Essentia Health-Fargo receives accreditation with distinction from Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical S

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has helped patients across the region, including a local breast cancer survivor
 
Essentia Health-Fargo is proud to announce that its Hyperbaric and Dive Medicine Department has received accreditation with distinction from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). Essentia is one of 51 facilities nationally, and the only hospital in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana that is accredited with distinction by UHMS, the highest level possible.
 
Essentia Health leaders, providers, staff and patients came together on Thursday to celebrate the achievement.
 
“To be recognized at this level after participating in the UHMS accreditation process for the first time really speaks to the dedication and commitment of our team to provide – and in this case exceed – the highest standards of care and patient safety within the specialty of undersea and hyperbaric medicine,” said Duane Neugebauer, director of heart and vascular services at Essentia Health-Fargo. “We are extremely proud of our team for achieving this significant milestone and their commitment to their patients.”
 
Participating in the UHMS accreditation process is voluntary and requires months of preparation. Essentia’s team – including physicians, nurses, technicians and leadership – worked together to ensure compliance with UHMS-related standards of practice and safety measures prior to on-site visits by the UHMS survey team.
 
Essentia Health-Fargo opened its hyperbaric department in 2021 with two chambers. To meet growing demand, the department doubled its capacity in August 2025 with two additional chambers. Essentia Health-Fargo is the only hospital in North Dakota that offers 24/7 hyperbaric care.
 
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves the use of medical oxygen administered in a pressure chamber at levels higher than atmospheric pressure. This pressure helps oxygen dissolve more rapidly into the blood, advancing its absorption into damaged tissues to promote healing. Essentia uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy in both outpatient and emergency settings to treat 15 FDA-approved conditions including non-healing wounds, infections, vision or hearing loss, frostbite and crush injuries.
 
“Hyperbaric medicine is a powerful tool for wound healing,” said Dr. Olayinka David Ajayi, hyperbaric medicine physician at Essentia Health-Fargo. “A lot of people might not know that adding hyperbaric oxygen to standard treatments for certain stubborn conditions such as bone infections or radiation-damaged tissue improves and aids the healing process. Our team is here for you, and we are proud to make a healthy difference in our community.”
 
Hyperbaric treatment at Essentia helps local breast cancer survivor
 
For Krystal Anderson of Horace, North Dakota, hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Essentia Health-Fargo was life-changing.
 
This October marks 17 years of survivorship for the 61-year-old, who underwent a bilateral mastectomy, the removal of 29 lymph nodes and radiation therapy to treat her breast cancer. While the treatments saved her life, they left her with lasting side effects, including lymphedema — a condition causing painful swelling — and recurring cellulitis.
 
After contracting COVID-19 in 2020, Anderson’s symptoms worsened to the point where the swelling in her right arm didn’t subside. She was directed to Essentia’s Hyperbaric and Dive Medicine Department where she began daily 2-hour sessions, or “dives”, in early August of 2025.
 
Anderson was quickly impressed by Essentia’s care team.
 
“They were just amazing – they’re very confident in what they’re doing which made me comfortable,” she said. “They’re professional and talked through everything with me. They also quickly learned my preferences, like that I’m a two-blanket person and what channel I liked on the TV. They made me as comfortable as possible.”
 
As her treatment progressed, Anderson noticed a reduction in swelling and softening of tissue in her arm, less joint pain and improved mobility.
 
She finished her 40^th session on Monday, Oct. 13. For her, the timing was “impeccable” as she had been on a waiting list for lymphovenous bypass surgery (LVB) in Rochester, Minnesota since July 2024 when she received a call.
 
“The hyperbaric treatment put me in a really good place to be able to go into that surgery as healthy as I possibly could be,” she said. With surgery now complete, Anderson will undergo 10 additional hyperbaric sessions later this November to help her body heal.
 
While she’d had previous experience with hyperbaric medicine, Anderson explains that she didn’t realize the differences between those free-standing chambers and what Essentia offers.
 
“The criteria Essentia follows is really strict and makes me feel a lot more comfortable,” she said. “I just felt completely safe. The staff is wonderful and they’re all so well trained. They do everything they can to ensure you’re safe and healthy throughout the entire process.”
 
PHOTO CAPTIONS: Group photo featuring Essentia Health leadership and the Hyperbaric and Dive Medicine team holding the framed accreditation certificate.
 
Krystal Anderson
 
 
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ABOUT ESSENTIA HEALTH

Essentia Health’s mission is to make a healthy difference in people’s lives. An integrated nonprofit health system, Essentia relentlessly pursues that mission at our 14 hospitals, 80 clinics, 30 retail pharmacies, six long-term care facilities, three assisted living facilities, two independent living facilities, seven ambulance services, and one research institute. Essentia has about 15,500 employees, including 2,350 physicians and advanced practitioners who provide expert, compassionate care. We’re privileged to serve patients in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.