Allina Health Helene Houle
Medical Center, Vadnais Heights The Urgency Room,
Vadnais Heights
1155 East County Road E; 651-241-9200
allinahealth.org/locations/1386 1159 East County Road E; 651-789-6500
urgencyroom.com/vadnais-heights/
The Allina Health Helene Houle Medical
Center was planned for Vadnais
Heights when the decision was made
to close the Allina Health White Bear
Lake Clinic. “We recognized a need to
expand our services in the area,” says
Angie Mellick, MD, lead physician for
Allina Health Vadnais Heights Clinic.
“Vadnais Heights and the surrounding
communities are really growing, and we
decided we needed more of a presence
in the community for preventative
health. The location is perfect, and we
couldn’t be happier with the decision.” The Urgency Room (UR) model focuses
on a traditionally underserved patient
population. Patients have a broad range
of options when it comes to where they
receive medical treatment and the UR
strives to fill the gap between urgent
care and the emergency department.
“Historically patients didn’t have a
choice when it came to access of care.
If clinics were closed and you needed
immediate medical attention, the ER
was the only option. At The Urgency
Room, you have access to board-
certified emergency physicians along
with the necessary tools and diagnostics
onsite to diagnose and treat a broad
range of illnesses and injuries.
Since its opening the clinic has been
able to do just that, seeing many new
patients each month and bringing
additional specialties to the clinic. The
clinic serves patients of all ages, with
an emphasis on preventive medicine
and overall health and wellness. It
also provides a variety of specialty
health services such as mental health,
audiology, general surgery, ENT,
urology, spine care and podiatry.
In 2017, about 30,000 patients were treated
at the Vadnais Heights’ UR. Not just
Vadnais Heights patients utilize the facility,
but also patients from the surrounding
areas of White Bear Lake, Shoreview, and
additional communities extending past
Hugo and Forest Lake. The Urgency Room
is open 365 days a year, including holidays,
from 8am to 10pm.
HealthEast Vadnais Heights Clinic
480 Highway 96 East; 651-326-5900
fairview.org/Locations/HealthEast-Clinic-
Vadnais-Heights
HealthEast’s new Vadnais Heights Clinic
opened at the corner of Highway 96 and
Oak Grove Parkway in July 2018. While
HealthEast has had a presence in Vadnais
Heights for many years, its new facility
reflects the ever-changing needs of its
patients.
Elizabeth Wegner, MD, embraced the
idea of directly asking patients what they
wanted. Several clear trends emerged
from the survey. She says, “Patients
wanted a roomier, more inviting welcome
space with natural lighting and child-
friendly areas. More privacy was desired
for things like getting weighed or having
blood drawn. And people wanted to
know what new technology might be
available.”
Dr. Wegner says, “Our new rooms were
deliberately planned for me to face my
patient during our time together. I’ve
found that better eye contact leads to
increased conversation. And it’s especially
helpful when it comes time to review
imaging results on the larger, in-room
computer monitors we now have.”
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