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We were fortunate to have Dr. Bret Haake join our virtual meeting today. Dr. Haake is a neurologist and currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Not surprisingly, he is currently fully absorbed in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis, which he addressed in his remarks. But he started with a brief overview and history of Regions. Formerly Ramsey County Hospital, Regions was purchased by Health Partners in 1994. It extends its services well beyond Health Partners, however, serving as a regional trauma hospital and burn center. It also now has a comprehensive stroke center and will be opening a birth center later this year. Regions also has been at the forefront in addressing the opioid crisis in our community.
Dr. Haake credited MN Governor Waltz for getting our citizens to "shelter in place" early-on in the Covid-19 pandemic, which has allowed our MN healthcare systems to manage the care of Covid patients without becoming overburdened like the healthcare systems in New York City have been. However, it has still been extremely challenging for them to deal with the shortage of personal protective equipment and access to testing. Regions has been involved in a number of drug trials, including hydroxychloroquine, which has been found to do more harm than good. When asked about prospects for a vaccine, he noted than a typical timeframe would be 18 months, but with the best scientific minds around the world focused on this goal, there is reason to believe it could be sooner.
Dr. Haake noted that he is familiar with our Rotary club, as he is a resident of North Oaks with children in the Mounds View School District.