St. Mary’s Medical Center Expands neonatal Care with Arrival of Dr. Jessie Wilcken
Duluth, MN – St.Mary’s Medical Center has announced the addition of Dr. Jessie Wilcken to its pediatric team, specializing in neonatology. This expansion of services will provide enhanced care for premature and critically ill newborns in the region.
The arrival of Dr. Wilcken comes as St. Mary’s continues to bolster its commitment to thorough family care. Neonatologists are pediatricians with specialized training in the care of newborns, notably those born prematurely, with low birth weight, or experiencing medical complications.
“Essentia Health gave me a second chance, and not everybody is lucky enough to get that,” shares Morgan Almer, a patient who underwent a triple bypass surgery at St. Mary’s. Almer’s story highlights the dedication of the medical staff, including dr. Mertz who promptly ordered a critical heart screening, and Dr. Canver, the surgeon who performed his life-saving operation. Almer, a baseball enthusiast aiming to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, had a cardiac calcium test result of 1815 – significantly above the 400 considered high risk. He was facing 100%, 80%, and 55% blockages.
“Doctor Canver,there are 8 billion people in this world,and there’s only one person in the world that has held onto my heart physically,and that’s Doctor Canver,” Almer stated,emphasizing the profound impact of his care team.
Following an eight-hour surgery, Almer participated in cardiac rehabilitation at Essentia, where practitioners monitored his progress as he regained strength through walking and cycling. He credits the team with helping him return to his active lifestyle.
The addition of Dr. Wilcken builds upon this foundation of dedicated care, ensuring that the youngest and most vulnerable patients at St. Mary’s receive the highest level of specialized attention. St.Mary’s Medical Center, part of Essentia Health, is dedicated to providing “Care like nowhere else,” as highlighted in their branding.
