MED Magazine, July/August 2024

BUILDING the FUTURE of

Dominic DeRouchey and CEO Steve Watkins

Your partner for home health care

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Making a referral is easy and convenient. Call (855) 446-1862 to find the right home health services for your patient.

Building the Future of LifeScape

Consolidating Services, Expanding Opportunities

■ By Alex

Strauss

More than 70 years after the organization's first groundbreaking in Sioux Falls, LifeScape breaks ground on a $98 million dollar children's campus to accommodate the growing demand for services.

PAGE 6 | Prescribing Semaglutide: The Importance of Shared Decision-Making

■ By Dr. Sue Sgambati

As the enthusiasm for GLP-1 receptor agonists grows, so do the complexities surrounding their use. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself and your patients.

PAGE 8 | This Month Online

Exclusive website content, where MED's news comes from, the AMA's stance on prior authorization, and more

PAGE 9 | [Sponsored] Dollars & Sense: Physician Couple Says Private Banking Makes Them Feel Like a "Top Priority"

PAGE 14 | NEWS & NOTES

A groundbreaking for Avera, accolades for Monument Health's bariatric team, Mohs comes to Prairie Lakes, a new CT in Huron, a TAVR milestone for MercyOne, and other headlines from around the region

PAGE 20 | Beyond the Border: News from MED's Multi-State Coverage Area

Some of the top stories from our wider coverage area, including Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota

PAGE 21 | [Sponsored]

USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Nicole Fluth, OTD

PAGE 22 | Upcoming Regional Events

FROM US TO YOU

WPublisher / MED MAGAZINE, LLC

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Vice President Sales & Marketing

STEFFANIE LISTON-HOLTROP

Editor in Chief / ALEX STRAUSS

Staff Writer / KIM LEE

Magazine Design / ANGELA CORBO GIER

Client Relationship Manager / BARBIE MUNOZ

Digital Media Director / HYA AMURAO

CONTACT INFORMATION

STEFFANIE LISTON-HOLTROP

VP Sales & Marketing

605-366-1479

Steff@MidwestMedicalEdition.com

ALEX STRAUSS

Editor in Chief

605-759-3295

Alex@ MidwestMedicalEdition.com

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elcome to the summertime issue of MED! In this issue, we are pleased to share with you our conversations with two top leaders at LifeScape about the organization’s expansive new campus and the opportunities it will provide for area children. (Along with lots of great images!) Thanks to all the folks in the marketing department at LifeScape who helped to bring this one together.

Also in this issue, the experts at COPIC explain why shared decision-making is critical when prescribing a popular new weight loss drug. We have a bumper crop of recent News & Notes, plus we’ll give you a glimpse into some of the news making headlines ‘Beyond the Border’ in MED’s multi-state coverage area.

While many people in the region are enjoying vacations and lazy days by the pool this time of year, we know that the practice of medicine doesn’t stop. From all of us at MED, thank you for all you do to support the health and wellbeing of your communities, in every season. (But we hope you get a vacation, too!)

See you in September!

—Alex & Steff

VOLUME 15, NO. 5 ■ JULY/AUGUST 2024

10

APRIL/MAY

Cover Photo: LifeScape CEO Steve Watkins and Dominic DeRouchey, a child supported by LifeScape.

“Providers must be aware of the standard for informed consent in the state in which they practice, as it varies by state.”

Prescribing Semaglutide

The Importance of Shared Decision-Making

BY DR. SUE SGAMBATI

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), of which semaglutide is an example, have emerged as a prominent therapeutic option for managing type 2 diabetes. A landmark side effect of the class of drugs is weight loss, sparking intense enthusiasm for the drug from patients, providers, and the media. As the complexities surrounding GLP-1 RAs continue to develop, the associated medico legal risks are evolving, as well.

WHAT IS SEMAGLUTI DE ?

GLP-1 RAs act by mimicking the action of the endogenous incretin hormone GLP-1. By binding the GLP-1 receptor on pancreatic beta cells, the drug enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion and improves glycemic control. Additional physiologic actions of semaglutide include suppression of glucagon secretion, slowing of gastric emptying, and promotion of satiety, which collectively contribute to reduced postprandial glucose levels.

