June 2021 MED Magazine

Finding Infection Control Knowledge Gaps Birth Tissue Donation Now Available in South Dakota

JUNE

How to Handle Unsolicited Test Results

VOL. 12 NO. 4

2021

HEALING DISEASE AND DIVISIONS Jacob Weasel, MD, General Surgeon

THE SOUTH DAKOTA REGION’S PREMIER PUBLICATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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VO LU M E 12 , N O. 4 ■ J U N E 2021

Inside This Issue

CONTENTS PAGE 6 | How to Handle Unsolicited Test Results ■ By Eric Zacharias, MD

Whether you have an existing relationship with the patient or not, here’s how to safely handle the results of tests you didn’t order.

ON THE COVER

HEALING DISEASE AND DIVISIONS: JACOB WEASEL, MD, GENERAL SURGEON ■

By Alex Strauss

Monument Health surgeon Jacob Weasel, MD, is Rapid City’s first Lakota surgeon. Here is how he is using his role to heal, educate, and inspire others.

PAGE

10

PAGE 8 | This Month Online The vital role of PAs in rural South Dakota healthcare, new HDR brachytherapy treatment at Monument Health, meet the newest members of the MED team PAGE 13 | [Sponsored Content] Dakota Lions Sight & Health Partners with Avera to Offer South Dakota’s First Birth Tissue Donation Program PAGE 14 | NEWS & NOTES Your comprehensive roundup of medical community news including new hires, moves, certifications, awards, and more.

PAGE 22 | [Interview] Cheri Fast, RN

Project Manager, South Dakota Project Firstline Joint project aims to help South Dakota providers fight infectious diseases with knowledge and education.

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W

elcome to the June issue of MED Magazine, the region’s premiere publication for and about healthcare on the Northern Plains.

In this issue, we are excited to bring you a profile of Dr. Jacob Weasel, a West River surgeon helping to change perceptions and expand diversity and inclusion in South Dakota medical education.

We also have some expert insights into how to handle patient test results that you did not order.

In This Month Online, we have compiled some of the articles and information available exclusively on our website. And we’ll tell you how you can help in the effort to take infection control to the next level in South Dakota healthcare facilities.

Remember, it is always free and easy to share your own news, announcements, and upcoming events with your colleagues through MED. Reach us any time at Info@ MidwestMedicalEdition.com.

See you in July!

NEXT ISSUE

Handling Unsolicited Test Results

BY ERIC ZACHARIAS, MD

SCENARIO A

Since you have direct knowledge of

Pre-existing physician-patient relationships

tice would be to follow up with the patient directly and not assume some

CASE STUDY Your 47-year-old patient self-referred for a heart scan after his older brother had

6

the at-risk test result, the best prac-

other physician is following up.

Although the scenario would not

a myocardial infarction. You have taken care of this patient for at least 20 years

warrant urgent evaluation, the test

and you last saw him three years ago for a routine physical exam that was

results do reveal potential risk factors

unremarkable including normal labs. He also saw a cardiologist approximately

for major adverse events such as heart

five years prior to evaluate palpitations. The heart scan results revealed an

attacks or strokes. Arranging for com-

Agatston score of over 300, placing the patient in the highest risk category for

munication with the patient regarding

coronary heart disease and future myocardial infarction. Your office received a

results and next steps, even though

fax with the results from the walk-in heart scan clinic.

you did not request the tests, ensures appropriate follow up occurs.

In this case, since there is an existing

interpretation of the test result and

You may be in a physician-patient

physician-patient relationship, you

determining the course of action,

relationship that is not necessarily

should assume responsibility for

regardless of whether the patient

obvious. For example, accepting a

contacting the patient to discuss the

self-referred for the test.

capitated payment from a health plan

meaning of the results and a plan

Additionally, you should not

on behalf of a patient may establish

of action. This could be an office

assume that the cardiologist who the

a physician-patient relationship

appointment, a telehealth visit, or a

patient saw before has either received

regardless of whether you’ve actually

phone conversation. Alternatively,

the heart scan results or is acting

seen that patient. You should be

you could refer the patient to

upon them (even if the report explic-

aware of this potential issue in your

the

itly states a copy is being sent there).

practice setting.

appropriate

specialist

for

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SCENARIO B

No established physician-patient relationship If no relationship exists, you may choose whether or not to accept the patient into your practice:

• If you accept the patient, first contact the patient and assume all the obligations of interpretation, monitoring, and follow-up of the diagnostic test.

• If you choose not to enter into a physician-patient relationship, return the original test to its source or the diagnostic center responsible for it. If you do

R e f r e s h i n g S u m m e r

this, use a statement such as “This is not a patient in our practice. Please use your data to inform the patient for appropriate physician referral or follow-up.”

