Lakewood Health System Resources

Region 5 Resources can help you find services, including:

• Behavioral Health providers
• Drop-in centers
• Education and employment
• Food and nutrition
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Support groups
• Transportation
• Veteran services

Never flush medications — this pollutes water and harms aquatic life. Instead:

• Prepare the container. Keep medication in its original container. Cover the patient's name with permanent marker, leaving content information visible.
• Make unappetizing. Add water to partially dissolve pills/capsules, or mix liquid medications with salt, flour, charcoal, or powdered spice like turmeric. For blister packs, wrap in multiple layers of opaque tape.
• Seal and conceal. Tape the container shut and place inside an opaque container (empty yogurt tub, etc.). Never use food packaging.
• Trash it. Place in garbage — not recycling.

Never leave needles loose or place in recycling bins. Always use proper storage and disposal methods.

• Destruction devices: Dispose of melted needles and syringes in garbage (not recycling)
• Mail-back programs: Ship to licensed facilities (fees apply — ask your provider or pharmacist)
• Transfer station/landfill: Place sharps in labeled laundry detergent bottle and drop off (not curbside pickup)

Lakewood Health System offers work-site health services to help businesses meet federal and Minnesota OSHA regulations, assist with workers' compensation insurance, and reduce lost time. Services include:

• Return to work/modified job recommendations for work-related injuries
• Drug and alcohol testing and supervisor training
• Hearing (audiometric) testing and education
• Pre-employment assessments
• HAZMAT assessments
• Respirator fit testing
• CPR and first aid training
• OSHA education to meet federal and Minnesota regulations

We also offer special health programs like customized health fairs, body compositions, and seated massage.

We voluntarily participate in programs that measure our performance against other hospitals regionally and nationally. Independent sources collect data on efficiency, safety, employee engagement, physician quality, and patient feedback — allowing you to make informed healthcare decisions.

• Hospital Compare (HCAHPS): National survey comparing hospitals on ten quality topics based on patient experiences
• Nursing Home Compare: Detailed information about Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes nationwide
• MN Health Scores: Care quality reports for Minnesota clinics, medical groups, and hospitals
• Home Health Compare (HH-CAHPS): Information about Medicare-certified home health agencies nationwide

Note: Some data may be up to a year old.

Because we want patients to feel like they can share their opinions anonymously, we work with a third-party vendor (PRC) to survey, gather results, and report feedback to us about our service throughout the year. PRC has been working with healthcare organizations nationwide for over 40 years to report findings, and improve clinical and business outcomes