Several GLP-1 RAs are currently available, and three are FDA-approved: Ozempic ® , Rybelsus®, and Wegovy ®. GLP-1 RAs are available by prescription only and there are no approved generic products.

CONSIDERATIONS

While GLP-1 RAs are generally well-tolerated, their side effects profile has drawn attention. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Severe adverse events associated with use include acute pancreatitis, thyroid abnormalities, gastroparesis, ileus,

To learn more about the compounded forms of semaglutide, as well as the evolving understanding of the risks, read the extended version of this article on the MED website.

bowel obstruction, gallbladder disease, and allergic reactions.

To detect and manage adverse events promptly, regular monitoring of patients is essential.1 A comprehensive medical history, to include pancreatic and thyroid disorders, is essential prior to initiating GLP-1 RA therapy. A shared decision-making process is critical to mitigating the risk associated with the side effect profile of GLP-1 RAs. Patient education, to include the potential side effects, risks, monitoring parameters, and the importance of follow-up should be documented.

These elements, along with a discussion of alternative therapies and the associated risks of alternative therapies (or doing nothing), are essential to an adequate informed consent process.

INFORMED CONSENT

Providers must be aware of the standard for informed consent in the state in which they practice, as it varies by state. For example, some states use the “professional standard.” A professional standard means that the patient must be informed to the extent a reasonable physician in the same specialty, at the same time, would have under the same or similar circumstances. Expert testimony is needed to establish the scope of a physician’s duty of disclosure.

Other states use a patient standard, which establishes the physician’s duty to disclose is determined by whether a reasonable person in the patient’s position would consider the information material to the decision of whether to undergo the proposed treatment. Information is material if it would be viewed as significant in deciding whether to consent to the treatment. Deciding what information is material depends on the facts and circumstances of each case and is decided by a jury. ❖

DOLLARS & SENSE

Physician Couple Says Private Banking Makes Them Feel Like a “Top Priority”

Most working couples with young children know the feeling of “not having enough hours in the day”.

But for Elizabeth Helsper, MD, and her husband Clint Benge, MD, both of whom are orthopedic surgeons at Sanford Orthopedics in Sioux Falls, the saying is actually true.

“We are always busy,” says Helsper. “Both professionally, and in our home life. We really are going all the time.”

For this couple, as for many others in healthcare, any service that can take something–or, better yet, multiple things–off their plate can be a gamechanger. Which is why they now speak in glowing terms about their experience of private banking with Liz Carlson of American Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls.

“We are so grateful for the help we get from Liz,” says Helsper, who says she and Benge moved their accounts to AB&T to take advantage of Carlson’s services.

A longtime fixture in the Sioux Falls banking community, it’s part of Carlson’s job to make it simple and painless to migrate accounts from other banks. She helped launch AB&T’s private banking department in 2023 and specializes in helping high-net worth clients like Helsper and Benge with virtually any financial need.

“The thing that has impressed me most is how easy it is to get things done,” says Benge. “Often, just an email to Liz and ten minutes later, it’s taken care of.”

As an example, he points to the couple’s recent opening of a new account. Benge says Carlson set everything in motion, taking care of things behind the scenes and gathering the necessary paperwork to make the process quick and seamless.

“We were able to go into the bank and be done in 20 minutes,” says Benge, who says he appreciates the more intimate banking experience of a community bank. “We really do feel like we are a top priority.”

Dr. Sue Sgambati is a

Senior Physician Risk Manager at COPIC

THIS MONTH ONLINE

Exclusive Online Articles

Avera Nationally Recognized for Healthcare Marketing & Advertising

Avera has been nationally recognized with 11 Aster Awards for excellence and innovation in healthcare marketing and advertising. Six campaigns were recognized with Gold Awards, which are only given to the top 5% of participating healthcare entities. Visit the website for a list of the remaining awards and a link to all of the winning campaigns.

