Breakthrough Care: Jerrold Vitek, MD, PhD

Healthcare can be complicated. People often don’t know what to do next: Where should I go? Who should I talk to? Who is the best person to see? How can I get the information I need?

It’s a struggle that Jerrold Vitek, MD, PhD, head of neurology at University of Minnesota Medical School, understands. “Medicine is like a puzzle,” he said. “The key is to take all of those pieces and put them together into one cohesive picture so that you know where each edge is and you have every link in between.” 

“The promise of putting that puzzle together, while keeping things simple for patients, is at the core of what M Health Fairview is building. The combination of M Health with Fairview means delivery of the best healthcare in the most efficient way possible,” Dr. Vitek said.

Another advantage of M Health Fairview, from Dr. Vitek’s perspective, is that it connects the latest clinical discoveries with patients who can benefit from them.

“We’re taking the research, the science at the leading edge of innovation, the things we have that no one else has, and we’re able to translate it so that patients get access to these new treatments.”

One great example from Dr. Vitek’s own practice is deep brain stimulation for patients with movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. Looking back just a few years, patients had limited options to help relieve the shaking or involuntary movements that were disrupting their lives. Today, by implanting a device in the brain – what Dr. Vitek calls a “brain pacemaker” – people get significant relief from symptoms and marked improvement in function, returning to activities they hadn’t done in years. Patients often report they wish they would have done it sooner.

“These are very new things. We are on the front lines at M Health Fairview, discovering how to do this work, how to make it easier for the patients, with consistently outstanding outcomes,” he said.

The most amazing part of his work, according to Dr. Vitek, is the moment when people receiving this treatment realize that the tremor that had stopped them from doing everyday things – like holding a cup of coffee, buttoning a shirt, or shaking someone’s hand – finally stops, and they cry joyful tears. Their lives once again open up with the possibility of returning to hobbies and activities they love, from painting to piano. “It never gets old,” he said.

Bringing new treatments to his patients, and to others like them, is why Dr. Vitek is thrilled to be part of M Health Fairview. “Not only will M Health Fairview be able to advance the pace of discovery, far beyond what we’ve been able to do before, but we’ll be able to get it into the clinic a lot faster. That’s the part that makes me excited. All that work in the lab – you want to see fruition. You want to see patients taking advantage of it.” 

Moments That Matter: Danielle Vrieze, PhD, LP

Danielle Vrieze, PhD, LP, is a child psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, where she co-directs the early childhood program. She is inspired by the natural resilience of children and families, which is why she chose to specialize in child and adolescent psychology. “I realized early on that this is what I love, this is what I want to do: supporting children and families,” she said.

At the core of what I do is building a relationship. The relationship is the thing on which we build all of the care that follows thereafter.”

One of the most important treatments Dr. Vrieze offers – her ability to truly listen and to recognize the unique individual in front of her — grows out of her compassion for her patients. Forming a strong relationship with her patients is a crucial part of the treatment she provides. It’s how she makes moments that matter to her patients, their families, and their communities.

“At the core of what I do is building a relationship. As a child psychologist, that is everything. The relationship is the most basic part. It’s the thing on which we build all of the care that follows thereafter,” she said. “Seeing the individuals for who they are is essential to their care and their health.”

Her work requires deep commitment and total focus. “In the moment when I am working with my patients, I am completely focused on their care and seeing them as whole individuals, including the family and community that they live within,” she said. “When I think about the families that I work with, I also think about what I would want for my own children.”

Dr. Vrieze pairs her empathy and dedication with a robust evidence-based approach. “Evidence-based practice is essential to the care we deliver. There are all kinds of interventions available, and some have better evidence behind them than others.” An evidence-based approach means that providers tailor treatments to the patient’s condition, based on what we know works. “Evidence-based interventions allow us to be sure we’re giving the best care: the most efficient and the most effective.”

