A Miraculous Discovery

“I’m sograteful to Essentia for the care I received,” she said. “They were so thoroughand meticulous when I came in. If it weren’t for thosedoctors and nurses,I would still be walking around with a ticking time bomb in my head.”

Wo Rd S By Ke Ls Ey Mi X

When Laura Kaduck of Fergus Falls hada hear t at tack last November, she could have neverimagined her doctor s would make yet another lifethreatening diagnosis.

However, af ter transfer ring to Essentia Health in Fargo due to lack of beds at her local hospit al, it was determined through anMRI that Laura alsohad an unr uptured aneury sm in herbrain

A brainaneury sm is a bulge or ballooning ina blood vessel in the brain Left untreated, a brain aneury sm may rupture or burs t, causing a severe and potentially fat al brain bleed.

Surprised by herordeal, Laura recalled, “T his was a tot al shock to me. I’min the ICU, and one of the doctor s who comesinintroduces himself to me as a neurologis t. I thought aloud, ‘W hat? I thoughtI hada problem with my hear t? ’”

“We found ananeury sm,” Dr. Kiron Thomas , an interventional neurologist at Essentia, told Laura. “You have some time, but thisis something that needs to be taken care of.”

It was determined that Laurahad a wide -neck aneury sm, which is among the most di fficult ty pes of aneury sms to treat. When the neck of the aneury smis wide, materials traditionally used to pack aneury sms to preventa rupture— like coils or stents—are morelikely to fall back out into the ar tery.

Dr Thomas then told Laura about an innovative device that could help— the Woven EndoBr idge (WEB) sy stem. Having received FDA approval in 20 19, this newdev ice is more effec ti ve in treating wide -neck aneury sms. Essentia Health is the onl y hospital in the region that uses it .

Laura says that Dr Thomas explained the WEB device incredibly well, even taking the time to draw adiagram show ing how the expanding mesh ball would be inser ted within the aneury sm and how it s technology would securely br idge the aneury sm neck . He further explained that this would close the aneur ysm from inside, sealingoff the aneury sm from blood flow and preventinga fat al rupture.

Laura said that “she wasall in ” on going through with this procedure, especiall y when she lear ned that it would be minimally invasi veand would require less recovery time.

Unlike other procedures to treat wide -neck aneury sms, the WEB device does not requirea surgeon to cut open theskull. Ins tead, the WEB device is delivered to the aneury sm by navigating a catheter from a blood vessel in the groin or wr is t all the way to the brain.

Laura’s procedure took place in Januar y, lasting onl ya few hours. Her recovery was quick , and she returned to her job as the manager of a McDonald’s af ter lessthan a week She said she would recommend the WEB device to anyone in her same situation.

Laura consider sfinding her aneury sm “a miracle.”

“I ’m so grateful to Essentia for the care I received,”she said. “T hey were so thorough and meticulous when I came in. If it weren ’t for those doctor s and nurses ,I would still be walkingaround with a tick ing time bomb inmy head.”

“COV IDwas hard for me, and a sc ar y time for ever yone,” Laura added, further detailing her entire experience at Essentia. “Even though they were so overw helmed with COVID patient s at that time,I felt incredibly import ant. I felt that Ireceived the bes t care possible, even with ever ything going on.

“I came in with hear tissues , and they found something separate that needed to be addressed. That show s the level of care Essentia provides.”

In the United St ates , an estimated 6. 5 million – oronein 50 – people havean unr uptured brain aneur ysm. The risk of ananeury sm developing and rupturing varies bet ween indi viduals , but smok ing and high blood pressure are major risk fac tors

While treatment for aneury sms can vary,a surgeon will usuall y only operate on brain aneury sms if there is a high riskof rupture.

The WEB device is impor tant bec ause having anotheroption that prov ider s can use to treatlifethreatening aneur ysms that are particularly challenging is incredibly beneficial for patient outcomes.

To learn more about our Neurolog y ser vice s, visit Es sentiaHealth .org

Schumacher

Widseth

MANKATO, MINN. • Long-time architectural planner and education consultant Rod Schumacher has joined Minnesota architectural and engineering firm Widseth.

Schumacher brings more than 30 years of expertise in developing projects that are driven by clients’ goals and visions, while ensuring his clients enjoy a productive and rewarding experience.

To get to this result, Schumacher implements a combination of tools and experiences, such as

Widseth welcomes new vice president

MANKATO, MINN. • Kaeko Leitch has joined Widseth, a Minnesota architectural and engineering firm, as a vice president and manager of the company’s Mankato office.

With a focus on strategic operations and innovation, Leitch will oversee efforts to optimize operational efficiency, performance, and staff development to align with objectives laid out in the firm’s strategic plan.

