I have known Mike since 1982 as a resident in family practice at St. Mary's AKA Essentia Health Duluth, AKA SMDC. We chose him as a family practice doctor, because of my knowledge and personal experience working with him as a resident in the family practice area in the Newborn ICU at St. Mary's Duluth and from him being the High Risk OB resident; when I was in preterm labor with our oldest child. Mike is one of the highly intelligent as I thought, as did many of my fellow nurses; the most likeable and approachable doctors in that class of family practice residents. He delivered our first child as my OB was still coming in when I delivered. Mike had talked to me and my husband several times during the months before my delivery when I was in preterm labor. After I delivered and the pediatrician at the Duluth Clinic was a total a-- to me and my daugther on her first visit, I immediately thought of Mike. I searched him out, He was starting to practice at Duluth Clinic Hermantown. We switched to him immediately as an entire family. We have been so happy with him from the get go. Our oldest was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1985 at 9 months of age. Mike was our savior and hers. He is the reason she is still alive and healthy! That diagnosis at 9 months of age made her the youngest to ever be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Duluth and she was the first in Duluth to do blood testing; instead of urine testing. Back then this was a death sentence especially at that age. I have to say the Duluth Clinic has ALWAYS BEEN BEHIND THE BALL AS FAR AS PEDIATRIC DIABETES SINCE THEN AND STILL IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike was with us from the onset, he called us multiple times to answer our questions and between him and his nurse at that time Phyllis and then Darleen, anytime we thought our daughter was sick or getting sick they saw us that same day. Yes, we may have had to wait for a while, because Mike was delivering at baby at St. Mary's or St. Luke's, but it was always worth the wait.
Mike delivered our second child, As a NICU nurse, I was very picky about who I would go to for a OB doctor. I chose Mike for our second pregnancy, because I was tired of the "herd them in and out mentality" of the OB department at SMDC/Essentia and I did NOT want any doc on call to deliver me after 9 months of visits with a specific doctor who I trusted. This did not happen with Mike. If you were his OB patient, [I remind you, as a NICU nurse; I attended many high risk deliveries and always saw Mike call in help when he need the NICU staff, because of meconium or non reassuring fetal heart tones etc.] Mike would come in on his "off call" days to deliver you, that included me during a snow storm with our second child.
When my father in law needed a new physician because his retired; I suggested Mike, Willard could not have been in better hands! He ended up with stomach cancer, then abdominal aortic aneurysms and multiple other problems that Mike caught. Willard thought the highest of Mike until his death. As an advanced practice nurse, I know that hospitals/clinics know when your expirations dates are on all your licenses and they start hounding you about them 9 months before they expire. No way do I believe the community rumors that Mike let his MD license expire. He is too passionate about his patients and he is truly a friend of our family and should we find out where he is practicing outside the Duluth/Essentia Health system, my family will be going to him immediately. I saw Mike for my physical 4 weeks before we got the "canned letter" from Essentia saying Mike was seeking a new road in his life. Mike would have told me he was leaving, and he didn't. The Essentia Hermantown Clinic parking lot is pretty empty now a days; because of the great loss of a wonderful family practice doctor who truly was a "Dr Marcus Welby", [yes, I am dating myself] and truly cared about each of his patients and their families! I will gladly wait for an appointment with him any day, compared to the herd mentality that the Essentia Clinics are preaching now, 10 minutes a patient. REALLY CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN ALL THEIR PROBLEMS AS THEY AGE IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME????? THINK ABOUT IT! Do you want quality care and a doctor who truly cares about you? Mike Mollen is the best family practice doctor lives in the Duluth area and a GREAT LOSS TO ESSENTIA HEALTH CLINIC HERMANTOWN.
