All staff now in place to carry out Heart of New Ulm project

The final two staff for the Heart of New Ulm project were hired in April.

Julie Long, nurse practitioner (NP), will help design the clinical interventions and will provide direct coaching and medical care, particularly focused on patients who are at a higher risk for heart disease.

Long has been a mid-level practitioner at New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC)since 1992 and much of her work has been with patient who are at higher risk for heart disease, such as diabetes and those with hypertension (high blood pressure). Long has done a lot of work with this type of patient to implement lifestyle changes to reduce their risk for heart disease.

“I am honored and privileged to be part of the Heart of New Ulm project,” Long said. “The more I heard about this project, the more I felt like I had to be involved. What an amazing opportunity for our community.”

Shawn Hildebrandt will work for the project as the administrative assistant. Hildebrandt has worked for NUMC since 2004 at the lab registration desk. She will also continue in that position as she begins working for the Heart of New Ulm project part time.

“Shawn brings a great background in patient services to the team – people are used to seeing her friendly face when they check in at the lab,” said Community Coordinator Betsy Pieser. “She is also well-versed in Excellian (the electronic medical record software used by Allina Hospitals & Clinics), which is an integral and unique aspect to the Heart of New Ulm project.”

Long and Hildebrandt were the final employees to be hired for the project. Other staff includes: Registered Dietitian Rebecca Fliszar; Health Educator Holly Glaubitz; Community Coordinator Betsy Pieser; local Medical Director Dr. Charles Stephens;lead Medical Director Dr. Kevin Graham; Project Director and Principal Investigator Jeff VanWormer; Project Manager Raquel Pereira; and Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Vice President of Education Jackie Boucher, who acts as the liaison between the various organizations leading the project and also assists with overall management of the project.

For more information about the Heart of New Ulm project go to www.heartofnewulm.org and join the Heart of New Ulm Facebook Group.