September/October 23 - MED Magazine

South Dakota Named 9th Best State for Healthcare

50 YEARS of TREATING PATIENTS, TRAINING DOCTORS

Dr. Brad Kamstra, Program Director

Dr. Mary Watson, Dr. Mark Huntington

1.855.850.KIDS (5437) is your 24-hour link to pediatric specialists for physician-to-physician consults, referrals, admissions and transport.

One number is all you need to connect with the the very best newborn specialists.

Mobility matters. Rehab therapy can help.

Completing the tasks of everyday life can be overwhelming after an illness or injury. Our rehabilitation therapy team at the Good Samaritan Society provides individualized support during every phase of your patient’s recovery.

When your patient is facing physical challenges or needs help with speech, language or swallowing, we’ll help them heal faster so they can get back to living.

Call (855)-GOOD SAM to refer your patient.

50 YEARS OF TREATING PATIENTS, TRAINING DOCTORS

The Center for Family Medicine and the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency

■ By Alex Strauss

As this well-known clinic and residency program prepares for its 50th anniversary celebration, we asked three of its faculty to share their insights on its history, its evolution over the last few years, and its future.

PAGE 6 | This Month Online

South Dakota named a top state for healthcare, Upcoming fall events, award-winning employees and exclusive online content

PAGE 10 | USD School of Health Sciences Success

Spotlight: Dustin Little, DPT

PAGE 12 | [SPONSORED]

Neonatal Research Network Funding Advances Care for Sanford Children's NICU Patients

Sanford has secured funding for clinical research trials through 2030. Here's how babies will benefit.

PAGE 14 | NEWS & NOTES

Leadership changes at Avera Health, recognition for equity at Monument, Sanford breaks ground on a unique park, an expansion for CNOS, a milestone for UnityPoint Health–St. Luke's, and more

FROM US TO YOU

More South Dakota family doctors are graduates of the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency program at the Center for Family Medicine than any other single residency program.

As the program and clinic prepare to celebrate 50 years of treating patients and training doctors, we speak with three of its faculty about what makes it so special.

In this issue you’ll also find eight pages jam-packed with all the summer’s regional medical news. Find out what your colleagues have been up to and get inspired to share YOUR news and announcements with MED at News@MidwestMedicalEdition.com.

Plus, how funding from the Neonatal Research Network is advancing care for some of Sanford’s smallest patients.

To stay up to date between issues of MED Magazine (and easily access any past issue), be sure to join the free VIP list at MidwestMedicalEdition.com.

All the Best,

—Alex and Steff

CONTACT INFORMATION

STEFFANIE LISTON-HOLTROP

VP Sales & Marketing

2023

Publisher / MED MAGAZINE, LLC

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Vice President Sales & Marketing

STEFFANIE LISTON-HOLTROP

Editor in Chief / ALEX STRAUSS

Staff Writer / KIM LEE

Creative Director / ANGELA CORBO GIER

Customer Relationship Manager / BARBIE MUNOZ

Digital Media Director / HYA AMURAO

605-366-1479

Steff@MidwestMedicalEdition.com

ALEX STRAUSS

Editor in Chief 605-759-3295

Alex@ MidwestMedicalEdition.com

WEBSITE

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

MAILING ADDRESS

PO Box 90646, Sioux Falls, SD 57109

THIS MONTH ONLINE

Articles and Resources Only on Our Website MidwestMedicalEdition.com

Upcoming EVENTS

September 6–7

SD Conference on Developmental Disabilities Location: Sioux Falls

September 12

South Dakota Statewide Trauma Conference Location: Michelle, SD

September 14–16

SD Pharmacists Association

Annual Convention Location: Deadwood

September 20–22

SDAHO Annual Convention Location: Sioux Falls

September 22

CNOS Orthopaedic Symposium Location: Dakota Dunes, SD

October 6

24th Annual Avera Oncology Symposium Location: Sioux Falls

October 26–29

SD EMS Association Annual Conference Location: Rapid City

CHECKOUT THE WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILS ON THESE AND OTHER EVENTS

Exclusive Online Content

READ the full version of these articles on our website

ART Vision Article

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) is a vision correction procedure performed at ART Vision by Dr. Alison R. Tendler. It involves replacing the eye’s natural lens with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant. Find out which patients might benefit and hear one patient’s experience in this WEBSITE-ONLY ARTICLE.

