Physician: Family Medicine with Surgical OB

Horace breaks ground on new Essentia Health clinic. Essentia Health broke ground on a new clinic in Horace, which will offer several services, including an emergency room. Today at 5:53 PM News Reporting HORACE - North Dakota's fast-growing community is getting its own clinic. Horace, just south of West Fargo, will have its own clinic providing a number of services, including an emergency room. Essentia Health breaks ground on downtown Moorhead clinic Essentia broke ground on the new clinic on Monday, Oct. 26, located less than half a mile from Horace High School. Leaders with Essentia thanked the city of Horace for their work to make it possible. "It's my hope that this is just the beginning of more partnerships that improve health, safety and well-being for the residents of Horace," said Dr. Stefanie Gefroh Ellison, Essentia Health West Market president. The clinic is expected to open in late 2027. News Reporting

Essentia Health hosting Hypertension Night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly half of adults in the United States are living with hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. It's often regarded as a silent killer because it can come with no warning signs or symptoms. When left undiagnosed and uncontrolled, it increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney damage and more. That's why Essentia Health is hosting a Hypertension Night from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Essentia Health-West Duluth Clinic. There, attendees can get their blood pressure checked, receive educational materials, have experts review your medications and have an at-home blood pressure cuff calibrated. The goal is to help people better manage their blood pressure and learn more about the disease. Registration is required for this event, which can be made by calling (218) 786-3500. The West Duluth Clinic is located at 4212 Grand Avenue.

Mark Stewart nominated for MNSOPHE Dose of Prevention Award. The award is for an individual who focuses on curbing substance misuse. Today at 12:00 PM News Reporting WORTHINGTON - Mark Stewart was recently nominated for Minnesota Society for Public Health Education's (MNSOPHE) Dose of Prevention Award for his work with Unspoken Truth and his commitment to promoting mental health and preventing substance misuse in the community. According to Luke Ewald, awards chair for MNSOPHE and public health educator at Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services (DVHHS), the Dose of Prevention Award is new this year. Keep Watching Worthington High School 2024 Veterans Day Program "Mark and Unspoken Truth, I know the work that he's been doing. I know the work that he continues to try to do," Ewald said. "I know the impact Mark has made." Nominations opened in early summer and closed in September. "It's always interesting reading all of the nominations and obviously I always feel everyone's deserving but at the end there's a group that votes on who is the winner," Ewald said. Stewart's nomination write up mentioned his prevention and education efforts by leading COMET and Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, "helping equip community members and young people with skills to promote mental well-being and recognize when someone may need support." His work aims to increase awareness of local mental health resources and provide community members with the knowledge and tools they need to respond to substance-related emergencies and support those in need. "This means the world to me," Stewart said. "Harm reduction is part of our recovery journey and sharing what we know to prevent drug use, help curve the addiction and promote healthy lifestyles. We do this just by taking care of ourselves and loving and connecting with others that help us in return, they generally help themselves. MORE NOBLES COUNTY NEWS: "This has been such a group effort that it's hard to accept," Stewart continued. "The team, the support, the ones that put up with me when I'm on edge and pushing hard for programs, they all deserve this." Stewart then thanked Ewald, along with Taylor Schumacher and Kate Hill with Nobles County Community Services, Canvas Health, Windom Area Health, Southwest Initiative Foundation and many more. "Without them I would not have taken the next steps to achieve this goal. It's hard without that support," Stewart said. "I now have all these certificates because of them, to the point that the balance has shifted and there is no going back. The weight is now leaning forward and it is only achieving the next steps in my recovery and that's giving back through these programs." While Stewart was a finalist for the award, Laura Palombi, a research scientist at Essentia Institute of Rural Health in Duluth, won the Dose of Prevention Award. Other MNSOPHE award categories include the Dr. Judith Luebke Award, Wellness Warrior Award, Teamwork Titan Award and the Green Guardian Award. Several DVHHS staff members were nominated for awards. Roger Polhman won the Emergency Preparedness Powerhouse Award for helping address Lakefield's aging and malfunctioning emergency-warning sirens. He also supported improvements to communication for local first responders and participated in hazard-mitigation planning. Michelle Ebbers was nominated for the Dr. Judith Luebke Award. Her nomination write up included that she played a vital role in the emergency preparedness and response efforts of Jackson and Windom. She has driven public health policy change and collaboration at both the regional and state levels. Matt Haley was nominated for the Wellness Warrior Award. Although he has only been with DVHHS for a short time, he has already made a lasting impression through his dedication, compassion and commitment to serving others. His contributions to the Out of the Darkness Walk were highlighted. Casey Williams won the Teamwork Titan Award. He is also early in his career at DVHHS, but has already been making an impact. His nomination read that from helping develop strategic plans to successfully applying for and securing a housing grant in partnership with Rebuilding Together, he consistently steps forward to turn ideas into meaningful action. He is now working collaboratively with several counties to develop a community health worker application that explores innovative ways of partnering with state-sponsored agencies. Ewald, who has been with DVHHS for just over 12 years, was also a winner of the Green Guardian Award for demonstrating exceptional impact on environmental health initiatives. He has attended council meetings in Cottonwood and Jackson counties to assist with walking trails, ensuring streets are safe for individuals in wheelchairs to travel. According to his nomination, he works beyond his hours and has the health of all as his priority. Award winners and nominees will be recognized at MNSOPHE's annual summit Nov. 5 at Winona State University. Stewart and his team plan to attend. MORE BY CHLOE FARNSWORTH