As Dr. Vrieze looks to the future of M Health Fairview, she sees enormous potential to offer care that changes her patients’ lives. “With the new partnership of the University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Physicians, and Fairview, patients are getting access to some of the brightest physicians and providers that this state offers. With that comes incredible research, knowledge, and evidence-based practice.” For Dr. Vrieze, M Health Fairview’s approach toward individualized, coordinated care means great things are coming for the children and families she cares for. “Healthcare can be confusing for most people. It has a lot of moving parts and is very dynamic. The easiest way to start to tailor that experience is to make it more personable, and having that relationship between the patient and provider is step one. That connection really helps.”

Breakthrough Care – Billy D. Wyatt, MD, FAAFP

Billy D. Wyatt, MD, FAAFP, is an emergency medicine physician at M Health Fairview Northland Hospital in Princeton, MN, and he likes to fix people’s problems. “The most rewarding thing is when I can instantly help people. That’s why I love emergency medicine,” he said.

For Dr. Wyatt, working in the ER is all about finding out why a person is suffering, easing that suffering, and making a plan to help that person get better. “The ER is a little different, because even though we may be delivering bad news initially, patients are thankful that they are not alone in this process. I hear all the time, ‘Dr. Wyatt, thank you for explaining this, for getting this figured out, for pointing me in the right direction, for getting me set up with a plan.’”

“By combining M Health and Fairview, you’re really getting the best of both worlds.”

M Health Fairview is making it easier for Dr. Wyatt to connect his patients with the renowned specialists from the University of Minnesota – all while receiving follow-up care from community physicians close to home. M Health Fairview combines the best of University of Minnesota and Fairview to bring world-class, research-driven care in your community.

“People want to stay local for their healthcare. They don’t want to travel far. That’s why I think that access to specialists from the University of Minnesota is the best part of M Health and Fairview coming together,” Dr. Wyatt said. “I see the results – I see the treatment plans, and I know my patients are going to get five-star care at M Health Fairview.”

“When people have an emergency, whether it’s a heart attack, a stroke, or cancer, they come to the ER looking for help,” Dr. Wyatt said. “As a small community hospital in Princeton, we don’t always have the specialist resources on staff. But what we do have is M Health Fairview.”

Whether a person needs open-heart surgery or cancer care, Dr. Wyatt says he and his colleagues coordinate and collaborate with the University of Minnesota’s team of specialists. While one of Dr. Wyatt’s patients may need to have surgery or a specialist consultation at the University of Minnesota, all of their follow-up care can be taken care of close to home. 

“That means a lot to my patients, because they can get local access to the specialists that they need, and they don’t have to go too far,” Dr. Wyatt said. “Their eyes light up when they learn that they don’t have to go back and forth. They can follow their treatment plan without having to travel such a long distance.”

“You are going to get efficient, convenient care close to home, combined with access to cutting-edge technology, cutting edge research, and the best specialists in the world,” Dr. Wyatt said. “By combining M Health and Fairview, you’re really getting the best of both worlds.”

Creating an Easier, Simpler Healthcare Experience: Mandy Souba

Think of Mandy Souba’s team as M Health Fairview’s welcome mat. Healthcare can feel complicated and confusing, but M Health Fairview is working on solutions to streamline and simplify the experience for patients – and Souba’s team is an essential part of that work. As system director for patient registration and the Customer Solutions Center, she leads the team responsible for helping patients get access to care, whether by phone, online, or in person.

“We make access to care and information feel seamless and simple, meeting people where they are and making the process easy in order to help them find their way through a complex place,” Souba said. “Our job is to get them what they need, make them feel comfortable, and make them feel cared about.” Although there is a lot of complicated technology behind the scenes, “It shouldn’t feel hard. It should feel intuitive and easy.”

Souba’s team has a significant role in M Health Fairview’s development of coordinated, connected care delivery. “Not all employees on my team are clinicians, but they all play a role in impacting how a patient feels about their care. Patients should feel assured and cared for when they interact with M Health Fairview, not just when you see your provider face-to-face, but at every point along the way.”

