Northwestern Students Volunteer at Pillsbury House Harvest Fest

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Students from Northwestern Health Sciences University volunteered at the Pillsbury House during its annual Harvest Fest dinner in November, providing free services such as blood sugar screenings, blood pressure screenings and massage therapy to community members.

The Pillsbury House is located in the Powderhorn Central neighborhood of South Minneapolis, and provides a myriad of services to children and families in the area.

As part of the new Pillsbury House Integrated Health Clinic, Northwestern chiropractic, massage, acupuncture and Oriental medicine students are partnering with students from other disciplines including psychology, medicine, nursing and other therapies to serve the unique health needs of the Powderhorn neighborhood. The new clinic uses space in the basement of the Pillsbury House, and is open on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Collaborative partners include the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing and other supporting schools of higher education.

In multidisciplinary teams, students work with patients to determine the most effective treatment for optimal health. Licensed faculty from each discipline oversee this process and work with the students and patients in an environment of teaching and learning. The health care services provided are free.

For Emily Knotek, a T3 massage therapy student, volunteering at the Pillsbury House had special meaning. “This is my old neighborhood,” Knotek said. “I recognized the place and the people and enjoy helping.”

Krystal Alto, a T7 chiropractic student, said she was thrilled with the opportunity to teach others about a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s a great opportunity to serve a population who doesn’t necessarily have access to health care,” Alto said. “It’s also a great learning opportunity for us. They may never come to the clinics but at least we’re talking to them about their health. I was educating someone today who had very, very high blood sugar and just explaining that and what they can do to help themselves made me feel like I did something good today.”

Debbie Miller, LPN, clinic administrator of Northwestern, said the response was overwhelmingly positive. “The concept of the Pillsbury House Integrated HealthClinic is unique in Minnesota,” Debbie Miller said. “We believe the presence of a student-driven public health clinic that features natural health care modalities integrated with traditional health care disciplines can have a significant impact on the health of the residents of the Powderhorn community.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, human biology, and integrative health and wellness. The University has more than 900 full-time students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.