Summer is just around the corner!

This action would also be appropriate if you receive tests results in error (e.g., by fax or mail). Calling the

approaches,

we

start

thinking

As warmer weather

about

barbeques,

and

what pairs well with our favorite grilled foods.

sender directly to notify them of the misdirected result has the best chance of getting the information to the

In the summer months, our palate tends to crave Rose’s

patient and the proper provider for appropriate treat-

and

ment and follow-up. Critical test results may require more diligence to ensure the information gets to the appropriate provider in a timely manner.

What should you do for documentation in this scenario?

Although there is no legal duty, in the interest of

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patient safety there are some suggested steps you should take in returning an unsolicited diagnostic test:

• You should keep a log that documents the date the test was received, the patient’s name, the action taken in returning the test to the sender, and who the sender is.

• It is recommended that you fax the test information back so you will have documentation that the information was faxed to the appropriate test source and received. ❖

330

Eric Zacharias, MD, is with the COPIC Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management

June 2021

S.

Main

Ave

-

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Falls,

SD

winetimeonmain.com

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THIS MONTH ONLINE Highlighting content and opportunities available exclusively at MidwestMedicalEdition.com

Only on our

Website

NPs Are the Backbone of Surgical Institute’s Acute Care Surgicalist Service

When CNP Rebecca McDugle joined Surgical Institute of South Dakota (SI) 11 years ago, she was the entire advanced practice arm of SI’s Acute Care Surgicalist Service, the service that provides Avera McKennan Hospital with round-the-clock general surgery coverage. As the demand for surgical care continues to expand, so has the need for skilled NPs to support the program. Learn more about the role of NPs in SI’s Surgicalist program today.

Proposed Federal Tax Changes: How Can You Protect Your Assets?

Taxes may be unavoidable, but there are strategic ways to leverage your assets. With the announcement of the economic stimulus plan in 2021, the federal government outlined several tax changes that could affect individuals in high income brackets.

The changes are expected to be substantial and far-reaching, and to include corporate, individual and capital gains tax rate increases, international tax changes, and estate and gift tax changes. In this online article, the wealth management experts at Frontier Bank break it down.

New Brachytherapy Treatment at Monument Health

Monument Health Radiation Oncologist Daniel Petereit, MD, and his team in late April performed South Dakota’s first h ig h - d ose - rate (H D R) p ros t ate brachytherapy treatments using real-time, ultrasound-based planning. The Monument Health Cancer Care Institute is currently the only site in South Dakota that offers this type of comprehensive prostate brachytherapy, both HDR and low-dose-rate (LDR) for men with various stages of prostate cancer. Read more about this powerful treatment in this exclusive online article.

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Physician Assistants Play Vital Role in Rural South Dakota Healthcare An ongoing shortage of medical professionals in rural South Dakota underscores the importance of PAs. Many South Dakotans, especially those living in the state’s most rural locales, now rely on physician assistants for their primary healthcare. And the profession has responded.

Of the 550 PAs in the state, 47 percent serve rural areas.

RACHELE VIETOR anticipated a certain level of independence as she started her job as a physician assistant at the Mission (South Dakota) Community Health Center, but what surprised her most was the great variety of health issues and problems she faced and treated.

“It was overwhelming the first six months I was here,” said Vietor, a native of Colome, South Dakota, now living in Winner. “I was well prepared in my education and training, but the rural population we serve relies on PAs and nurse practitioners for their care, so we see everything. I manage multiple conditions for patients of all ages.”

Nearly six years later, Vietor continues to commute daily from her home in Winner to faithfully serve the Mission community, and she is one of three PAs and three nurse practitioners working at the health center there, a facility operated by Horizon Health Care. Two family practice physicians visit the health center periodically during each month, to provide oversight and guidance.

PA STUDENT BRADY HICKS is a model for someone wanting to return to their rural roots after completing schooling and certification. In Hicks’ case his hometown and target destination is Martin, located not far from Nebraska in the southwestern part of the state. Before he graduates in July, he will have performed 10 different clinical rotations at clinics and hospitals across the state, including a stint in Martin.

“I love the community. It made me who I am,” said Hicks. “I want to give back to Martin and this area.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE on these PAs and their role in rural healthcare on the website.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The team at MED has been producing quality content to support the business of medicine in this market for more than two decades. We’re still going strong and we’re always innovating. Got an idea that could make this publication, MidwestMedicalEdition.com or our bi-monthly MED Newsletter even better? We’re all ears!

Send your suggestions to Info@ MidwestMedicalEdition.com.

