By Mayo Health System News Bureau
A descendant of the founder of one of Eau Claire’s earliest major healthcare facilities paid a visit to town Monday to see where his great-grandfather’s legacy has progressed.
Dr. Kristoffer Hellum, a neurologist from Drammen, Norway, paid a visit to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire on Monday (June 8).
Hellum is the great-grandson of Dr. Hans Christian Midelfart, who in 1927 founded what became known as Midelfort Clinic in downtown Eau Claire.
In 1992, Luther Hospital and Midelfort Clinic joined the Mayo Health System. In 2011, Luther Midelfort changed its name to Mayo Clinic Health System.
Dr. Donn Dexter, a Mayo neurologist who’s traveled to Norway five times, hosted Hellum in Eau Claire.
“I really enjoyed our time together discussing the differences between neurologic practice in Norway and the U.S., as well as our favorite sports and travels,” Dexter said.
Hellum was able to enjoy an Eau Claire Express baseball game and a hockey scrimmage during his tour of the area.
Hellum grew up hearing stories about his Midelfort family’s contribution to healthcare in Wisconsin. “It’s amazing to think my family had this influence,” he said.
Hellum also credits his grandfather, surgeon August Hellum, for inspiring his interest in the medical field from a young age.
As a neurologist, Hellum has a deep interest in epilepsy and was excited to see the differences in treatments used to assist patients with epilepsy in the United States as compared with those used in Norway.
Because of overcrowding issues, the hospital Hellum practices at soon will undergo an expansion. His visit also served as a fact-finding mission to learn about possible improvements to incorporate into the addition.
Hellum said he was surprised to see how electroencephalogram, or EEG, readings are used with American patients in intensive care, as they are not widely used in Norwegian hospitals.
He also was interested to learn more about vagus nerve stimulation, a technique used to treat epilepsy by implanting a pacemaker-like device to generate pulses of electricity to stimulate one of the 12 cranial nerves that conduct impulses between the brain and various body structures, mostly in the head and neck. The procedure can reduce the frequency of seizures that don’t respond well to medicine and may make them less severe.
Hellum plans to visit family members during his time in the United States and is looking forward to visiting the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.