The MED Job Board

Looking to make a change within local healthcare? Have a position to fill at your hospital or clinic? The MED Job Board is a great place to start. Click ‘Jobs’ in the navigation bar of the website to start your search, or email Admin@MidwestMedicalEdition.com to find out how to post a position.

Nebraska & North Dakota News, Too!

MED services more than 7,000 healthcare subscribers in North Dakota and Nebraska with news specific to those regions. See what’s going on in healthcare in our neighboring states by clicking on ‘News By Region’ at the top of any page.

MED will soon be rolling out a new online feature designed to showcase experts with knowledge relevant to healthcare. We’ll spotlight three to four experts in different fields each month. Watch your Inbox for the official announcement of our first panel! (And if you’re not already a subscriber, be sure to scan the QR code so you don’t miss a thing!)

SOUTH DAKOTA NAMED 9TH BEST STATE for HEALTHCARE

WITH THE AVERAGE AMERICAN

spending more than $12,900 per year on personal healthcare, the personalfinance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States for Healthcare, as well as expert commentary.

In order to determine where Americans receive the highest-quality services at the best prices, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 key measures of healthcare cost, accessibility and outcome. The data set ranges from the average monthly insurance premium to physicians per capita to the share of insured population.

DAISIES

HEALTHCARE IN SOUTH DAKOTA

(1=Best; 25=Avg.)

9th Hospital Beds per Capita

22nd % of At-Risk Adults with No Routine Doctor Visit in Past Two Years

8th % of Adults with No Dental Visit in Past Year

21st % of Medical Residents Retained

3rd Average Emergency-Room Wait Time

To see how our neighboring states ranked, visit our website for a link to the full report

Sarah Wiebelhaus, RN Avera Sacred Heart Hospital,Yankton ICU

Daniel Yevseyev, RN Monument Health Rapid City Hospital

Katherine Huntley-Gomez ER Receptionist Huron Regional Medical Center

Molly Cape, RN Monument Health Rapid City Hospital ICU

Kelly DeGrote, Diabetes Educator Monument Health Rapid City Clinic, Flormann Street

50 YEARS of TREATING PATIENTS, TRAINING DOCTORS

The Center for Family Medicine and the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency

and CFM to do more teaching in 2000.

“I remember when I came back after being gone for 10 years, it was like I was coming home,” says Watson. “There were the same people in the lab and doing X-rays and I had the same nurses. People who had been faculty members were now my colleagues. I even saw some patients that I had seen ten years ago.”

Watson says the longevity of the staff and faculty is one of the things that sets the clinic and the residency apart from other programs. When people join here, they tend to stay.

YOU WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO FIND any single clinic known to as many South Dakota family doctors as the Center for Family Medicine in Sioux Falls.

Since its establishment as a non-profit corporation in 1973, CFM has been home to the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency program (SFFMR) a program jointly and equally sponsored by Avera and Sanford It has trained more than 425 physicians, including nearly 40 percent of all board-certified family physicians in South Dakota.

A full 75 percent of the doctors who graduate from the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency program and its rural-focused satellite program in Pierre, practice in South Dakota and surrounding states, many in medically-underserved rural areas.

Those are the key statistics. But as CFM and SFFMR prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary next month, we wanted to know what makes this particular clinic and program so special to so many people. For answers, we invited three current faculty members to share their unique perspectives.

CONTINUITY IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

South Dakota native and USD medical school graduate Dr. Mary Watson is one of the few CFM faculty doctors who went through the SFFMR herself. Watson spent a decade practicing in Canton before returning to Sioux Falls

“We have had just three program directors in 50 years,” says Dr. Watson. “We had an X-ray technician that was here for 45 years and just retired last year. One of the women who used to be in the lab has been here for 45 or 46 years and I have had my current nurse for 22 years.”

Watson says that kind of longevity is good for both patients and residents. Longtime staff members have the benefit of history with their patients, even as new doctors bring fresh eyes and new knowledge to their cases.

“It takes a special patient to put their trust in the new doctors knowing that they are going to have to get a new doctor in a few years,” says Dr. Watson. “But I think that many of them enjoy acting as teachers, as well.”

CREATIVITY IN CHALLENGING TIMES

A graduate of Michigan State’s MD/ PhD program, Dr. Mark Huntington

Three generations of Program DIrectors: Dr. Brad Kamstra, Dr. Mark Huntington, & Dr. Earl Kemp.

completed his residency in Cincinnati. He had been in private practice in Ortonville, Minnesota for eight years when he was approached by CFM/ SFFMR to join the faculty.