Check out all the upcoming Spring and Summer Events at MidwestMedical Edition.com/ calendar

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THE MED TEAM IS GROWING Kim Lee has joined the MED team as a features writer.

Kim’s career in marketing and story writing spans 23 years in the education, nonprofit, healthcare and general consumer industries, primarily in South Dakota and Texas. She has written for local, regional and national newsletters, magazines, and websites.

Kim is a South Dakota native and a graduate of Augustana University. Look for her byline on our Digital Partner articles. We are thrilled to have her on board.

A second MED team member also made her appearance recently, after a nine-month delay. Emersen Jean McGinnis was born to MED’s DIgital Media Director, Alyssa McGinnis, on April 15th.

Weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces and increasing rapidly, Ms. McGinnis will be assisting her mom with her work-fromhome duties. Welcome, Emersen!

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9

Healing Disease and Divisions JACOB WEASEL, MD, GENERAL SURGEON

L

ONG BEFORE JACOB WEASEL BECAME THE FIRST LAKOTA surgeon to work in Rapid City, he was already distinguishing himself in healthcare.

As a 17-year-old high school student in Omaha, Nebraska, Weasel won a place in a diversity summer research program for underrepresented minorities through

Creighton University. The opportunity led to a national award for his biomedical research and the chance to present on it in Miami. Just as importantly, it allowed him to form relationships at Creighton, where he would eventually study theology and health administration and policy.

When Weasel went on to medical school at the University of Nebraska, it was the realization of a dream he had had since before that first research experience.

“At 16, I told my girlfriend that I was going to go to medical school to become a surgeon,”

BY ALEX STRAUSS

10

Dr. Weasel told MED. “When I wrote my personal statements, I always said that my goal was

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

to have a significant impact on

surgical techniques he had learned

Native American healthcare. That

and simultaneously support the

is what really started the whole

health of native people.

journey for me.”

CALLED TO SERVE

“That proved to be a difficult thing,” says Dr. Weasel. At first glance, the Indian Health Service

An enrolled member of the Cheyenne

might seem like an obvious choice.

River Sioux Tribe, Weasel is the child

But Weasel worried that the limited

of a Lakota mother from South

resources of the IHS could keep him

Dakota. His father, a Nakoda Indian,

from serving fully. “Those resource

grew up on Montana’s Belknap Indian

limitations would have really limited

Reservation, where he dropped out

my ability to practice at the highest

of school and struggled with sub-

level of my professional training,”

stance abuse before attending Bible

he says.

College to become a pastor. Weasel

Monument Health Rapid City

spent his early years in Albuquerque,

Hospital, with its large population

New Mexico before the family relo-

of Native American patients and it’s

cated to Omaha when he was 12.

advanced medical facilities, was the

“I was about 13 when my dad

perfect solution. Dr. Weasel, his

came to me and said ‘You better do

wife, and three children moved to

well in school because we can’t afford

Rapid City in 2018 at the end of his

to send you to college’,” Weasel

residency.

recalls. “That was really motivating for me.”

parathyroid, gallbladder removal,

BUILDING BRIDGES

thoracic, breast, hernia repair, gas-

During his general surgery resi-

As a general surgeon, Dr. Weasel

trointestinal and bariatric. He says

dency in Des Moines, Weasel began

performs a variety of minimally-

his Native American roots have

to search for a position that would

invasive robotic and standard

often helped him bridge the gap

allow him to practice the advanced

surgeries, including thyroid and

between reticent native patients and the medical care they need.

“I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve had situations in the hospital where understanding where patients are coming from and what they are going through has been so helpful,” says Dr. Weasel. “Most of my patients know that I’m native and that I’m Lakota. At first, they are surprised and then there is this comfort level. People open up to you in a way that they might not with other healthcare providers and I’ve been able to help restore trust in the healthcare system.”

And Dr. Weasel’s commitment to effect positive change in the region and the state does not stop at the OR doors.

Lauren and Jacob Weasel are shown with their three children, from left, Isabelle, age 10, Judah, age 12, and Leighton, age 13.

June 2021

“Another thing that drew me to this area is the opportunity to look at things that affect our health outside of clinics and hospitals,” he says. “I would like to someday do research on the impact of

11

incorporating ancestral dietary practices back into Native American communities to see what effect that might have on things like heart disease and diabetes.”

INSPIRING OTHERS Education is another avenue through which Dr. Weasel is influencing and inspiring others. As the newly-appointed Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at USD Sanford School of Medicine, he hopes to expose more medical students to underserved populations through opportunities like a rotation at the tribally-owned Oyate Health Center in Rapid City.

“It is a very different practice environment there,” says Dr. Weasel. “You have to do more with less sometimes, so you have to depend a lot on your clinical acumen.”

