Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby was selected as a top performing rural hospital by iVantage Hospital Strength INDEX.

The medical center was recently recognized for excellence in outcomes and patient perspectives, reflecting top quartile performance for performance leadership in areas of quality, outcomes, patient satisfaction, and financial strength when compared to all acute care hospitals in the country.

In collaboration with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, iVantage announced award winners at its annual meeting in Portland, Ore. iVantage partnered with the national organization to help rural hospitals celebrate National Rural Health Day on Nov. 19 by assessing and recognizing facilities.

"CRMC takes great pride in this recognition; it showcases the commitment of our medical staff, nurses and employees to continuous performance analysis and improvement," said CEO John Solheim, in a news release.

The ranking was designated by the Hospital Strength INDEX, the industry's most comprehensive and objective assessment of hospital performance. iVantage Health Analytics has developed a data-driven program designed to identify excellence across a broad spectrum of indicators relevant to hospital performance and patient care. The Hospital Strength INDEX captures performance metrics for more than 4,000 acute care hospitals, including over 1,300 rural and critical access hospitals. Leveraging data from public data sources, INDEX aggregates data from 66 individual metrics into three major categories and nine pillars to derive a single strength overall rating for each facility.

Sustainable agriculture grants due in December

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture reminds Minnesota farmers and others of the upcoming application deadline for the Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant Program on Dec. 15.

This grant program provides funding to test ideas with the potential to conserve natural resources and energy, enhance profitability, and improve life on the farm. All funded projects are summarized in the MDA's annual Greenbook publication: www.mda.state.mn.us/greenbook , which is an excellent resource for potential applicants, the MDA reports.

Farmers receive priority, but the program also funds Minnesota nonprofit and educational organizations, as long as Minnesota farmers are meaningfully involved in the project. The program is intended to help people try new things: while applicants should be optimistic about their idea, they don't have to guarantee success.

Projects can last up to three years, and applicants may receive up to $25,000, although many applicants request less. The deadline to apply is Dec. 15, 2015. Funds will be available in the spring of 2016.

Application materials are available at: www.mda.state.mn.us/grants/grants/demogrant.aspx or by calling 651-201-6012.

Tri-County Health receives national recognition

WADENA - Tri-County Health Care announced it has been recognized by iVantage HealthAnalytics and the National Organization of State Office of Rural Health for overall excellence in Outcomes, reflecting top quartile performance among all acute care hospitals in the nation.

"We are proud of Tri-County Health Care staff for their continued commitment to quality patient care. It is our goal to be the leader in exceptional care in rural Minnesota and our commitment to continuous performance analysis and improvement is a major part of that initiative," said Joel Beiswenger, TCHC President and CEO, in a news release.

The rankings have been designated by the Hospital Strength INDEX, the industry's most comprehensive and objective assessment of hospital performance. In partnership with NOSORH, iVantage Health Analytics has developed a data-driven program designed to identify excellence across a broad spectrum of indicators relevant to hospital performance and patient care. The Hospital Strength INDEX captures performance metrics for more than 4,000 acute care hospitals, including over 1,300 rural and Critical Access Hospitals. Leveraging data from public data sources, INDEX aggregates data from 66 individual metrics into three major categories and nine pillars to derive a single strength overall rating for each facility.

This announcement comes on Nov. 19, the anniversary of National Rural Health Day. Approximately 62 million people-nearly one in five Americans-live in rural and frontier communities throughout the United States.

WORKSHOPS

Have a business startup plan?

The next Going into Business for Yourself course is 6-9 p.m. Dec. 10 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

This session covers all areas of business startup, helpful advice on how to get a dream off the ground, how to become and stay profitable, including financing a new venture and necessary filings with the state of Minnesota. Follow-up counseling is available to qualified individuals from the Small Business Development Center's team of consultants at no charge to the individual. Cost is $49 per person or $29 for each additional business partner. Instructor is Jay Bock.

Deadline to register is Dec. 4.

For more information go to clcmn.augusoft.net " target="_blank">clcmn.augusoft.net/" target="_blank">clcmn.augusoft.net/ or contact Greg Bergman at 218-855-8145 or gbergman@clcmn.edu . For registration information, call 218-855-8118.

Cosmetology students have online option

A cosmetology continuing education online course allows students to complete the four-hour class in one week.

The course provides information on Minnesota laws and rules governing the practice of cosmetology, safety and sanitation consistent with the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational safety and health administration standards, applicable to the practice of cosmetology. Prerequisites are Minnesota cosmetology, esthetics, nail technician operator or manager's license. The class meets continuing education requirements for the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology. The class begins Dec. 7. Cost is $50. Instructor is Mary Finnegan.

For more information, call 218-855-8118 or 800-933-0346, Ext. 8118, go online to clcmn.augusoft.net " target="_blank">clcmn.augusoft.net and click on courses or email jgullickson@clcmn.edu .

Boiler courses offer path to prepare for exam

This course offers participants an opportunity to prepare for taking the special, first or second class and chief boiler exam.

Instruction will include: boiler types, attendance requirements for heating boilers, safety issues and state boiler rules, application paperwork and test procedures will be covered. Class fee of $255 includes all materials.

Testing and application fee for licensure will be an additional fee for the student with the Department of Labor and Industry.

Instructor is Daniel Weber. The class is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

For more information, call 218-855-8118 or 800-933-0346, Ext. 8118, go online to clcmn.augusoft.net " target="_blank">clcmn.augusoft.net and click on courses or email to polsen@clcmn.edu .