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In response to increasing public health and safety concerns, the City of Duluth's Life Safety Team has taken measures today concerning the encampments at Priley Circle (100 N 5th Ave W).
Under the provisions of the Duluth City Code and established procedures, individuals at the encampment were notified to leave the area and take their possessions with them. The Life Safety Team will coordinate with Community Outreach Programs to support individuals throughout this transition.
UPDATE
The decision to post notices at Priley Circle's encampments aligns with the City of Duluth's historical enforcement policies for properties identified as public health and safety hazards. In July alone, there were 138 service calls at Priley Circle, including reports of an explosion, an overdose, and numerous behavioral health issues. Delaying action could pose significant health and safety threats to residents, nearby workers, and the wider community.
Aspirus St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Care celebrates milestone
The Heart & Vascular Care team at Aspirus St. Luke's recently celebrated their 200th case of atrial appendage closure, utilizing the most recent FDA-approved version of a life-saving device.
The team at Aspirus St. Luke's employs the Boston Scientific Watchman atrial appendage occluder device to help patients lower their stroke risk and cease anticoagulation therapy. To commemorate this significant achievement, the newest Watchman model was adopted, a first in the region.
"The procedure is minimally invasive. Access to the heart is obtained through the femoral vein. After crossing the transeptal, we locate the atrial appendage and deploy the device. Often, patients are discharged just a few hours post-procedure," said Dr. Leif Christianson, a cardiologist at Aspirus St. Luke's. "Over time, tissue envelops the device, effectively sealing the appendage. It's remarkable that our team can provide such advanced technology to significantly reduce the risk of debilitating conditions like strokes for our patients."
Patients eligible for this procedure should have atrial fibrillation or flutter, be recommended or currently taking blood thinners to lower stroke risk (based on CHADS-Vasc score), and have a justified reason to avoid or stop using blood thinners (due to a history of bleeding, frequent falls, unstable INRs, etc.).
About Aspirus
Aspirus Health is a community-directed, non-profit health system headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin. It serves northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The system includes 18 hospitals, 130 outpatient sites, and nearly 14,000 team members, 1,300 physicians and advanced practice clinicians.
