Allina Health Newsroom

This is where we share helpful health information, news about our hospitals and clinics and media reports featuring Allina Health team members as subject matter experts. You can also access our latest news releases and media contacts.

Recent news

See articles and videos featuring our patients and care team members, plus watch how Allina Health experts add context to health stories in local news reports.

Allina Health surgeons to scrub in for cases in state-of-the-art operating rooms

[Allina Health Newsroom, April 02, 2026] As the Allina Health Abbott Northwestern Hospital campus expansion nears completion, surgeons are getting a look at the operating rooms they helped design and will soon use to care for patients. 

“There has been surgeon involvement in decisions across the entire process,” said Jolene Singh, MD, OR medical director at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. “They’ve had input into everything from the floors to the walls to the way that the lights are mounted to the type of lights that we've purchased.”

When it opens in late August, the Richard M. Schulze Surgical and Critical Care Center will include 30 state-of-the-art surgical suites. The new space will give patients access to some of the most advanced surgical technologies available.

“They're unlike anything you're going to find anywhere else,” Dr. Singh said. “The safety, the technology that we have, the integration — it’s unparalleled.”

Features will include:

  • Spacious operating rooms that support larger, more integrated surgical teams.
  • Advanced robotic technology that allows for safer, more precise surgeries.
  • Uniform room layouts, which will streamline scheduling.
  • Specialized surfaces, designed to reduce infection risks.
  • Improved air filtration for greater patient and surgical team comfort and safety.
  • Video and livestream capabilities for consultations and education

The operating rooms are scheduled to open to patients in late August at the Richard M. Schulze Surgical and Critical Care Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. 

 

Sterle

Survivor raises awareness about amniotic fluid embolism, a rare pregnancy complication

[WCCO-TV News, April 13, 2025] A rare life-threatening complication called amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) almost killed Annie Sterle and her son back in 2020. Now she's working to raise awareness about the condition.
April 13, 2025
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Abbott Northwestern Hospital puts the sun to work for the neighborhood

[Allina Health Newsroom, April 11, 2025] An Abbott Northwestern Hospital parking ramp is being topped off with a massive community solar garden that will soon help people in the Phillips neighborhood bring down their energy costs.
April 11, 2025
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Retired Allina Health employee becomes 2025 nominee for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame

[CCX Media, April 08, 2025] Susan Hagel, a retired Allina Health employee, is a 2025 nominee for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. Susan is a pioneer in women’s adaptive sports, specifically adaptive archery and wheelchair basketball.
April 08, 2025
Three people posing with an award (two men and one woman).

Abbott Northwestern Hospital Recognized for a Century of Membership in the American Hospital Association

[Allina Health Newsroom, April 03, 2025] Abbott Northwestern Hospital marks a century of membership in the American Hospital Association, honoring its long history of leadership and exceptional patient care.
April 03, 2025
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Bike to work? You can do it!

[WCCO-TV News, April 03, 2025] The owner of Venture Bikes and Coffee MN and an Allina Health employee team up to inspire people to ride their bicycles to work.
April 03, 2025
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2nd smallest baby on record celebrates first birthday

[WCCO, March 28, 2025] WCCO-TV shares the story of Bilal, a quintuplet, who is believed to be the second smallest baby in the world. Watch the story to hear his family describe the joy of bringing their fifth baby home a year after giving birth at the Mother Baby Center, a partnership between Allina Health and Children's Minnesota.
March 28, 2025
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Allina Health doctor trains for marathon after paired liver donation

[Fox 9 News, March 25, 2025] Michael Broeker, MD, is an Allina Health family physician in Eagan, a marathoner and a living donor. Dr. Broeker shows what it means to care for others. He's donated a kidney and part of his liver to strangers. He's now training for his first marathon post-liver donation.
March 25, 2025
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$5 Million gift will help train more cardiologists

[KSTP-TV News, March 20, 2025] A $5 Million gift will help Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation in its effort to train as many new cardiologists as possible.
March 20, 2025
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Allina Health shares All Together Better magazine, winter 2025

[Allina Health Newsroom, March 14, 2025] All Together Better magazine is a quarterly collection of stories showcasing our Allina Health vision in action. Articles highlight patient care, employee and volunteer service, and collaborative efforts that create solutions for local health care challenges.
March 14, 2025
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Connection and compassion: Helping patients navigate cancer's complexities

[Allina Health Newsroom, March 11, 2025] Michele’s role in setting up support for people with cancer often involves coordinating their care team of oncologists, as well as​ support services such as social work, patient financial navigation, and dietitian visits.
March 11, 2025

News releases

When we’re making news, you can find details here. Read on to learn about the innovative ways we deliver expert care for people in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and celebrate inspiring milestones.

Allina Health Buffalo Hospital exterior surgery entrance.

Allina Health Buffalo Hospital expands its robotic surgical systems, bringing greater precision to many surgeries

Now patients can benefit from physicians trained on the da Vinci Xi system without having to travel to metro hospitals.
February 23, 2026
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New Ulm Medical Center names Carisa Buegler as new president

Allina Health is pleased to share that Carisa Buegler has been named the new president of New Ulm Medical Center.
February 12, 2026
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Media contacts

Our media team is staffed by former reporters and producers. Reach out for help connecting to subject matter experts for your time-sensitive questions.

Jennifer Steingas
Public Relations Manager
jennifer.steingas@allina.com
Voice/Text: 612-388-1895

Erika Rasmussen
Senior Communications Consultant
erika.rasmussen@allina.com
Voice/text: 708-214-8464