New Telehealth Stroke Certification Available to Health Care Professionals

A new American Heart Association certification for healthcare professionals is designed to help standardize training and increase skills and competencies for health care providers in telehealth stroke care delivery, as well as help improve stroke outcomes through the integration of telehealth. Find a link to the AHA’s Professional Education Hub on our website.

Bipartisan Policy Center Event Shines Light On Rural America’s Youth Mental Health Crisis

The Bipartisan Policy Center recently hosted an event in South Dakota to shine a light on the nation’s youth mental health and substance use crisis. “The youth mental health and substance use rates have been soaring,” says Marilyn Serafini, Executive Director for the BPC’s Health Program. “This didn’t start with the pandemic, but the pandemic sure did make it worse.” Read the full story online.

AMA Survey Suggests Prior Authorization Wreaks Havoc on Patient Care

Turmoil caused by excessive authorization controls leads to serious or life-threatening events for patients, unnecessary waste, and physician burnout, according to a new survey from the American Medical Association.

PATIENT HARM

Nearly one in four physicians (24%) reported that prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event for a patient in their care, including hospitalization, permanent impairment, or death.

BAD OUTCOMES

More than nine in 10 physicians (93%) reported that prior authorization has a negative impact on patient clinical outcomes.

DELAYED CARE

More than nine in 10 physicians (94%) reported that prior authorization delays access to necessary care.

DISRUPTED

CARE

More than three-fourths of physicians (78%) reported that patients abandon treatment due to authorization struggles with health insurers.

LOST

WORKFORCE PRODUCTIVITY

More than half of physicians (53%) who cared for patients in the workforce reported that prior authorizations had impeded a patient’s job performance.

HOW IS MED’S CONTENT GENERATED?

Have you seen something on MED’s website or in one of our bi-monthly digital newsletters that caught your attention? Have you ever wondered where it came from? In an age in which increasing amounts of content are being generated by AI platforms, it’s important to consider.

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Instead, MED accepts news releases, announcements, and event information sent to us by real people at local hospitals, health systems, clinics, private medical practices, and some healthcare-related businesses in our five-state area.

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BUILDING the FUTURE of LifeScape

Consolidating Services, Expanding Opportunities

BY ALEX STRAUSS

ON A MILD DAY IN 1948 , a small group of children–some standing, others in wheelchairs or on crutches–lined up in a field near Sioux Falls to break ground for Crippled Children’s Hospital and School. The new organization had been created in response to the recent polio epidemic and was solely devoted to caring for the needs of area children impacted by the disease.

Seventy-six years, and two name changes later, LifeScape offers a range of medical, therapeutic, and educational services for children with a host of diagnoses that would have been unimaginable in the 1940s.

“The kids that we see today have an average of three diagnoses and some as many as 15,” says LifeScape CEO Steve Watkins. “So we went from the singularity of polio to three diagnoses per child. We handled a total of 700

diagnoses last year among just under 4,500 children from 247 communities.”

Not only was the current building on 26th Street in Sioux Falls not built for that level of diagnostic complexity, but it was also not designed for that kind of volume. Watkins says more than 500 families are waiting for LifeScape services right now, a number that reflects a nationwide trend.

“The CDC has published that one in six kids is born with a developmental disability and one in 36 is born with autism,” says Watkins. "These are silent pandemics creeping through the Midwest, which has also seen exponential population growth.”

THE NEW CHILDREN’S CAMPUS

After more than a decade of planning, LifeScape broke ground on a $98 million Children’s Campus this spring. Situated on 10 acres in the Northwest part of Sioux Falls, the new campus will house a residential intermediate care facility (ICF), an 18-bed specialty pediatric rehabilitation hospital, and

a new school for both residential and commuting patients.

Additionally, the campus will feature family meeting areas, conference space, a large gym, a heated therapy pool, and accessible, courtyard-style playgrounds. When all parts of the campus are complete, it will comprise about 240,000 square feet.