Weasel says working in a clinic like Oyate will

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also help open medical students’ eyes to other forms of medicine. “There is a rich tradition of native medicine that they don’t get exposed to,” says Weasel. “There needs to be an appreciation for that which is still practiced but is largely unknown. This will help inform them as providers and allow them to understand and appreciate the cultural diversity of their patients.”

Like many minorities, Weasel has had plenty of personal experience with racism. But instead of lashing out, he leans into the unique perspective that medicine gives him.

“You can’t blame a blind person for being blind.

All you can do is open their eyes,” he says. “As a

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being told enough in this country.”

TO WIN

Dr. Weasel, who says he sees himself as a healer on many levels, has made it his mission to spread that message. Through his work, his community involvement, and his example, he hopes to inspire other minority children to pursue their big dreams, too.

“It’s hard for many young people to do that right now, given all of the challenges they face,”

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says Dr. Weasel. “Part of what I want to do is to serve as an example for future generations. I want to inspire a sense of hope that they, too, have the ability to become a doctor, or a lawyer, or whatever they want to be. There are too few examples for native kids right now.” ❖

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[ S P O NS O R E D C O N T E N T ]

Dakota Lions Sight & Health Partners with Avera to Offer South Dakota’s First Birth Tissue Donation Program

D

AKOTA LIONS SIGHT & HEALTH (DLSH), the only eye and tissue donation organization based in the Dakotas, has partnered with Avera to bring the first birth tissue donation program to South Dakota.

Birth tissues, which include the placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic

fluid, have special properties that help to grow and develop a baby during pregnancy and are normally discarded after birth. The tissues also contain natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in recipients when processed and properly transplanted by a physician.

“Among other things, this tissue is being used to treat skin cancer, severe burns, corneal ulcers, and hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers,” says Marcy Dimond, DLSH CEO. “Birth tissue is a type of living donation that does not impact the health of you or your baby, but has the potential to provide a tremendous gift that helps heal the lives of others.”

Under this new program, any woman scheduled for a planned C-section can elect to donate her birth tissue at no cost, provided she meets the necessary medical criteria established by medical standards. Dakota Lions Sight & Health works with the birth center and dispatches a technician to collect the donated tissue after the C-section is complete. The donation does not interfere with the birth or medical care and is completely safe for the mother and baby.

“When this idea was first brought to us a few years ago, we encountered a few challenges because it is so different from what we normally do,” says Dimond. “But when we saw how high the demand was, and learned that one placenta and umbilical cord could help 20 to 40 people, we realized that it is very much in line with our core mission of restoring sight and health. Instead of discarding the tissues, we want people to recognize that it is a truly valuable gift that could potentially go on to help many others.”

Birth tissue collected by DLSH is processed by a tissue processing organization into usable medical allografts. The result is a collagen matrix that can be sized according to physician specifications. The grafts are then delivered to healthcare professionals. According to Dimond, some of the tissue will be stored at Dakota Lions Sight & Health to allow for the expedient transport to area physicians to use it in treating local patients.

As part of the new initiative, DLSH has created educational materials

“We want people to recognize that it is a truly valuable gift that could potentially go on to help many others.”

that healthcare professionals can share with expectant mothers. More information is also located at www.dakotasight.org ❖

June 2021

13

Happenings around the region

News & Notes

South Dakota | Southwest Minnesota | Northwest Iowa | Northeast Nebraska

AVERA The Avera Foundation concluded its Home for Hope campaign in April.

The campaign raised a total of $3.3 million since October 2020 to expand and renovate patient and family lodging adjacent to the Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center campus in Sioux Falls. Kirby Place, the name of the expanded patient and family lodging facility on the Walsh Family Village campus, will include 13 new patient rooms and will add 6,500 square feet of space, more than doubling the current lodging.

Avera Health has been named to the IBM Watson Health “15 Top Health Systems” list, recognizing it as one of the top performing health systems of the 324 evaluated. The annual list was published in April by Fortune. Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls was named to the 100 Top Hospitals list out of 2,522 hospitals. Avera Health covers a 72,000-square mile footprint with 315 locations and employs 19,700 people across the Upper Midwest. Avera was previously named to the top 15 list in 2019.

14

BLACK HILLS

Avera Gregory Hospital broke ground on a new health campus on 12 acres of land east of Gregory in April. The $39.4 million project will integrate a 17-bed hospital, 30-bed long-term care center and a clinic that will accommodate local providers and visiting outreach specialists, inside space totaling over 88,000 square feet. Features include a 24-hour emergency room, diagnostic imaging center, larger surgical suite and post-surgical rooms, enhanced dialysis center, helipad, and connection to telemedicine services.

