UCare held its 15th annual “A Salute to Excellence!” event Thursday evening, September 21, at the Delta Hotels in northeast Minneapolis to recognize 21 clinics and care systems with top results in 2022 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures – including preventive care, disease management, behavioral health, maternity care, care transitions and medication […]

Jessica Nybakken, AOCNP, Joins Lakewood Health System Oncology Team
Jessica Nybakken, advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner, joins Lakewood Health System’s oncology team. Nybakken is originally from Eden Prairie, MN and completed her undergraduate work at Gustavus Adolphus College. Her advanced nurse practitioner degree was completed at The College of St. Scholastica. She is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society and Sigma Theta Tau […]

Longbella Drug Under New Ownership Starting January 1, 2024
As a means of continuing the 60-year legacy of Longbella Drug, co-owners Chad Longbella and Lani LongbellaRoberts, have made the decision to sell Longbella Drug to Lakewood Health System. Chad and Lani were looking for opportunities to continue to provide the Staples community with the outstanding pharmacy services and products for which the family-owned business […]

Kelsey Dockendorf, CNP, Joins Lakewood Health System Medical Staff
Kelsey Dockendorf, certified nurse practitioner, joins Lakewood’s family medicine team. Dockendorf is from Richmond, MN and completed her advanced practice registered nursing degree at the University of North Dakota. She started working as a registered nurse at Lakewood in 2017, after moving to the area from Austin, TX. As a family medicine provider, Dockendorf will […]

Flu Shots Available at Lakewood Health System Starting September 25th
Lakewood Health System is offering flu shot clinics during the month of October. Clinic dates, times and locations are: Wednesday, October 11 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Pillager clinic (653 Pillsbury St. N) Saturday, October 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Staples clinic (49725 Cty. 83 – Entrance B) Thursday, […]

Lakewood to Hold Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Ceremony
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Each year, approximately one million pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of the newborn child. Lakewood Health System hosts a special ceremony to acknowledge these painful losses and provide comfort to families each year. Those who have been touched by a pregnancy […]

Olivia Kastello, MD, Joins Lakewood Health System Medical Staff
Dr. Olivia Kastello joins the family medicine team at Lakewood Health System. Dr. Kastello is originally from Winona, MN and received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth Medical School. She completed her residency at Kootenai Family Medicine Residency in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Dr. Kastello is a member of the American Academy of […]

Lakewood Grief Support Group to Meet at Sourcewell
Lakewood Health System will offer weekly grief support group meetings to be held every Tuesday from September 19th through October 24th from 3-4:30 p.m. at Sourcewell (202 12th St. NE, Staples). Anyone grieving the loss of a loved one, child, or any other loss is welcome to attend one or all meetings. As a participant […]

Chelsey Leuschke, PA-C, Joins Lakewood Health System Medical Staff
Chelsey Leuschke, physician assistant, joins Lakewood Health System’s orthopedic team. Leuschke grew up in Alexandria, MN and completed her undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College and received her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Augsburg University. She is a member of the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants, the American Academy of Physician Assistants […]

Free Sports Physicals
Lakewood and Twin Cities Orthopedics are teaming up to offer FREE high school sports physicals on Tuesday, July 25 from 5-8 p.m. Click the link below to register your child for an available time slot. https://lakewoodhealthsystem.wufoo.com/forms/lakewoodtco-sports-physicals-2023/

Carissa Arens, CNP, Joins Lakewood Health System Medical Staff
Carissa Arens, certified nurse practitioner (CNP), joins Lakewood Health System’s family medicine team. Arens grew up in Grantsburg, WI and completed her undergraduate studies at Excelsior University in Albany, NY and received her masters of science in nursing from the University of Cincinnati in OH. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse […]

Medical Assistance/MinnesotaCare Coverage Renewal
Like all states, Minnesota has maintained health care coverage for its Medicaid enrollees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 requires the return to standard eligibility procedures in Medicaid, which includes an annual eligibility review. That means most of the 1.5 million Minnesotans enrolled in Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program) and MinnesotaCare […]