“Initially I told them no, because I was happy where I was,” recalls Huntington. “But what really tipped the balance was the opportunity to help shape the next generation of doctors. It’s such a great privilege to guide them along, reinstill some of that idealism they had in the beginning, and maybe convince some of them to go into rural practice.”

Dr. Huntington joined the program in 2006 and became director when Dr. Earl Kemp retired in 2014 after 31 years as director. During his tenure, CFM and the residency program underwent some important evolutions, including:

• the start of the Pierre Rural Family Medicine Residency which matriculated it’s first residents in 2018

• the addition of medically-assisted treatment of addiction to the list of primary care diseases CFM could treat and SFFMR residents could learn about (thanks to grant funding)

• the start of a formal operative obstetrics fellowship for one family medicine resident each year

• the creation of a Director of Population Health position in the wake of the pandemic.

“We were able to keep our whole staff employed full time by doing things like developing registries of diseases, making sure we had a system to remind people when they needed to come in, and other things with regard to popu lation health,” says Dr. Huntington, a

Photo gallery: The residency class of 2001 pose at the Dakota Avenue location (home to the cinic from 1981 to 2001), residents learning and treating in the clinic, and the current home of the CFM clinic on the Avera McKennan campus in Sioux Falls.

Dustin Little

Degree: Doctorate of Physical Therapy

Current Position: Head Athletic Trainer, Sanfrancisco 49ers

It’s a big leap from the small town of Castlewood, South Dakota to San Francisco, California, but Dustin Little, DPT, has had no trouble making it. The former director of rehabilitation for the Denver Broncos has been head athletic trainer for the San Francisco 49ers for the last five years.

Little credits a big part of his success to his foundational training in physical therapy at the USD School of Health Sciences.

“USD PT school gave me an excellent foundation. The DPT program is an extensive and high-level program,” says Little. “The best thing you can do if you want to go somewhere in your career is to start with a strong foundation and don’t limit yourself.”

Little also made valuable connections at USD, including an eight-week rotation with Steve Young, President of Sanford Sports and a clinical instructor in the PT department, whom Little calls “a great motivator.” Young helped steer Little toward the skills he would need to work in professional sports.

“If you’re doing PT only, you might not see many athletes,” says Little, who also holds an MS in athletic training. “But my patients are the best athletes in the world. I really enjoy the challenge of working with people who are at the highest level and are constantly trying to improve.”

Little says his well-rounded education, including his PT training at USD, enables him to confidently manage medical care for the whole team. That includes overseeing pre- and post-game therapy, handling emergencies, and coordinating care with radiologists, orthopedic specialists, neurologists, staff, and others.

“A lot of my job is being the gatekeeper,” says Little. “We get players back to health. It’s a big investment by the team, so it’s important.”

trained microbiologist with an interest in disaster medicine, global health, and unusual infections. “I think that reflects well on our reputation.”

What also reflects well, he says, is the team’s simultaneous diversity and cohesiveness.

“We have many different world views, but we all agree in evidence-based medicine and patient-centered care,” says Huntington, whose tenure as director ended this summer. “Our residents will hear many different perspectives on different things, which helps them make their own decisions about how they plan to practice in the future.”

ADAPTABILITY IN AN EVOLVING LANDSCAPE

Current Program Director Dr. Brad Kamstra grew up in Colorado and graduated from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He completed his residency in Sioux City and spent 15 years in private practice in Rock Valley, Iowa before joining the CFM faculty in 2016.

One of his first jobs as director has been to help implement changes to the program. In an era when primary care is losing ground to specialization in medicine, SFFMR and other residency programs around the country are looking for ways to train doctors to be generalists while still allowing them to cultivate their special interests. That starts with the faculty.

“For years, the program has been set up so that our faculty did the full spectrum–OB, inpatient, outpatient, etc.,” says Kamstra. “But that creates some limitations in hiring new faculty because there aren’t many of us out there anymore that do it all.”

Going forward, new faculty members won’t necessarily have to do everything. Instead, the program will work to create a well-rounded faculty based on each doctor’s area of special interest. That same emphasis on special interests will extend to the residents, too.

“We are allowing for more elective time in residency, so that residents can tailor their education a little bit more toward their interests,” Kamstra explains.

At the same time, every resident will now spend a full week each month in the clinic as part of a core family medicine rotation. And they’ll continue to benefit from the program’s already-strong OB and inpatient programs.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about patient care,” says Dr. Kamstra. “Not just the people who come here for care, but also all of the patients that our residents will take care of in their careers. I am honored to be a part of that.” ❖

This SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT brought to you by

❱ See more photos from the last 50 years from the Center for Family Medicine and the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency Program on our website.