Paige Goldade, Erin Theis and Taylor Wubben are the most recent recipients of DAISY Awards at Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls. Paige Goldade, BSN, RN, PMH-BC, and Erin Theis, RN, work at Avera Behavioral Health. Taylor Wubben, RN, is a nurse at Avera McKennan Hospital working with oncology patients. Each quarter, three outstanding nurses receive the DAISY Award at Avera McKennan.

Monument Health is opening a clinic in Gillette, Wyoming to better serve Northeast Wyoming patients.

Monument Health currently has clinics in Newcastle and Upton, Wyoming, and is continuing to expand into the Wyoming region. The Monument Health Gillette Clinic will offer services such as dermatology, general and bariatric surgery, and orthopedics and sports medicine. The new clinic is located at 620 W. Four-J Court.

Monument Health is moving its outpatient dialysis clinic in Rapid City to a larger, more accessible storefront location in the Dakota Market Square retail complex at East North and Cambell streets.

Monument Health also offers dialysis care at Rapid City Hospital and in Spearfish. The new 16,000-square-foot Dakota Market Square clinic will have 36 dialysis stations.

In addition, the new clinic will all be at ground level, so patients in wheelchairs won’t have to navigate elevators. The move is tentatively planned for Oct. 20.

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The National Rural Health Association recently announced that Monument Health Custer Hospital is among the nation’s top 20 Critical Access Hospitals for patient satisfaction. The only other South Dakota hospital to make the patient satisfaction index was Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

SANFORD Sanford Health has announced a $300 million initiative to transform rural care delivery.

Sanford Health will work with its academic partners to create eight new graduate medical residencies and fellowships in critical specialty areas.

The initiative also includes an expansion of the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls and a cutting-edge “virtual hospital” to provide affordable care in rural and underserved areas of the Midwest.

Jennifer Schindler, RN, with Sanford Health’s Chamberlain Medical Center recently received a DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing.

Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls has been named a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

According to the commission, this program is the most demanding stroke certification and is designed for hospitals that have specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases.

Sanford USD Medical Center is the only Comprehensive Stroke Center in South Dakota.

The recognition is also done in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

Sanford Health has launched a study to identify and predict which children may be at risk of developing type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. The PLEDGE study will conduct screenings for infants and children during routine visits at all Sanford Health locations in Sioux Falls and Fargo. For children with autoantibodies related to T1D, providers will offer education, monitoring and early intervention to improve outcomes. This is the first time a population screening for T1D will be offered in the Midwest.

In mid-April, Sanford Health announced that Carl June, MD, professor in immunotherapy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is the winner of the biennial Sanford Lorraine Cross Award, Sanford’s $1 million prize for achievements in the medical sciences. Dr. June and his colleagues at Penn came up with a way to reprogram selected T cells to recognize and destroy leukemia cells.

This therapy is now named KYMRIAH by Novartis and is FDA-approved to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Sanford Health Plan has acquired the Great Plains Brokerage unit from Marsh & McLennan Agency. Great Plains Brokerage has served as Sanford Health Plan’s external brokerage service for more than 20 years. All former Great Plains Brokerage employees will become Sanford Health Plan’s new sales department. Bringing brokerage services directly into the Sanford Health Plan allows for a more contemporary model for the management of sales.

Sanford Health broke ground in March on a 16,000 square foot clinic in Harrisburg.

The Sanford Harrisburg Clinic will be on the corner of Cliff Avenue and Willow Street and will have a Lewis Drug retail store and pharmacy attached to it. It will feature 26 clinical exam rooms, housing family medicine, pediatrics, and women’s services. There will also be a lab, radiology, ultrasound, and 3D mammography on site. Construction will be in full swing this summer, with an anticipated opening date sometime in late 2022.

June 2021

15

• Happenings around the region

News & Notes

Happenings around the region

SIOUXLAND ASHLESHA KAUSHIK Ashlesha Kaushik, MD, FAAP, with UnityPoint Clinic Pediatric Infectious Disease, has been selected as national faculty for the CDC’s Project Firstline/ American Academy of Pediatrics Infection Prevention and Control Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (AAP IPC ECHO) program for 2020-21. The program is a national collaboration for education and training of pediatric providers about infection prevention and control of COVID-19. Dr. Kaushik is among 10 providers nationwide and the only physician from Iowa to have been chosen to serve as faculty for the program.

AMBER GRAY [not pictured] TAMMY CONOVER JAMIE CRUM Amber Gray of UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s, and Tammy Conover and Jamie Crum of Cherokee Regional Medical Center were recently honored as three of the 100 Great Iowa Nurses, a recognition program of the Iowa Nurses Association, for their commitment, competence and courage in the field of nursing. The 100 Great Iowa Nurses program recognizes outstanding nurses whose exceptional contributions to patients, colleagues and the profession are truly remarkable.

