Allina Health

Allina Medical Clinic - Ramsey

Narrator: Comfort. Convenience. Specialty Care. The Allina Medical Clinic in Ramsey, Minnesota is the new face of health care—an innovative facility that meets the needs of a rapidly growing community, while still being energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Visitors will notice architecture designed to be warm and inviting. But most importantly, families will recognize the same commitment that every Allina Health facility promises: to provide an excellent health care experience.

Becky Forsell: We sought input from our patients and held a patient-focus group. And we had great participation to give us wonderful feedback, that helped design many of the features in this clinic.

Eric Barth, MD: The features that the patients requested were things like more natural lighting. Anywhere you turn in the building, you're not that far away from where they're natural light streaming into the building. A little girl this morning came in and said that it feels like – she felt like she was more in a hotel, or something like that. And the mother of that patient commented too, said that the colors were warm and friendly and it was a very comfortable atmosphere.

Anne Madison, patient: They really want my opinion. You know, I'm not just a patient. It's more like the feeling you would get walking into a major department store – you're a client, you're a customer. And that's how I felt – that I am a customer here, and my comfort matters.

Narrator: In addition to providing a calming and welcoming atmosphere for visitors, Allina Medical Clinic - Ramsey was built according to the Green Guide for Health Care, a blueprint for healthy building that further addresses the needs of the community. This provides for not only a more environmentally responsible and sustainable facility, but also one more energy-efficient and cost-effective.

Becky Forsell: We've gotten really good feedback from our patients. They're appreciating the larger sized exam rooms, seven of which are family-sized.

Eric Barth, MD: As a pediatrician, I frequently see mom and dad coming in with several children. With the family exam rooms, we can accommodate those types of family groupings, and the doorways are wider as well – to accommodate wheelchairs or wider strollers, so that they can more easily get into the room.

Becky Forsell: Some technology improvements in our new clinic is a printer in every exam room, which now a physician does not need to leave the exam to go get the after-visit summary, or prescription, or anything else that might have been printed during the visit. They can stay right in the visit with the patient and provide that information. We have lab on-site, we have x-ray services on-site, as well as ultrasound on-site.

Narrator: Allina Medical Clinic Ramsey provides complete services in family medicine, with specialty care in the areas of pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology, with expanded availability of OB/GYN appointments. The entire lifespan of care and the wellness of the community is the focus at the clinic, with an emphasis on preventive health care and patient education.

Becky Forsell: MyChart is available to any patient that has Internet access. It allows a patient to conveniently access their health care needs and information online, any time of day. There are a lot of functions that are available on MyChart.

Narrator: Allina Medical Clinic - Ramsey is designed to grow with the community it serves. Yet regardless of the changes the future holds, it is the relationships formed between patients and care givers that will continue to fulfill the Allina Health mission.

Becky Forsell: We look forward to seeing out patients every day. We have a lot of patients that have been seeing us since we opened in 1979. And they have developed this relationship over time, and we are excited to see new patients and develop that same relationship.

Eric Barth, MD: One of the reasons that I got into pediatrics was that I enjoyed getting to know the families and seeing the children grow up – see them from when they're a little baby in for their first well-check after they were born, all the way up to, you know, high school graduation.

Anne Madison, patient: I felt at home with Mary Jane – that she cared not just about me, but about what was going on with me, and how it affected my family. I just got a connection when I first met her, and it's just kind of stayed there. Now I just keep calling Mary Jane whenever I have a problem.

Mary Jane Reiss, PA-C: The more I know about a human being, both medically and personally, the better I can take care of them. And that's what I try to do – I try to know my patients, so that when I give advice, when I order tests, I'm not putting them in a position where they're uncomfortable.

Anne Madison, patient: It's made the world of difference to me. It's made my personal health care easy, because she cares the way she cares – about me.