M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center celebrates 25th anniversary

On Feb. 14, 1998, Lakes Medical Center opened its doors in Wyoming, Minn. Twenty-five years later, we are celebrating the growth the medical center has experienced and service provided at the campus now known as M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center.

“We are celebrating 25 years of dedication, hard work, and care that has built a healthy and safe community for all of the people we serve,” said M Health Fairview Lakes Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Operations Karen Whiley. “I am very proud of all that our employees have accomplished and look forward to seeing what we do in years to come.”

Lakes Medical Center got its start when District Memorial Hospital in Forest Lake, Chisago Health Services, and Rush City Area Hospital and Clinic banded together to pursue a vision of improving quality care while meeting the growing needs of patients and communities.

The people there for the medical center’s opening in 1998 remember the excitement and hustle of the first day. When the first patient to receive care was given balloons and flowers, one employee in a news article about the opening noted that the patient asked, “Do they do this for every patient?”

Pamela Carlson, RN, who helped transfer the first patients to the hospital in 1998 and remains a nurse there, said the friendly atmosphere adopted 25 years ago has never left.

“That first day was an experience of a lifetime. It was pure chaos, but I am so glad I did it,” she said. “Even as it continues to expand, you still get that small-town feeling. Sometimes hospitals can be cold, but you don’t get that at Lakes.”

Since it opened, M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center has grown significantly to provide a wider range of care for the community over the years. An $8 million orthopedic center that opened in 2013 marked its sixth expansion in its first 15 years.

Kari Swedin, RN, who has worked at Lakes Medical Center since 1999, recalled being part of the emergency department team during one such expansion.

“There was a lot of change. We were able to get people to the right places much more quickly so they could have a better outcome,” she said. “It’s been great to see and hear so many patients talk about how they appreciate coming here and having close access to good healthcare. It is important to keep offering everything we can.”

The robust growth charted at Lakes Medical Center continues into 2023. As part of the ongoing anniversary celebration this year, Lakes held an event for employees to learn about and name the center’s new da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system, which will expand our minimally invasive surgery capabilities at the medical center – improving the level of care available locally.

Kris Clementson, RN, operations director for a network of M Health Fairview primary care clinics closest to Lakes Medical Center, emphasizes the anchor role the hospital has played in local communities beyond Wyoming.

“Lakes has really served the purpose it was meant to, which was bringing a higher level of service quality than what we could when there were three separate centers,” she said. “We have made advancements in our technology, communication, and collaboration that contributes to better, safer care that our people can access without having to drive far.”