INDEPENDENTS ALAHNA GROSS Hitchcock native Alahna Gross, CNP, has joined Prairie Family Healthcare, an independent Family Practice Clinic in Mitchell, South Dakota. Gross earned her nursing degree at Augustana College and worked in cancer care at Sanford USD Medical Center and then as a travel nurse. After earning her NP degree at SDSU, she worked in Minneapolis and for the VA in Washington State before returning to South Dakota to live near family.

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Prairie Lakes Healthcare System was recently named one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. PLHS scored in the top 100 of rural and community hospitals on iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength INDEX, the industry’s most comprehensive rating of rural providers. Hospitals recognized as a Top 100 facility scored in the top 100 among all rural and community hospitals nationally.

MARIKO ORO

HALEY ROWLAND

TYLER ROWLAND

PLHS recently announced the addition of SpeechLanguage Pathologist Mariko Oro, Physical Therapist Haley Rowland, and Occupational Therapist Tyler Rowland.

Oro grew up in New York and earned her MS from Columbia University. Haley Rowland is from Nevada. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.

Tyler Rowland, who is from Watertown, graduated from the University of South Dakota with his Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree.

CARLI JOHNSON Carli Johnson, CNP, has joined Surgical Institute of South Dakota. Johnson earned both her BS and her Master of Science in Nursing from SDSU and is a board certified Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She has been an RN since 2016 at Sanford Health in the Critical Care department. Johnson will be working primarily at the acute surgical service at Avera McKennan Hospital.

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Common signs of infant hearing loss: • Loud noise does not surprise them • Does not respond to where noise is coming from • Delay in speech or vocal play CDC

Want to learn more?

Get involved today at ehdi136.com or find us on Facebook @South DakotaEHDICollaborative

June 2021

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Happenings around the region

According to US News and World Reports’ 2020 analysis, the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine ranked No. 6 among the nation’s 160 medical education programs for the percentage of its graduates who practice in rural areas. The medical school has instituted a number of innovative programs aimed specifically at introducing USD medical students to rural practice. Sixty-seven new medical students graduated from the USD School of Medicine in May.

TIFFANY WEEKS Sanford School of Medicine Dean Dr. Tim Ridgway, Delta Dental President and CEO Scott Jones, Senator Art Rusch, USD President Sheila K. Gestring, School of Health Sciences Dean Haifa Abou Samra, Retired Sanford School of Medicine Dean Dr. Mary Nettleman.

USD broke ground on the new School of Health Sciences building and announced a $1 million gift from the Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation on April 1. In honor of the gift, the new community dental hygiene clinic at USD will be named the Delta Dental Oral Health Center.

The new three-story, 45,000 square-foot School of Health Sciences building will be connected to the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building. In addition to the Delta Dental Oral Health Center, there will be modern classrooms, health science labs, simulation centers, study spaces and faculty offices.

Tiffany Weeks has been named Chief Executive Officer/Chief Administrative Officer for Urology Specialists Clinic & Ambulatory Surgical Center in SIoux Falls. She holds a BS in Nursing from South Dakota State University and an MS in Nursing & Healthcare Leadership from Walden University in Minneapolis. Weeks is certified in LEAN Process Improvement and is working on Administrator Certification through the American College of Medical Practice Executives. She has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare quality and leadership in hospital, long-term care, and ambulatory care settings and has been employed with Urology Specialists since 2019.

MEGAN PETERSON Megan Peterson, RN, is the new Director of Nursing and Clinical Operations at Urology Specialists Clinic in Sioux Falls. Peterson received her BS in Nursing from South Dakota State University. She has experience in medical surgical, oncology, and urology nursing.

Peterson has been employed with Urology Specialists since 2009 and has served in dual roles, coordinating employee health and also the primary nurse role for Dr. Michael Gillett for the past 12 years.

TAYLOR PFEIFLE Taylor Pfeifle, RN, is the new Director of Nursing & Clinical Informatics for Urology Specialists Ambulatory Surgical Center. Pfeifle received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Augustana University. She previously worked in women’s health and for the South Dakota Department of Health, establishing state-wide programs and managing federal grants. Pfeifle joined Urology Specialists Surgical Center in September 2020 as a procedural RN and was soon promoted to Infection Prevention & Quality Coordinator.

