Patient surveys highlight “excellent” Essentia Health providers, facilities

Each year, Essentia Health contracts with Professional Research Consultants (PRC) to randomly survey patients about their experiences in our hospitals and clinics. PRC uses results from these surveys to rank Essentia physicians, staff and facilities within its national database of approximately 400 healthcare organizations. The 2021 awards are based on patient surveys conducted throughout 2020.

“The past year has been a challenging one, with many shifts in the ways care has been delivered and received,” says Essentia Health CEO David C. Herman, MD. “One constant amid this change is the heartfelt compassion expressed by our colleagues as they deliver their care, and the gratitude for this care expressed by our patients. These awards speak both to culture of care among our colleagues, and the impact of our care upon our patients and communities. I am proud of this recognition of our colleagues, and the teamwork that supports the great care delivered at Essentia each day.”

In Essentia’s West Market, which encompasses eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, three providers received PRC’s Top Performer Award, meaning they scored at or above the 100th percentile for overall quality of care. Top Performers include:

• Bangalore Vijayalakshmi, MD | Physiatry (Pain Management & Rehabilitation) | Fargo
• Allison Klug, DC | Chiropractic Care | Fargo
• Prasad Sawardeker, MD | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine | Fargo

Across the Essentia Health system, six providers were named Top Performers.

Additional honors were awarded to the following:

5-Star Award: Scoring in the top 10 percent (at or above the 90th percentile) of the PRC national client database for percentage of patients who rate the overall quality of care by the clinic/facility or unit/provider as “Excellent.”

• Jennifer Bednar, RD | Diabetes Educator | Fargo
• Amanda Beehler, DO | Dermatology | Detroit Lakes
• Jan Bexell-Gierke, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Chentel Dangerud, PA-C | Family Medicine | Ada
• RaNae Doll, MD | Pediatrics | Park Rapids
• Tracy Dozak, CNP | Family Medicine | Wahpeton
• Stefanie Gefroh Ellison, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Heather Foresman, CNM | Family Medicine | Park Rapids
• Shanna Hendrickson, CNP | Family Medicine | Frazee
• Zena Homan, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Jennifer Janke, CNM | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Gregory Johnson, CNP | Pediatrics | Park Rapids
• Anita Jonason, MD | Family Medicine | Detroit Lakes
• Nathan Kobrinsky, MD | Pediatric Hematology/Oncology | Fargo
• Shila Lampl, OD | Optometry | Wahpeton
• Stephen Linn, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Carmen Mittleider, CNP | Family Medicine | Jamestown
• Thomas Mohs, MD | General Surgery | Wahpeton
• Kathryn Nevins, CNP | Walk-In Care | Park Rapids
• Curtis Penney, DO | Neurology | Fargo
• Michael Sheldon, MD | Internal Medicine | Fargo
• Duane Strand, MD | Internal Medicine | Wahpeton
• Amanda Swanson, CNM | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fargo
• Penni Weston, CNP | Family Medicine/Long Term Care | Fargo

4-Star Award: Scoring in the top 25 percent (75th through 89th percentiles) for percentage of patients rating the overall quality of care of the unit/clinic/provider as “Excellent.”

• Hope Adams, CNM | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Detroit Lakes
• Elisha Anderson, CNP | Internal Medicine | Wahpeton
• Dave Akkerman, MD | Family Medicine | Fargo
• Hans Bjellum, MD | Family Medicine/Occupational Medicine | Fargo
• Brittani Boehlke-Fiecke, PA-C | Breast Health/Hematology/Oncology | Fargo
• James Christensen, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Detroit Lakes
• Jordan Coplin, CNP | Family Medicine | Wahpeton
• Christopher DeCock, MD | Pediatric Neurology | Fargo
• Zachary Ernst, MD | General Surgery | Fargo
• Tammi Fuchs, CNP | Family Medicine/Geriatrics | Detroit Lakes
• Sarah Hanson, CNP | Family Medicine | Fargo
• Lee Hofsommer, DPM | Podiatry | Fargo
• Kevin Jacobson, CNP | Family Medicine & Emergency Medicine | Graceville
• Jessica Kleindl, CNP | Family Medicine | Graceville
• Shivan Kulasingham, MD | Internal Medicine | Detroit Lakes
• Melanie Markuson, CNP | Family Medicine | Detroit Lakes
• Guillermo Marroquin Galvez, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Detroit Lakes
• Jordana Miller, CNP | Wound Care | Fargo
• Paulina Kunecka, MD | Neurology | Fargo
• Larry Leadbetter, MD | Internal Medicine | Park Rapids
• Macey Schaefbauer, PA-C | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine | Detroit Lakes
• Meghan Scheibe, MD | Rheumatology | Fargo
• Patricia Scherrer, MD | Pediatrics | Fargo
• Gregory Sperle, MD | Family Medicine | Menahga
• Darren Swanson, MD | Family Medicine | Fosston
• Katie Tanner, PA-C | Family Medicine | Lisbon
• Michele Thieman, CNP | Family Medicine | Walker
• Anna Thomas, CNP | Family Medicine | Fargo
• Richard Vetter, MD | Family Medicine | Fargo
• Andrew Volin, CNP | Neurology | Fargo
• Mark Widstrom, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Detroit Lakes

The following hospital units also received a 4-Star Award in Overall Quality of Care:

• Essentia Health-Ada | Emergency Department
• Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes | Inpatient Services