NEONATAL RESEARCH NETWORK FUNDING ADVANCES CARE FOR SANFORD CHILDREN’S NICU PATIENTS

SANFORD CHILDREN’S Boekelheide Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Sioux Falls recently secured extended funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for Neonatal Research Network (NRN) clinical trials through 2030.

Because Sanford Children’s is a member of the NRN, doctors and patients at Sanford have access to the newest and best treatment options.

The NRN is a consortium of academic institutions that work together to determine which clinical trials will most improve the lives of critically ill newborns. Sanford Children’s is the only NRN location in the upper Midwest, operating as a satellite location for the University of Iowa.

The continued funding through 2030 allows the hospital to participate in additional clinical studies like “Eat, Sleep, Console,” which looked at a

“Many studies done for neonatal care only look at the time period while they’re in the NICU, we are looking to see if new treatments improve neurodevelopment later on in life.”

— Michelle Baack, MD

new way to care for babies who have been exposed to opioids in utero. Researchers trained over 350 hospital employees to use a new screening and care module that shortened the length of stay in the NICU and strengthened a baby’s bond with parents.

“Our NICU uses evidence-based care to assure that we have the best outcomes for all our babies,” says Michelle Baack, MD, pediatric research chair at Sanford Children’s.

The benefit of being a part of the NRN is not only high-quality care for babies who are currently in the NICU, but also the ability to follow up on their health and development one, two and even five years later.

“They’re not lost when they go home,” says Dr. Baack. “And that helps support both our patients and our ongoing learning.”

Currently, Sanford Children’s in Sioux Falls has a 99% follow-up rate for age two assessments. Dr. Baack says supporting that follow-up rate is one of the most impactful parts of being in the NRN.

“Many studies done for neonatal care only look at the time period while they’re in the NICU,” she says. “We are looking to see if new treatments improve neurodevelopment later on in life.”

Being a member of the NRN also strengthens the culture of care at the hospital.

“Clinical trials in the NICU actually create a culture of using state-of-the-art evidence-based care that assures excellence and the best outcomes for our babies,” says Dr. Baack.

Stephen Messier, MD, a neonatologist and the medical director of the Boekelheide NICU, says it is both an honor and a privilege to be identified as having a state-of-the-art NICU.

“When you have the ability to offer parents and their infants not

only care but also the opportunity to be a part of the future of medicine, that’s important.”

The Boekelheide NICU provides high-quality care for premature, critically ill and low birthweight infants as well as those born with surgical needs or congenital problems.

“We take care of the tiniest and most fragile patients,” says Dr. Messier.

The Boekelheide NICU is considered a Level IV facility, meaning it has the highest possible grading and is equipped to care for the most extreme cases.

“It’s not just neonatologists looking at a patient’s information,” says Dr. Messier.

Over 100 nurses also specialize in neonatal care. And a multidisciplinary team including developmental and child life specialists, pediatric pharmacists, social workers, and case managers supports each family.

“There is a neonatologist in the hospital at all times,” Dr. Messier says. “That’s a big distinction and something we take pride in.”

The neonatologists are supported by a robust team including pediatric neurologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric surgeons and neonatal nurse practitioners all housed in the Sanford Children’s Castle of Care, which is attached to the NICU.

Additionally, for patients outside of the immediate Sioux Falls area, the neonatal and maternal transport teams from Sanford AirMed are ready with lifesaving care when it’s needed. When a baby under one month of age needs to be transported, a neonatology team led by a nurse practitioner is on the flight and in conversation with a neonatologist at the hospital.

“I just don’t think there’s that type of collaboration at most places,” says Dr. Baack. ❖

Call (605) 333-4455 to transfer a patient to Sanford Children's.

News & Notes

South Dakota | Southwest Minnesota | Northwest Iowa | Northeast Nebraska

AVERA

JULIE LAUTT

CPA Julie Lautt will serve as the Interim President and CEO of Avera Health, while the search for the new President and CEO continues. Lautt assumed the role on August 5th. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Avera and will continue in her current role while serving as Interim. She has been with Avera for 24 years.

DAVID A. LEMPERLE

Avera Health Plans has named David A. Lemperle as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Deb Muller who is retiring. Lemperle began in his new role in early August. Lemperle has over 15 years of experience in healthcare and most recently served as the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for SelectHealth, a subsidiary of Intermountain Health Care, here he was responsible for leading six lines of business over a three-state geographic area.