“Part of the reason it took as long as it did to get this going is that we wanted to create a facility that would be best-in-class,” says Watkins. To that end, he and other campus planners visited top-ranked children’s facilities such as Bancroft Children’s Residential Program in New Jersey, Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland, and Gillette Children’s Hospital and Clinics in Minnesota.

“A big part of our strategy has been to make sure that we were talking to all stakeholders,” says Kristin Tuttle, Vice President of Therapy and Medical Services at LifeScape.

“We have been careful

to get staff and family and provider input and feedback.

That has been a big part of this.”

The result is a plan that incorporates the very latest technology, efficiencies, and best practices to serve even more children with complex medical or behavioral challenges.

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Features of the Intermediate Care Facility

• Changes from current dorm-style rooms with as many as six children in a room to primarily pods of six rooms, most of which are private

• Increases residential capacity from 60 to 72 beds (eventually will be 96)

• Some pods with kitchen and living areas

• Offset hallways to reduce line-of-site for kids prone to elopement

• Second floor is reserved for kids and teenagers with higher behavioral challenges

Kristin Tuttle

A group of kids served by LifeScape pose at the site of the new Children's Campus, set for completion in the Fall of 2026.

• Additional spaces outside of the living environment for gross motor activities, movie nights, etc.

• Thicker walls and hurricane-type glass throughout to safely bring in more natural light

• Accessible, courtyard-style playgrounds in the middle of the school for greater security

• Courtyards designed by PTs feature musical spaces, art creation space, a water feature, and quieter area with benches

• Courtyard partially covered for outdoor play, even in inclement weather

• Built-in spaces throughout for staff to take breaks, do documentation, etc.

“Safety was a big piece of the design of the ICF, for both staff and children,” says Tuttle. “We care for kids of varying abilities. We wanted to make sure that all environments were safe for everyone.”

“We reached out to a whole host of university and healthcare partners and peers to really come up with a best-in-class product that this region can be very proud of," says Watkins. "We'll be sitting in the top five providers because the providers helped us get there..”

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Features of The New School

• Serves both residents of the ICF and children from the community

• Classroom space expanding by about 25% to more easily accommodate children and their caregivers, when necessary

• Built-in spaces for nurses who work with children with high medical needs

• Additional rooms including an art room, a media room, and a vocational room to work on job tasks or things like laundry and cooking

• Assistive technology throughout the building so that children with limited mobility can have more autonomy

• Much more natural light than the current building

• Therapy spaces near the classrooms for interdisciplinary teams to work together

“Between the hospital and school, we will have expanded therapy spaces, including a pediatric-themed ‘Easy Street’,” says Tuttle. “We will try to simulate community and home environments. So that might include part of a school bus, or a street or a car. Our goal is to get them back to

their home communities and prepare them for their adult life, whether it is to get a job, volunteer, or be successful in their home.”

REHABILITATION SERVICES

Features of The Specialty Hospital

• State’s only post-acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and medically complex program for children from birth to 21.

• Licensed for 18 beds. New facility will incorporate a few private rooms instead of all doubles

• Will be able to accommodate families who need to stay with their child while learning how to care for them

• Overhead ceiling lifts in most rooms

• 24/7 nursing and a line of site from nurses to every room

• Spaces for team conversations and meetings

• Classroom right on the unit so children do not have to leave to continue education

• Technology-enhanced distance learning available

The long-term plans also include a new outpatient facility. Watkins says four acres north of the current build site can accommodate future outpatient growth, if needed.

Finally, the campus will also include a time capsule, built into an artificial hill in one of the playgrounds, and containing contributions from the entire LifeScape community.

“The goal is best in class for everything that we can do and afford,” says Watkins. “Given the changes we’ve seen in the last 70 years, just imagine how things might have progressed 70 years from now.” ❖

News & Notes

AVERA

Avera broke ground on its new medical office building at the Avera on Louise Health Campus in Sioux Falls in early June. The 127,000 square foot building just south of the Avera Specialty Hospital will house digestive health services and other specialties, as needed. It is a key aspect of a two-part building project recently announced by Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. Combined with a six-story addition to Avera McKennan on the main campus, the two projects constitute the largest building project in Avera history at a total cost of approximately $245 million. It will expand hospital patient care space in Sioux Falls by almost 350,000 square feet.