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Midwest ENT & Allergy in Sioux Falls is now providing Earlens Contact Hearing Solution, the first and only non-surgical hearing solution to directly vibrate the eardrum. With Earlens, a processor worn behind the ear sends an audio signal through the ear tip to a custom lens that rests next to the eardrum and vibrates to activate the ear’s natural hearing system. Earlens delivers more than 2x the bandwidth/pitch range of conventional hearing aids and was recently named a top 100 Invention for 2020 by TIME Magazine.

JENNA BRAUN Board certified Nurse Practitioner Jenna Braun has joined Modern Day Health Care in Mellette, South Dakota. Braun graduated from South Dakota State University with a BS in Nursing and earned her MS with a focus on Family Medicine at South University in Savannah, Georgia. She has more than 14 years of healthcare experience and has a special interest in pediatrics and women’s preventive healthcare. Modern Day Health Care focuses on closing gaps in rural healthcare with the use of modern technology and unique visit options for primary care services.

WILLIAM RIZK Dr. William Rizk of Midlands Clinic in Dakota Dunes has been certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine as an ABOM diplomate.

ABOM diplomates are physicians who undergo rigorous training in obesity medicine and an extensive examination process to achieve this designation.

Dr. Rizk has been performing weight loss surgeries since 2002 and has contributed to the 1,800 and counting surgeries completed by Midlands Clinic. Dr. Rizk is a current member of The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and University of Nebraska Medical Center have signed an amended Institutional Affiliation Agreement (IAA), with approval from Children’s Board of Directors and University of Nebraska’s Board of Regents, to strengthen their long-standing partnership and improve pediatric care, advocacy, research, and education in Nebraska and beyond. The amended agreement includes opportunities to increase physician faculty engagement, streamline the joint recruitment process, and enhance fiscal transparency and accountability.

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center has received the National Guard’s Homeland Defense Service Ribbon and a Statement of Support from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a program of the U.S. Department of Defense. These prestigious recognitions are given to organizations and businesses that provide a supportive work environment and culture for Service members.

Brookings Health System recently added two new hyperbaric oxygen chambers to its Wound Center, enabling the health system to offer hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to care for patients with difficult to heal wounds. HBO therapy is especially beneficial for diabetic patients with non-healing ulcers as well as patients with arterial ulcers and other types of wounds that fail to respond to conservative therapy. HBO may also be used to treat conditions without open wounds, such bone infections and after effects from radiation therapy.

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June 2021

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Happenings around the region

DANIEL NELSON Dr. Daniel Nelson, MD, FAAOS, of the CNOS Clinic in Dakota Dunes recently received the Golden Stethoscope award from the staff at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, partners of CNOS. Dr. Nelson, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, earned his medical degree from the USD Sanford School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training in Adult Reconstruction/Joint Replacement at the Southern Joint Replacement Institute at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Freeman Regional Health Services has made changes to their nursing leadership team. The announcement follows a reorganization of the nursing departments after the Chief Nursing Officer position opened when Courtney Unruh began her CEO/Administrator role in January 2021. Nikki Mehlhaf will stay in her role as Director of Nursing for Oakview Terrace nursing home. Michelle Neuharth will take on the role of Director of Nursing for Freeman Medical Center hospital. Karissa Podzimek will serve as the Clinic Nurse Manager for FRHS clinics.

STEVEN METZGER Certified Orthotist Steven Metzger has joined the staff of RISE Custom Solutions in Sioux Falls. With 25 years in the orthotics and prosthetics field, he returns to his native Upper Midwest after practicing the past several years in Michigan.

RISE Custom Solutions is a division of LifeScape and provides orthotics, prosthetics, and mobility services in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, with clinics in Aberdeen, Brookings, Sioux City, and Orange City.

L-R – Carla Hummel, Food For Thought board member; Nikki LaCroix, Food For Thought board member; Carissa Pietz, MD, McKenzie Hanson, MD, Tyler Hanson, M., Paul Struck, Food For Thought board member; Jordan Schild, MD, Angela Shuff,, Food For Thought board member; Kristen Taggart, Food For Thought board member.

The physicians of Yankton Medical Clinic, PC, presented Yankton Food For Thought with a check for $5,000 in early spring. Yankton Food For Thought is a non-profit organization managed through the Yankton School District that provides food and nutritional education for schoolaged children and their families. The program includes a food pantry, food distribution and Sack Pack Program which provides food for nearly 400 students each week to take home for the weekend.

Spencer Hospital has again been recognized as one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the United States, earning the designation for the sixth consecutive year. Spencer Hospital is the only mid-sized Iowa hospital to have earned this distinction every year it has been awarded. The nation’s top rural hospitals are recognized annually by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, which also recognizes the country’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals.

Spencer Hospital is one of just 22 mid-sized hospitals nationally that is a six-time Top 100 honoree.