SHEILA RIGO

Nurse practitioner and Freeman native Sheila Rigo, FNP-C, has returned to Freeman Regional Health Services, where she worked from 2001 until 2019. She holds a master’s degree from Dakota Wesleyan University and worked most recently at the Avera Freestanding Emergency Department and AVEL eEmergency Telemedicine Service. Rigo will work in the Emergency Department.

Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls has earned three-year accreditation through the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). NAPRC is a new quality program of the American College of Surgeons that sets the standard for high-quality and multidisciplinary rectal cancer care. Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center is the only accredited hospital in the region, with the closest programs located in Des Moines and Minneapolis.

Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center announces appointments to its Board of Trustees for its new fiscal year which began July 1st. New board members include Jennifer Bunkers, a partner at Redstone Law Firm, Sr. Candyce Chrystal, a member of the Benedicctice Sisters who has taught for over 30 years at Mount Marty University in Yankton, Ob/Gyn Dr. Brenda Kallemeyn with Avera Medical Group in Sioux Falls, and Jeff Gordon, who is incoming regional philanthropy council chair. Tom Biegler continues as board chair and Pat Costello as vice chair.

Avera McKennan Hospital & University Center has received certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center through DNV GL Healthcare. The DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification is a three-year certification based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association. A Comprehensive Stroke Center is a facility that has the personnel, infrastructure and expertise to diagnose and treat stroke patients who require intensive medical and surgical care, specialized tests or interventional therapies.

MONUMENT

Health Equity has recognized Monument Health Rapid City Hospital as one of three healthcare systems to earn the 2023 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care (EOC) Award. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital was selected as the Equity of Care, Small/Rural Hospital Excellence Award winner for demonstrating excellence in using quantitative and qualitative data to address disparities and improve patient health quality. Carolyn Boone Lewis was the first African-American and first hospital trustee to chair the AHA Board.

Six physicians graduated from the Rapid City Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program this summer. Each year the Family Medicine Residency Program accepts six medical school graduates into a three-year program of training in a variety of family medicine roles with an emphasis on rural healthcare. This year’s graduates were honored at a ceremony at The Monument in Rapid City.

Monument Health Rapid City Hospital has installed a radiation protection system in its cardiac cath lab. The new EggNest system adds built-in arm boards and shields around the procedure table which reduce radiation exposure for cath lab staff without compromising their workflow or patient access.

Radiation exposure is one of the most dangerous occupa tional hazards for cath lab workers, with interventional teams having the highest radiation exposure of any profession. This system reduces radiation exposure by up to 97 percent.

For the 12th consecutive year, Monument Health has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain

–MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023. Monument Health is one of only 262 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

SANFORD

BILL GASSEN

The American Hospital Association has elected Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, to its Board of Trustees. Gassen joins seven additional new board members who will serve three-year terms. Gassen has been the president and CEO of Sanford Health since November 2020. He previously served as the chief administrative officer, corporate counsel, and chief human resources officer over a ten-year period. Earlier this summer, Gassen took part in a panel entitled: Weathering the Storm–Major Headwinds in 2023 and Beyond at the AHA Leadership Summit in Seattle.

JOHN SNYDER

Sanford Health Plan President and CEO, John Snyder, joined a CEO panel discussion in July focused on value-based care initiatives, improving access to care, Medicare Advantage, and the use of artificial intelligence at Healthapalooza in Prior Lake, Minnesota. In his panel discussion, Snyder highlighted how Sanford Health Plan is using health guides to reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes as well as providing preventive care video visits and digital tools to help members access care and manage their health.

low-dose 3D mammogram allows physicians to detect breast cancer at its smallest and most treatable stage, pinpointing the shape, size and location of irregularities with greater accuracy. Funding came from local donations and from those who’ve donated to the Edith initiative through the Sanford Health Foundation.

OB/GYNs Heather Reber, MD, and Jodi Scott, MD, have joined the Sanford Worthington OB/GYN Clinic: received her medical degree from the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota and completed her OB/GYN residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Reber believes in taking care of the whole person.

Scott received her medical degree from the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota and completed her residency at the University of Missouri Hospital & Clinics.

Sanford Health announced in late July that it is discontinuing the merger process with Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services of Minnesota. “Without support for this transaction from certain Minnesota stakeholders, we have determined it is in the best interest of Sanford Health to discontinue the merger process,” said Sanford President and CEO Bill Gassen in a statement. The deal announced last year was originally set to close in March.

