Volume Eleven, Issue Five

A publication of Roseau Area Hospital and Homes, Inc

October / November 2006


Our Mission
To enhance the health
of the people of the
region by providing
accessible,
cost effective, quality
health services.

 Our Vision
RAHH will lead the
region’s healthcare
system by engaging
consumers, communities,
physicians and other
professionals in
improving health and
quality of life.
RAHH will be seen
as “ours” by the
communities it serves,
by the consumers
and families it provides
care to, by the people it
employs and by the
physicians who provide
care here.

 To achieve this
vision,
RAHH will:
Maintain and strengthen
confidence and pride
in RAHH by consistently
demonstrating the
quality of care that
patients, residents,
and clients expect.

Be flexible, accessible,
friendly and quality-driven
so that people of the
area choose RAHH.

Encourage the
community to play
a role in its
development so that
consumers, providers,
and the people of the
region remain central
to RAHH’s planning
and governance.

 Key Values
We actively
look to the future.

We treat all with integrity
and respect, and
approach all we serve
as partners.

We foster the personal
growth of our employees,
physicians, and
other professionals.

We measure the results
of our work and
continuously improve
the quality of our
services on the basis
of that measurement.

We respect and nurture
the relationship between
providers and patients.

We provide cost-effective
healthcare services that
meet the needs and
exceed the expectations
of consumers.

We work closely
with physicians
to develop and sustain
mutually supportive
relationships that
effectively address
the health needs
of the community.
 

RAHH and partners donate ambulance sleds to local cities


Above are the Polaris snowmobiles, trailers, and ambulance sleds being donated to the cities of Roseau and Greenbush. A matching set of equipment will be donated to the city of Warroad. Pictured are members of local rescue teams and some of the people who made the project a reality. From left to right: Greg Welin, Polaris Industries; Ben Beito, Greenbush Fire Department; Tim Skime, Roseau Fire Department; Todd Gjovik, Greenbush Fire Department; Mark Karl, Polaris Industries; Rick Kerner, Roseau County Trail Blazers; Tim Wysocki, Roseau Fire Department; Mike Hetteen, Chairman, Roseau Area Hospital & Homes Board of Directors; Curt Ireland and Keith Okeson, Roseau Area Hospital & Homes; Buck Bue, President, Roseau County Trail Blazers.

Thanks to a partnership between Roseau Area Hospital & Homes, Polaris Industries, and the Trail Blazers snowmobile club, emergency responders in Roseau County now have access when it comes to providing emergency care to injured victims in remote environments.

Together, the three organizations provided brand new snowmobiles, trailers, snowmobile covers, and pull-behind transport devices referred to as ambulance sleds to area cities.


A photo of the Orion Model 2400 Ambulance Sled displayed on the manufacturer’s website. Three of these units are being donated to the cities of Roseau, Warroad, and Greenbush.

The ambulance sled is an enclosed reinforced aluminum capsule on skis that can be attached behind a snowmobile and hauled to an off-road accident site where it is used to retrieve an injured victim.

Manufactured by Orion Industries, Inc. in Watkins, Minn., the Model 2400 Ambulance Sled was designed exclusively for the purpose of transporting victims from an accident site to safety in a smooth, comfortable, and safe manner, according to the company’s website.

“Accidents in remote areas are part of life in northern Minnesota and there are times when we have to respond to an accident that is miles off road,” says Curt Ireland, Director of EMS for Roseau Area Hospital & Homes. “Making these sleds available to city rescue crews is a practical answer to the question ‘How do we safely transport an injured person from a remote accident site such as a snowmobile trail deep in the woods or out on a frozen lake?’”

Team Effort
The idea of providing ambulance sleds to Roseau, Warroad, and Greenbush came from Mike Hetteen, chairman of the RAHH Board of Directors, who is also an executive at Polaris Industries.

Hetteen’s plan was to strategically place the equipment throughout Roseau County to best serve its population.


A closer look at the ambulance sled and trailer.

His proposal called for a brand new snowmobile and sled for each of the three cities.

A search for partners in this endeavor resulted in agreements from RAHH, which donated three ambulance sleds, Polaris Industries which provided three brand new snowmobiles, and the Trail Blazers snowmobile club which donated three snowmobile covers and trailers through a grant coordinated by club member Greg Welin, who also is an employee of Polaris Industries.

“This is a wonderful example of teamwork that benefits everyone. It serves the residents of Roseau County along with the hundreds of tourists visiting our area each winter,” says Keith Okeson, President/CEO of RAHH. “Accidents can happen anywhere including extremely remote places. Having the proper equipment ready to respond in such a situation demonstrates how much we all value and appreciate emergency medical system responders who will go where ever they are needed to provide medical care.”
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