New Specialty Hospital Will Fill a Care Gap Highlighted by COVID-19
B
LACK HILLS area patients
Director. “We haven’t really had a
16 to 36 beds. The new facility will
who are ready to transition
great way to help patients get back on
include perks like a therapy garden,
out of the ICU but are not
their feet.”
more space for gym equipment,
quite strong enough for
When the hospital is no longer
kitchen and laundry facilities, and
rehabilitation will soon have a new
the best place for them, many of
more places for patients to safely
option in Rapid City. Monument
these patients have had to travel to
practice everyday tasks like navigat-
Health has announced that it will
long-term acute care facilities in Bill-
ing stairs and uneven surfaces.
partner with national company
ings, Bismarck, Lincoln, Sioux Falls,
Vibra Healthcare to build the area’s
or Denver.
While Monument Health is experienced at offering rehabilitation
first long-term acute care hospital
“That just breaks your heart to
services, their LTACH knowledge was
(LTACH) and expanded rehabilita-
see,” says Dr. Stacy. “Having an
limited. Longacre says partnering
tion facility.
LTACH here means that these
with Vibra Healthcare will not only
After the initial acute phase of
patients can get the higher level of
shorten the learning curve, but may
their recovery, patients who have
care they need and we don’t have to
also make it easier to staff the new
suffered from things like stroke,
send them away where there is no
facility.
heart attack, brain and spinal cord
family support.”
“We are going to need more phy-
injuries, and neurological diseases
“This was a need before the pan-
sicians and care staff and we don’t
often move on to intensive (at least
demic but the pandemic definitely
have staff that is skilled on the LTACH
three hours a day) acute medical
amplified it,” says Mark Longacre, Vice
side,” says Longacre. “Vibra’s national
rehabilitation.
President of Operations for Monument
presence means they have a better
But for people who are not healthy
Health in Rapid City. “We serve
reach in terms of attracting caregiv-
enough to tolerate that level of reha-
patients in about a 300 mile radius
ers. There may be people who want
bilitation, such as patients who have
and we hear a lot of stories about the
to transfer from other places to work
been on a ventilator in the ICU for
stress on families when they have to
in the Black Hills. Having a national
weeks, there has been no appropriate
travel. We realized that this was an
partner will help us find them.”
intermediate option locally.
important service that could be a huge
“As providers we have really
benefit to our community.”
Construction on the 55,000-square foot Rehabilitation and Critical Care
struggled with this,” says primary
In addition to 18 LTACH beds, the
Hospital of the Black Hills is expected
care physician Kelly Stacy, MD, Mon-
new facility will also expand Monu-
to begin this fall with a goal of open-
ument Health Executive Medical
ment’s rehabilitation capacity from
ing in 2023. ❖
July / August
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