Licensed in both mechanical and electrical engineering, Leitch has deep experience in professional continued on Page 70 facility assessment plans, facility management and planning, relationship management, finance and risk management, project management, and client specific solutions. and technical services and will be closely involved in recruiting and training engineers, technicians, and designers. continued from Page 68

He will add his client focused approach, strong process orientation, and consistent results to Widseth’s planning and design teams, and continue to serve public and private education clients throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

Leitch founded and operated Abacus Engineering in Mankato and Minneapolis for nine years before merging with another firm. She is well connected in architectural and engineering circles and will spend significant time growing Widseth’s portfolio in specific markets, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, and renewable energy.

Enclave promotes three employees

FARGO, N.D. • Enclave, a development, construction, and management company founded in 2011, has promoted three employees.

Thomas Dahl, previously project manager, will now serve as senior project manager. Scott Bertrand, previously project manager, will now serve as senior project manager. Lastly, Ryan Swann, previously assistant carpenter, will now serve as project engineer.

With more than 10 years of experience in construction management, Dahl joined Enclave in 2021 as project manager. He will serve as senior project manager in Fargo, overseeing construction projects from start to finish, collaborating with design teams, sub-contractors and clients to ensure timely delivery within budget.

Scoot Bertrand joined Enclave in 2021, with over five years of experience as project manager, project engineer and construction manager. He will serve as Enclave senior project manager in the St. Louis Park, supporting the company’s new developments in and around the Twin Cities including Hopkins, Hastings, Cottage Grove and Plymouth, among others.

Swann started as assistant carpenter for Enclave in 2021. With experience in construction and project management, Swanson will serve as project engineer in St. Louis Park, providing technical support for project managers and site superintendents while ensuring all work is being completed safely and efficiently.

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Dr. Frank King, Jr

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MSUM welcomes associate provost of diversity and inclusion MOORHEAD, MINN. • Dr. Frank King, Jr., has joined Minnesota State University Moorhead as its first associate provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion continued on Page 74

This new role will help the university advance its strategic priority of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. King will lead and facilitate diversity initiatives in academic affairs programs, including faculty training and development, faculty recruitment and retention, and curricular initiatives, along with encouraging internationalization across the curriculum.

This position also oversees the university’s Faculty Development Center. Ultimately, the associate provost will facilitate the implementation of Minnesota State Equity 2030, which calls for eliminating educational equity gaps at every Minnesota State college and university.

Originally from Maryland, Dr. King served in the U.S. Air Force from 1995 to 1999, mainly at Misawa Air Base, Japan. After leaving the service, he and his family moved to Washington, where he earned his undergraduate degree in social studies education and became a Ronald E. McNair Scholar at Eastern Washington University.

He completed a doctorate in American studies at Washington State University. Dr. King’s academic areas of interest include hip hop pedagogy, the prison industrial complex and racial disparities, the history of the War on Drugs, Afrocentric philosophy, and African American history.

In 2020, Dr. King became the executive director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the special assistant to the Chief Diversity Office at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He assisted in building and developing support, community, and resources for faculty, staff and students to help in UW-Platteville’s call to ensure all students have substantial knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

Dr. King and his wife, Kecia (USAF Ret.), make their home in Moorhead and look forward to being a part of the community both on and off campus.

Chelsey Stoa

Flint Group promotes team member

MANKATO, MINN. • Chelsey Stoa has been promoted to social media and public relations strategist for Flint Group.

Stoa has more than 10 years of communications experience, which has helped her deliver engaging content for organizations. She prides herself in defining her excellence in brand awareness, message development, media relations and content creation.

Stoa provides both the detailed and big-picture thinking for clients. A problem solver, she never

Dakota Business Lending welcomes newest entrepreneurial development director continued from Page 72 stops looking for new ideas and inspiration for ways brands can tell their story in a differentiating voice. Her contributions have played a vital role in her clients’ growth.

FARGO, N.D. • Dakota Business Lending welcomes Michaela Schell to its team as the entrepreneurial development director.

Based out of the Fargo office, Schell will be working to develop, manage, and deliver new and innovative small business lending programs and resources for Dakota Business Lending’s entire service area.

Schell has a master’s degree in Communications and has spent the past ten years working in the business world, particularly in Grand Forks and Fargo.

Stoa earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from North Dakota State University. Recently, she acted as a social media and public relations specialist at both Sun Country Airlines and the NCAA Final Four men’s basketball tournament in Minneapolis.

She founded Live Unlimited Training & Events in Fargo, is an Elite Level V Leader for the nationwide Rodan + Fields, and is heavily involved in local organizations such as Fargo Mom. Schell has joined the Dakota Business Lending team to use her program development, strategic development, sales/marketing, and leadership skills to assist the organization with the development and implementation of several new programs and resources. She is a wife, mom of three, yoga instructor, and loves to spend her free time outdoors, hiking, reading, or throwing pottery.