Waseca Co. A/H1N1 death - Died Oct. 24th

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.wasecacountynews.com/news.php?viewStory=4040

We'll all miss Mike Milbrath
Posted: Sunday, October 25, 2009 11:21 am

I don't know what exactly to say at this time, but after receiving word this morning that Mike Milbrath has passed away due to complications from H1N1, I'm left in shock.

Mike was a great man in our community. As Executive Vice President at Waseca Medical Center, he served proudly as a pillar in not only the medical community, but various community groups as well.

I first met Mike through a casual introduction when I was new in town and months later when I contacted him for a story at WMC, he remembered me and welcomed me warmly to Waseca. As a friend, a community member, a fellow Rotarian and baseball fan, Mike will be greatly missed by me and countless others in this community.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Mike's family in this sad time. To visit Mike's Caringbridge site, click here.

[Shiloh]

Re: Waseco Co. A/H1N1 death - Died Oct. 24th

Source: http://www.wasecacountynews.com/news.php?viewStory=4041

Waseca Medical Center executive dies while hospitalized with H1N1
Posted: Sunday, October 25, 2009 2:13 pm



MANKATO ? A Waseca Medical Center administrator has died while hospitalized with the H1N1 virus.

Mike Milbrath, executive vice president of Waseca Medical Center died Saturday at Immanuel St. Joseph's Hospital in Mankato. The cause of death has not been determined; however he had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

?This is an incredibly sad time for all of us and words cannot begin to express our grief,? Greg Kutcher, M.D., president and CEO of Immanuel St. Joseph?s and Waseca Medical Center said in a press release Sunday.

?Mike was like family. He was a valued colleague who worked diligently on behalf of patients in and around the Waseca area. More than a wonderful colleague, Mike was a terrific person; he was a devoted husband and father who was very committed to his faith.?

Milbrath joined Waseca Medical Center as administrator in December, 1995, and helped guide the organization through discussions that lead to affiliation with Immanuel St. Joseph?s and the Mayo Health System. His leadership was instrumental in the financial and clinical growth and stability of WMC.

Mike is survived by his wife Cheryl and their three daughters; Kate (husband Jason), Abby (husband Matt) and Shelby; and his parents, Les and Mildred.

?We ask the community to join us in offering sincere sympathy, support and prayers to the Milbrath family during this difficult time,? said Dr. Kutcher.


Funeral arrangements are pending.

[Shiloh]

Re: Waseca Co. A/H1N1 death - Died Oct. 24th

Source: http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_13650241

Relative: Waseca man who died after contracting H1N1 had no underlying medical issue
By Brian Ojanpa
Mankato Free Press
Updated: 10/27/2009 08:58:58 AM CDT

A Waseca hospital administrator who died after contracting the H1N1 flu virus had no underlying medical conditions, a family member said.

"He was in good health. This is just a total shock," said the relative, who declined to provide her name and urged people to be vigilant in using preventive practices against the disease.

"You've just got to take care of yourself because if it happens it can be devastating."

Mike Milbrath, 54, died Saturday at Immanuel St. Joseph's Hospital in Mankato.

The executive vice president of Waseca Medical Center was admitted to the hospital Oct. 14, and the presence of the H1N1 virus was confirmed six days later, according to Milbrath's Caringbridge Web site updated by relatives.

Because Milbrath's job duties did not place him in direct contact with patients, he had not received the H1N1 vaccine, Immanuel St. Joseph's spokesman Kevin Burns said.

Under federal Centers for Disease Control guidelines, only staff whose jobs put them in direct patient contact are eligible for the vaccine due to its current scarcity.

According to the Caringbridge Web site, Milbrath entered the hospital with lung and kidney complications and had undergone his third round of kidney dialysis the day he was diagnosed with H1N1, or swine flu.

"Only 1 percent of the population that contract this virus are such severe cases as dad's," relatives wrote on the website, citing information they'd seen on the "60 Minutes" television program.

Milbrath continued to receive dialysis and other treatments, but remained in critical condition.

He was approved to receive an experimental drug, Peramivir, because it has been shown to successfully treat some severe H1N1 cases.

"It is being flown in from the East coast and will be here in the morning. We are hopeful," read an Oct. 22 Web site entry.

Milbrath received the drug the next day. At the time, his vital signs were stable.

On Saturday morning he had more dialysis and underwent tracheostomy surgery to aid his breathing before complications from the illness took his life that night.

John Stieger, communications director for the Minnesota Department of Health, said any determination regarding a patient's underlying health issues cannot be made until the Department receives the official cause of death from a medical examiner.

Since the H1N1 outbreak began in the spring, the Department has confirmed 10 deaths in Minnesota related to the H1N1 virus.