NATASHA SMITH

Becker’s Hospital Review has named Sanford Health’s Natasha Smith to the 2023 edition of its “Hospital and health system diversity, equity and inclusion officers to know” list. Smith serves as the head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sanford Health. She is responsible for leading DEI strategy for the nation’s largest rural healthcare provider. Under her leadership, the DEI office has conducted over 100 inclusivity trainings at Sanford Health’s four major medical centers.

CLASS OF 23: (L to R) Justin Avigliano, DO,* Domonique Cunningham, MD,* Lee Hosler, DO, Michael Osterholt, MD, Emily Urbaniak, MD, Ali S. H. Weiss, MD. *Chief Resident

Happenings around the region

Sanford AirMed has been awarded its fourth Enterprise Program re-accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. Sanford AirMed has a fleet of eight aircraft that travel more than 400,000 miles per year, including four EC-145 helicopters and four King Air B200 fixed-wing aircraft. AirMed operates out of five bases across the Midwest, including Bemidji, Minn, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Bismarck, Dickinson and Fargo, North Dakota.

Sanford USD Medical Center has been named to the Becker’s Healthcare list of “Great Hospitals in America” and Newsweek has named Sanford Cancer Center in Sioux Falls to its list of America’s Best Cancer Hospitals 2023. The Sioux Falls medical center is the only hospital in South Dakota to be named to the Becker’s list. The Sanford Cancer Center is the only cancer center in the state to be named to Newsweek’s to the Top 100.

SIOUXLAND

Only a year and a half after opening their new clinic in South Sioux City, Nebraska, the Dakota Dunes-based CNOS clinic officially opened its newly-constructed clinical expansion of the facility in mid-August. The 4,700 square foot expansion is on the second floor of the Riverview Surgical Center overlooking the Missouri River. It includes 11 Exam rooms, 1 procedure room, a large nurses station, physician and provider work areas, an employee break room, two patient and staff bathrooms, an expanded reception area, and a large storage room.

MARTY WALSH

The CNOS clinic in Dakota Dunes has promoted Marty Walsh, DPT, to lead the collaboration between physical and neurological therapy services. As Neurology Physical Therapy Team Lead, Walsh will oversee the therapy for a wide variety of patients suffering from neurological diseases, injuries, complications and disorders. Walsh will see patients at both the Dakota Dunes and Morningside CNOS Clinics.

Sanford Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award. Sanford Health also received two additional awards from the American Heart Association–Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

respite area in front of the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls for its pediatric patients, families and staff. Named the “Billion Pavilion,” the park will include accessible play equipment for pediatric patients, several shaded areas, including a covered picnic shelter for patients that cannot be in the sun, a caterpillar climber, spring rider, patterned path routes, an Oodle® swing and sound arch. The project is scheduled to be completed in October.

Lubarski has joined the board at Morningside University, becoming the second CNOS leader to sit on a board of higher education. CNOS COO Steve DeVoe serves on the Board of Trustees at Briar Cliff University. CNOS says it’s part of their effort to not only support local higher education institutions, but also help develop career paths in healthcare and across the many industries of Siouxland.

CEO

UnityPoint Health has expanded its virtual care offerings to pediatric patients. Families with children between 2 and 17 who are unable to see a primary care provider or visit a walk-in clinic can now use SmartExam or virtual urgent care for treatment of several common ailments and illness. SmartExam and virtual urgent care are available every day inside MyUnityPoint for patients within Iowa.

(L to R) Dr. Albert Mosley, Nolan Lubarski, Steve DeVoe, Dr. Patrick J. Schulte. CNOS

Nolan

UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s had a new milestone of 207 births in the month of June, 30 more than it saw in May. June 20th was the busiest day of the busiest month with 14 babies born. The hospital says these milestones exemplify its capacity to handle multiple deliveries while maintaining the highest standards of care for each mother and newborn.

UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s Foundation celebrated the continuation and expansion of the Themed Pediatric Patient Room Project with the opening of two new rooms on the unit this summer. The newly renovated rooms each have a playful theme that points back to the sponsoring businesses. The designs encompass elements such as paint, flooring, wall decals and/or murals/pictures, theme-relevant furniture/fixtures, and at least one interactive element.

JONI OGDEN

Joni Ogden, Director of PACE

Operations in the Sioux City Region. Siouxland PACE, operated by UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s, is a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. The program helps elderly residents live as independently as and healthily as possible in their homes and in the community. Most recently, Ogden served as the Executive Director for Whispering Creek Senior Living.