M Health Fairview is investing in technology to cut through the maze of healthcare, eliminate duplication, and create transparency. “Patients want to know that they are coming somewhere that they can trust, that will be responsive, and that will be helpful,” Souba said. “At M Health Fairview, patients will feel known, connected, and supported.”

M Health Fairview has embarked on a multi-year project to build the Health Transformation Center, which will be dedicated to simplifying the healthcare experience for our patients through three main components:

  • Customer Solutions Center, led by Souba, which will serve as an initial point of contact for anyone seeking care at M Health Fairview.
  • Connected Care, which will enable M Health Fairview to connect with patients throughout their health journey in convenient, relevant, and simple ways.
  • System Operations Center, a centralized monitoring system, which will help us anticipate needs, flex to meet demand, and solve problems in real time.

“I’m excited about the possibilities. We are building something that our patients want and are asking for,” Souba said. “I’m excited about being part of what’s to come – because we haven’t even realized all that’s possible in healthcare.”

Moments That Matter – Joy Nelson, BSN, RN, CMSRN, and Nichole Bushweiler, RN

At M Health Fairview, showing you the love and respect you deserve is why we’re here. Ask around, and you may find that people get a little uncomfortable at the idea of showing or expressing love in a healthcare setting. And yet, at M Health Fairview, love is part of our practice model.

Meet Joy Nelson and Nichole Bushweiler, two of M Health Fairview’s registered nurses. Spend just a few minutes with these moment makers, and you’ll understand what we mean when we say that our hearts are at the center of what we do.

“Love in healthcare involves thinking broadly about the person — body, mind, and soul. We think about how to fix the health problem, but then we have to add the love piece into it,” said Nelson. “Nurses have a passion for healing the most vulnerable.” At M Health Fairview, they are encouraged to embrace that passion.

Bushweiler brings her own life experiences to bear on the care that she gives each day. “I’ve been through some illnesses with my children, and I felt that sometimes I wasn’t being heard,” Bushweiler said. “It’s a really uncomfortable feeling, not knowing what’s going on. I want my patients to know that they’re being heard and that I’m here to advocate for and support them.”

For Nelson and Bushweiler, nursing is a profound profession. They are not just caring for patients – they are helping people navigate a challenging season in their lives. To do that, M Health Fairview’s nurses draw on their reserves of empathy and compassion.

 “I want to be able to communicate, to teach, to encourage, and to guide you, because love is what you need to heal,” said Nelson.

Beyond being an essential element of healing, love is the force that breaks down barriers, creating true bonds and forging connections. According to Bushweiler, “I’d like patients to know that I’m there for them. I’m going to treat them and their loved ones like they’re my own family: they’re my grandpa, they’re my children, they’re my mom. And I will always be there for them and do whatever I can to help them.”

In ways big and small, love is woven into the care Nelson and Bushweiler give their patients. Here is one example from Nelson’s own experience, one which she recalls every day:

It was a really busy shift that day, but I heard a patient calling my name in the hallway. When I rushed into her room, she told me that I was the only one who listened to what she wanted, and she wanted me to know that she was ready to die. She didn’t want me to leave the room at all, but I still had a very full and busy assignment. Throughout the morning, she kept calling out to me.  

I said, “How about I come and have lunch with you? We will have extra, uninterrupted time together.” She waited patiently for me, so when it was time for my break I came in with my lunch and I talked with her, hugged her, held her. We called her family, who lived overseas, and she was able to tell everyone that she loved them. And as she held my hand, she made the decision that it was time for her to go. It was one of the most incredibly amazing experiences I could ever have had in my life. She had wanted me there for this moment. She chose me, because I was someone who had listened to her and had given her all the love I could.

Showing love may not be simple, but for us, it comes naturally. Nelson sums it up perfectly: “At the end of the day, people may not remember who I am, but they are definitely going to remember how I made them feel.”