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WADE ERICKSON

In conjunction with World Wish Day 2021 on April 29th, a 7-year-old farm kid with a respiratory disorder saw his wish come true thanks to Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana.

Koen is from rural South Dakota. He had a wish to teach other children about farming and farm safety. Koen’s wish was to transform the waiting room at Avera Medical Group Pediatric Specialists into a farming exhibit with interactive boards and fun pictures of everything relating to farming.

JOHN MENGENHAUSEN

Horizon Health Care in Howard, South Dakota has named Wade Erickson as its next CEO. Erickson, who currently serves as chief financial officer of the organization, will succeed retiring CEO John Mengenhausen, who has led the organization for the past 38 years. Erickson has served as chief financial officer of Horizon since 2000. In this position, he has been instrumental in growing the organization from a small community health center, with a budget of $2.5 million to a mid-sized organization with a current budget of $31 million. He will take the helm July 2.

❱ I ntrigued by something you’ve read here? Want to go deeper? Read the full versions of these and other recent news items on our website.

June 2021

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• Happenings around the region

News & Notes

[ INTERV IE W ]

Cheri Fast, RN PROJECT MANAGER, SOUTH DAKOTA PROJECT FIRSTLINE

H

EALTHCARE WORKERS ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

colleagues. I think it is really

against current and emerging infectious diseases and effective

alarming that we can’t even

infection control measures is their best weapon. To help make

explain why we do infection

sure South Dakota’s medical providers are adequately armed,

control, or we are uncomfortable

The South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care is partnering with the CDC

with it. The other interesting

and the SD Department of Health on Project Firstline to conduct a state-

thing is that 80 percent of nurses

wide survey of healthcare workers. The aim of the survey, which launched

say that they perform infection

on April 1 with a goal of 2,000 respondents, is to identify gaps in infection

control duties, but 90 percent of

control knowledge so that training can be developed to fill them.

them don’t have any specialized

MED spoke with Project Manager Cheri Fast for more on the project and what it has revealed so far.

MED: What kind of response have you had so far?

infection control training.

MED: Why is it important for providers to take this survey?

CF: Our patients depend on us to

CF: About 1,400 people have

give them our best, every day,

responded to the online survey [as

every shift, with every encounter.

of May 6]. Many of them are nurses

We might have infection control

and they are from all different

knowledge, but we have to be

settings, including nursing homes,

able to consistently to practice it.

assisted living, dialysis centers,

This survey will show us where

critical access hospitals, clinics,

the gaps are so that we can fill

acute care settings and others.

them. This is also South Dakota’s

Preliminary results show that

opportunity to let our voice be

about 80 percent of respondents

heard at the CDC. That is critical.

have had basic infection control training on hand hygiene, PPE,

MED: What is Project Firstline?

COVID, and environmental

MED: What happens after the survey?

CF: Project First is a national

cleaning. But survey results also

CF: This is a 15-month project.

training collaboration for infection

clearly show that they want more

The next phase will be focus

prevention and control The

training and they want better

groups, which we hope to start

commitment is to prepare

training. The science keeps

by July. The other thing is that

frontline healthcare workers

changing and they can’t keep up.

we are forming a South Dakota

and the public health workforce

chapter of the Association for

to protect themselves, their

MED: Have there been any surprises?

patients, and the community from

CF: The biggest surprise is that,

infectious diseases like COVID-19.

while 75 percent of respondents

will allow us to learn from each

One thing this pandemic has

say they understand the impor-

other. Anyone with an interest

taught us is that we were not

tance of these protocols, fewer

in being a part of the advisory

prepared. We have gaps in

than half say they feel comfortable

group can contact me at

infection control and knowledge.

explaining it to their patients or

cheri.fast@sdfmc.org. ❖

Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). This

❱Y ou can find more information about Project Firstline, including a direct link to the survey, in the extended version of this interview on our website.

22

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Let’s get to the root of the problem As providers, we know that substance misuse and

addiction are often just symptoms of more complex problems.

For treatment to be effective, the whole person—their basic needs, mental health, physical conditions, and overall safety must be addressed.

Talking with your patients is a great place to start—helping them find a support team is even better. The Resource Hotline can provide your patients with the services and support they need to fully recover including:

• Connecting to housing, employment, and food assistance • Help accessing treatment and recovery services • Identifying financial assistance opportunities • Parenting education • Follow up services with a personal guide for addiction recovery through the Care Coordination program

Your guidance is powerful. Patients are more likely to follow through when you recommend a course of action.

Refer your patients and their families to the

Resource Hotline 1-800-920-4343

It’s FREE, confidential, and available 24/7.

Together, we can treat the whole person and set them on the path to recovery.

AvoidOpioidSD.com/find-help

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