Happenings around the region

Expanded

Therapy Services

As Neurology Physical Therapy Team Lead, Walsh will oversee the therapy for a wide variety of patients suffering from neurological diseases, injuries, complications and disorders such as:

• Parkinson’s Disease

(Certified in LSVT Big™ Treatment for Parkinson’s)

• Traumatic Brain Injuries

• Headaches

CNOS

DAKOTA DUNES

MARTY WALSH, DPT

• Balance

• Dizziness

• Stroke

• TMJ disorders

350 Gold Circle Drive (next to P’s Pizza House), UnityPoint Clinic–Dakota Dunes will include 7,500 square feet of space and will be home to urgent care and family medicine services. This new location will also feature specialty services initially offering foot and ankle surgery services.

INDEPENDENTS

BETH PAUL

Beth Paul, RN, has joined Huron Regional Medical Center as director of the medical, surgical and intensive care department. Prior to joining HRMC, Beth owned and operated a skilled home care organization in the state of Washington. She earned her Associate of Science Degree in Nursing from Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Oregon. She is currently completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

CNOS MORNINGSIDE

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

REFER TO 605-217-2667, OPTION 2.

Wednesday, Friday CNOS.NET

Past employees of Tschetter & Hohm Clinic, who recently marked one year of service at the HRMC Physicians Clinic location and two years as HRMC employees, celebrated the occasion with a group photo on a bench donated in honor of the legacy of Tschetter & Hohm Clinic physicians. The bench was purchased and donated by former Tschetter & Hohm Clinic employees and sits outside the main entrance of the HRMC Physicians Clinic.

Led by Marty Walsh

DESTINY FINN and AMY GOERGEN

Destiny Finn, RN, has been promoted to vice president of quality and risk management and Amy Goergen, RN, has been promoted to vice president of patient services at HRMC:

Finn , who has worked at HRMC since 2019, most recently served as the director of quality and risk management. Originally from Redfield, she earned her nursing degree from Huron University in 2001. Prior to joining HRMC, she worked in various nursing and leadership positions in the Black Hills.

Goergen, who has worked at HRMC for nearly 29 years and served in various leadership roles, most recently served as the director of the Originally from Huron, Goergen earned her nursing degree from

The Huron Regional Medical Center dialysis unit opened to its first patients this summer in the newly expanded dialysis center at 142 Third Street

The new 12-chair unit features a

dedicated entertainment stations for each patient, windows providing natural light and isolation rooms to be used in the event of illness. Dialysis services were previously located in the Central Towers building at HRMC.

DON ROBY and DOUG SHARP

The Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Board of Directors has elected Don Roby and Doug Sharp to serve as members of the board. Roby has worked in technology sales and marketing, technology finance, and is currently a partner in R&R Investments. Sharp owns Sharp Automotive in Watertown and has been in the car business for 40 years. They will each serve a three-year term.

COVERAGE BEYOND PEACE OF MIND

As a premier medical liability insurance carrier, we are committed to you. We are extended members of your team to help answer questions or navigate difficult situations. And when it’s urgent, you have 24/7 access to a physician via our Risk Management Hotline. That’s Value Beyond Coverage.

JOSEPH BRETSCHNEIDER

Board-certified Physician Assistant Joseph Bretschneider, PA-C, has joined the Urology Clinic staff at Prairie Lakes. Bretschneider received his Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He completed several of his clinical rotations at Brown Clinic and at Prairie Lakes. He joins Dr. Henri Lanctin, Dr. Keegan Maxwell and Abby Wookey, PA-C.

BECKY SCHAIBLE

Becky Schaible, Clinical Nutrition Manager with Sodexo, the provider of nutritional and environmental services at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, was one of the five recipients chosen for Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation’s 2023 Heroes of Everyday Life Award. She is also the Board President of the PACH (People Against Child Hunger) program in Watertown and was awarded a $5,000 grant to continue her work to fight food insecurity within the Watertown community.

New quality data recently released by CMS on their Care Compare website gives Brookings Hospital an overall five-star rating, the highest score possible for all hospitals nationwide. In addition to being named a five-star hospital, this spring Brookings Health System was named a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital for the sixth time by the National Rural Health Association and a World’s Best Hospital by Newsweek and Statista Inc.

