Hermanson recognized as February Employee of the Month

A friendly, hard-working healthcare staffer is the recipient of the February Employee of the Month honor.

Tina Hermanson, who has worked in insurance billing and reception for both Nicolai Chiropractic Center and Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, PLLC for more than a decade, was surprised with the award Wednesday by Chamber president Amy Wobbema and co-worker Connie Ystaas.

Hermanson started working at Nicolai Chiropractic in 2004 and then Peak Performance in 2005. She does all the insurance billing for both clinics, assists with reception, scheduling, and client billing, and does some charting at Nicolai Chiropractic. With the exception of the reception and scheduling work, she spends a lot of her time "behind the scenes," and that's just where she likes to be.

"I like to be under the radar," said Hermanson, definitely caught off guard by the sudden attention. However, those who encounter her during their clinic visits likely agree that she embodies the characteristics the Chamber seeks to recognize.  

In fact, Hermanson was nominated for the award by three people. "I am sure if you ask any number of people they will agree that she goes above and beyond at all of her three jobs," one nominator said. All three have asked that they remain anonymous to keep the focus on the honoree.

"Tina has been a very dedicated, hard-working part of our staff for many years. I am pleased that she has been chosen for this honor," said Dr. Michael Nicolai. "I am very fortunate to work with a wonderful staff. Our patients are our main focus and Tina does a wonderful job of treating them with respect and compassion."

Nicolai Chiropractic Center is a family care practice. Dr. Nicolai and Dr. Zachary Smith enjoy working with patients of all ages. They perform a range of Chiropractic techniques and other services including acupuncture, hydrotherapy, inversion therapy, and soft tissue mobilization. New patients are always welcome.

Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, PLLC also has two providers and has added services in the past few years. Dr. Jodi Tjelta and Dr. Rachel Savageau's primary services are sports medicine,

manual therapy, and industrial medicine. Their focus as physical therapists is to help people who are having difficulty accomplishing their everyday tasks, often following an accident or injury. Hermanson noted that Savageau is trained in pediatric therapy and works with children at East Central Center for Exceptional Children.

 She has used the same billing system at both places throughout her employment. The adjustment, she said, has been getting used to EMR, Electronic Medical Records. All scheduling, notes and patient information is put into the patient's "chart," which is now essentially a folder on the computer. Everything is linked, making updates accessible as soon as the patient leaves the room.

 Prior to starting at Nicolai Chiropractic, Hermanson worked for Dr. Craig for four years in Carrington and New Rockford. She also spent a short year and a half working as a CNA at the New Rockford City Hospital before it closed in 1991.

 Her career may be directly linked to health care, but two busy clinic offices are not the only places where she lends a hand. Hermanson has worked "on and off" at Rockford Café for 30 years. She started at the cafe in 1987 and has worked there when needed ever since, as both a waitress and a cook.

 Do you know someone who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service to customers in New Rockford? Nominate him or her for this award. Nomination forms are available online at http://www.cityofnewrockford.com/chamber or in the table tents at local businesses. Or simply send an email to [email protected] with the person's name, business, and reasons why that person deserves recognition.