Sanford Children's Urgent Care Clinic

04/12/2025

April is Autism Acceptance Month!

Join John Harris and Whitney Rolling, DO, from Sanford Health Pediatrics as they discuss autism: causes, treatments, debunking vaccine myths, and more.

Watch now:

Autism Acceptance Month with Dr. Whitney Rolling. Also, Minnesota sculptor Mary Williams.

04/11/2025

Allergy season is officially upon us, and some of you may already be dealing with symptoms.

Some might wonder if you are dealing with allergies or a common cold. While it might be confusing, there is a way to tell.

Woei Yeang Eng, MD in Sanford’s allergy department, says, ”The common cold, you have different things like a body ache and a little bit of fevers. The allergy in general doesn’t cause fever.”

Learn more from Valley News Live: https://san.fo/3ElNzMb

04/11/2025

Stephanie Hanson, MD, a pediatrician at Sanford Health, is warning the public about a serious health condition that is linked to va**ng and e-cigarette use known as bronchiolitis obliterans or "popcorn lung."

This rare condition occurs when the smallest airways in the lungs become inflamed and scarred. Not only is popcorn lung not curable, but it can also lead to lifelong complications.

Learn more about popcorn lung from WDAY TV News: https://san.fo/4lrELF9

04/10/2025

The changing weather in the region, from snowy and windy to sunny and warm, can have a noticeable impact on people's emotions, experts at Sanford Health say.

Emily Gard, Director of Internal Medicine at Sanford Health, says that staying active and social can help keep mood levels consistent, regardless of the weather outside.

Learn more: https://san.fo/3RxrRIh

04/09/2025

If you’ve been through a traumatic event and are having trouble processing it, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Find more resources at https://san.fo/3XQtl4F.

04/08/2025

In 2023, U.S. poison control centers provided help for over 2 million human poison exposures. While infants and children account for most of these cases, people of all ages face this risk in various ways.

Poison Educator at Sanford Poison Center Jessica Redepenning explained, “Anything from cleaning products, different medications you might have in your house, things you use in your garage or garden. Also, inhaling things like carbon monoxide, bites from animals or venomous stings from bees. Any of that can be considered a poison.”

Learn more about poison prevention from Dakota News Now: https://san.fo/42ikNUI

04/08/2025

It might be surprising, but research indicates that inflammation caused by gum disease can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

By taking proactive steps in your healthcare, you can help prevent and treat conditions like gum disease that may jeopardize your heart health.

To learn more about the connection between oral health and heart health, visit: https://san.fo/4iI7WCi

04/08/2025

Faced with a 2021 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to begin colorectal cancer screenings at 45, Sanford Health's clinical team faced a dilemma: How to manage screenings for 100,000 newly eligible patients with a limited supply of gastroenterologists in the rural Dakotas.

The solution: A new tool that could be embedded in the EHR aided by AI and designed to help physicians develop preventive-care plans for patients who many be at risk of developing colon cancer.

In a recent interview with the American Medical Association, Dr. Jeremy Cauwels, an internist and chief medical officer at Sanford Health, discussed the origins of the AI pilot at Sanford, how the health system plans to roll this out to physicians and his vision for using AI to detect a variety of diseases earlier to improve outcomes.

Read the full conversation here:

With augmented intelligence (AI), Sanford Health discovered nontraditional risk factors are five times better than traditional in identifying colon cancer risk.

04/08/2025

Each day, thousands of nonclinical employees at Sanford Health help patients indirectly, in hospitals, clinics and beyond. Every once in a while though, those working behind the scenes take on a central role in patient care.

Recently, guest services manager Michelle Harwood and communications technician Nick Dilley helped save a patient's life with some quick thinking and teamwork.

Read more:

Support staff can be the unsung heroes of hospitals, but Nick Dilley and Michelle Harwood helped save a patient's life at Sanford Health.

04/08/2025

The counselors and therapists at Sanford Behavioral Health in Bemidji, Minnesota, are used to caring for the mental health needs of their patients. But who takes care of the caregivers?

That question led to a new position filled by Nikki Bowman, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and the employee wellness counselor at Sanford Bemidji.

"It's a domino effect. It all matters. It's all the way down," said Anna Chock, clinical manager of outpatient services for Sanford Bemidji behavioral health. "This benefits everybody. It's not just the employee, it's also leadership, and therefore patients."

Learn more:

Counselors at Sanford Behavioral Health provide mental health care for their patients. Now someone takes care of the caregivers, too.

04/08/2025

"She is very focused on what she believes. That is, a commitment to rural communities. She has a passion for the people that she cares for as well as a great desire to make that difference and keep things moving."

Destinie Stapleton, a nurse practitioner at Sanford Jackson Medical Center in Jackson, Minnesota, has made a career out of putting the patient first while also looking for ways to do it better. As the 2025 Becky Nelson Fellowship honoree, she will now get the opportunity to do that on a larger scale.

Read her story: https://san.fo/42mX5qn

04/05/2025

If you've put off a health screening or simply forgotten to schedule it, you're not alone.

But, it's time to get back on track.

Screenings are crucial for catching disease at an early stage. Swipe to learn more.

04/04/2025

This week on Prairie Doc, Dr. Ellsworth welcomes Backer Abdu, MD, from Sanford Center for Digestive Health to discuss digestive health.

They're covering everything from common GI problems to answering your submitted questions.

Learn more:

Prairie Doc® host Dr. Andrew Ellsworth, with guests Dr. Cristina Hill Jensen, MD from Avera Medical Group Gastroenterology and Dr. Backer Abdu from Sanford ...

04/04/2025

In honor of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, employees across the Sanford footprint are here to remind to you check your colon!

Thank you to these employees for supporting the cause and reminding us all to ✔️ our colons!

To learn more about our colorectal cancer screening options, please visit: https://san.fo/3XGmnyj

04/03/2025

With race season quickly approaching, it's important for endurance athletes to focus on nutrition to support training.

But what are the warning signs of under-fueling? Natasha Hansen, RD, LRD, senior sports dietitian with Sanford Sports Performance, explains what to look for to avoid the dreaded “dead legs” feeling:

As mileage increases and runners hit peak weeks of training, nutrition becomes more important. Learn how to meet your body's growing needs.

04/03/2025

You don't need to live in pain.

Sanford Orthopedics & Sports Medicine specialists can help you improve mobility, relieve pain and return to your daily activities.

Know what to look out for so you know when to seek care: https://san.fo/41uD4xJ

04/03/2025

"The toughest thing with STIs is a lot of them are completely asymptomatic. And so you might have these symptoms, but if you don’t have those symptoms, that does not mean that you don’t have a sexually transmitted infection that you can potentially give to other people," said Charles Shaffer, MD, Sanford Health family medicine physician.

In this podcast episode from our Health and Wellness series, Dr. Shaffer brings you a better understanding of everything you need to know about sexually transmitted diseases.

Listen Now:

In this podcast episode, Dr. Charles Shaffer talks with Alan Helgeson to help increase awareness of sexually transmitted infections or STIs.

04/02/2025

Notice anything different lately?

Your breasts will naturally change as you age. But some changes can be a sign of something more serious.

Learn about all the possible signs of breast cancer – and when you should see a provider right away: https://san.fo/4iYkB4e

Share this with a loved one to spread awareness of breast cancer warning signs.