NANCY DEBOER and LINDSAY KOROPATNICKI

Nancy DeBoer and Lindsay Koropatnicki, registered nurses at Brookings Health System’s obstetrics unit, recently became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. Certification requires 90 hours of IBCLE-approved lactation education and 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience with breastfeeding mothers and babies. In addition, they were required to have completed college-level science and anatomy classes.

For the second time, Brookings Health System scored 100 of 100 points on the CDCs survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care.

The mPINC survey is a national survey of infant feeding practices in maternity care settings. Every two years, all US hospitals that provide maternity services and free-standing birth centers are invited to participate. Brookings Health System scored 20 points above the average for hospitals in the region and 19 points above the national average.

OTHER AIMEE MORRILL

Aimee Morrill, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech therapist at Prairie Rehabilitation in Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota, is now certified in e-LOUD, allowing her to offer the LSVT LOUD program via telehealth for patients in South Dakota and Minnesota. LSVT LOUD is a specialized treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Morrill is also certified in Vital Stim for swallowing deficits and works with adults with various neurological

in July 2019 was to provide personalized medical care with an artistic touch, infusing vibrant colors, personality, and fun. Dr. Tendler specializes in cataract and vision correction procedures, including lens implants, refractive surgeries, and oculoplastic treatments.

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

MEGAN SAGE, MSN, FNP-C, has recently taken on the role of Executive Director, helping oversee the practice’s daily operations. Sage is an experienced nurse practitioner in both the aesthetic and ophthalmology fields.

SARAH SHAY has advanced to Clinical Director of Ophthalmology, where she manages clinic operations and ensures surgical days run smoothly. Shay previously worked in the hospital setting as a member of the surgical team in obstetrics.

JACOB JUST joins ART Vision as Opthalmologic Assistant. He is a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College.

CHESNEY GARNOS is now the Senior Digital Strategist. She has a master’s from USD Communications, Political Science, and Social Media Marketing.

Yankton Medical Clinic recently reported results of a new self-measured blood pressure program for the community. The project, which ran from September 22 through May 23, aimed to address the challenge of controlling blood pressure in patients with an elevated measurement in the clinic. 172 people completed the SMBP program and 88 were eventually determined not to have hypertension. In addition, 84 medication changes were made because of the program. YMC plans to continue to utilize the program.

Hamsters USA, the international motorcycle group with a love for the Black Hills, raised $291,472.00 in early August for kids with disabilities served by LifeScape in Rapid City. The fundraiser was part of their annual meeting held each year in Spearfish during Rally Week. Over the past 18 years, Hamsters USA has raised over

The Mental Health Innovation Foundation recently broke ground on a Behavioral Health & Wellness Center for children on the campus of Omaha Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. The 107,250-square-foot, four-story building includes 38 inpatient beds and is set to open in 2026. The project budget is $110 million. The fundings comes from donors, the State of Nebraska through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City of Omaha, and Children’s.

The doctors of Dakota Vascular in Sioux Falls recently successfully completed their 1000th case in their endovascular lab this summer, just shy of their one year anniversary.

Doctors Patrick Kelly, Angelo Santos, Gregory Nissen, and Benjamin Jorgensen have been providing vascular care in the Midwest for over 20 years and established Dakota Vascular as an independent practice last August. They treat a range of vascular conditions, including peripheral artery disease, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, and aneurysms.

The University of South Dakota Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia

Practice program has received a grant to grow and diversify the certified registered nurse anesthetist workforce in South Dakota, particularly in underserved rural, urban and tribal communities. Through the grant, USD will provide Nurse Anesthesia Traineeship (NAT) support to upskill current critical care nurses to become CRNA providers through a three-year curriculum.

In other news from ART Vision and ARTisan Skin and Laser Center:

Empowering Independence with Assistive Technology Empowering Independence with Assistive Technology

LifeScape and RISE Custom Solutions o ers a one-stop shop for your patient’s needs.

With two convenient locations in South Dakota, our experts are trained to recommend speci c equipment that will give those needing it, their quality of life back.

Why refer a patient to us?

We have the most RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) certi ed seating and mobility specialists than any other provider in the six-state area. Our multi-disciplinary team includes occupational, physical, and speech-language therapists, along with technicians who have extensive skills that address a variety of needs.

Refer

Sioux Falls: 605.444.9700 Rapid City: 605.791.7400

4TH ANNUAL

DIABETES SYMPOSIUM

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 | 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The Monument | Rushmore Hall | Virtual option available.

A daylong symposium providing best practices in diabetes care and management consistent with American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines.

To register or for additional information: monument.health/diabetessymposium

CME & CE credits have been applied for.