LACEY Mc CORMACK and KIMBERLEE McKAY

Avera Research Institute has received a five-year, $5.4 million grant through the federal Healthy Start initiative to fund the creation of Avera Bridging Inequities Regionally Through Healthy Start (Avera BIRTHS). The program will provide funding to develop, launch and operate a community facing education, social support, and maternity care program from pregnancy to up to 18 months postpartum. In addition to project directors Lacey McCormack, PhD, MPH, RD, Research Scientist with Avera Research Institute, and Kimberlee McKay, MD, Avera obstetrician/ gynecologist, Avera BIRTHS will be staffed by community-based doulas, a social worker, a dietitian, an advanced practice provider and RN educator.

MONUMENT

Monument Health Rapid City Hospital is now using the MOLLI® 2 surgical system that allows radiologists to mark breast lesions with a localization device roughly the size of a sesame seed. Surgeons can then use a special wand and software to locate the lesion marked in radiology reliably, eliminating the need for wire-guided localization. Monument Health serves a large geographical area and patients often travel long distances for care. Because the MOLLI® 2 device can be placed up to 30 days before surgery, it can streamline the scheduling process to make it easier on patients and care teams.

Monument Health Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (BMI) in Rapid City has been recognized as a MBSAQIP Accredited Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint initiative of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery programs in Rapid City and Spearfish are the only programs in western South Dakota.

INDEPENDENTS

Prairie Lakes Brown Clinic recently launched a walk-in clinic service for non-life-threatening injuries at illnesses. Convenience Care is available at the Northridge location and is designed to provide high-quality, quick, and efficient care without the need for an appointment. The new service is available on weekdays from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm.

examination of thin layers of cancer-containing skin until only cancer-free tissue remains. With on-site pathology, there is immediate examination that ensures all cancerous cells are removed while sparing the maximum amount of healthy tissue. This leads to smaller scars and better cosmetic outcomes. Dr. Smith is double board certified in dermatology and Mohs surgery.

Prairie Lakes Healthcare System is now offering iovera° treatment, an innovative approach to

The iovera° treatment, often referred to as cryotherapy, is a clinically proven, non-opioid, pain management solution that uses the body’s natural response to cold to reduce pain. The system creates a targeted cold zone around peripheral nerve tissue to immediately block the nerve from sending pain signals.”With iovera°, we can provide a pain relief option that can be done prior to joint replacement to enhance recovery,” says CRNA Austin Dale. The iovera° treatment does not contain medicine and does not damage or destroy any

The first week in June marked ‘Yellow Rose Week’ in Northeastern South Dakota. It’s the 25th year for the primary fundraiser for the Suzanne Jacobson Memorial Fund, which helps patients with life-threatening illnesses offset their medical costs by covering everyday expenses. During Yellow Rose Week, the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation sells yellow roses, rose decals, yellow rose yard signs, and raffle tickets. Since its inception in 1999, the SJMF has provided more than $523,000 through 881 grants.

Black Hills Surgical Hospital will begin offering heart and vascular care in conjunction with the opening of the Black Hills Heart & Vascular Institute this Fall. Fellow ship-trained interventional cardiologists Dr. Jeffrey Wilson and Dr. Thomas Wilson and fellowship-trained vascular surgeon Dr. Chad Laurich will provide a wide range of services from preventive care to interven tional cardiac, vascular, and vein procedures. As part of the development, BHSH also plans to construct a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratory.

LORI DUMKE

Lori Dumke has joined Horizon Health as its new Chief Operations Officer. Dumke earned her MS in Nursing from Nebraska Methodist College and completed the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Care Executive Program in 2021. For the past three years she served as the Chief Operations Officer for Northland Community Health Centers of North Dakota. Originally from Omaha, Dumke now lives in Valley Springs, South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the healthcare needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas.

Horizon Health has honored its former CEO by naming the Howard headquarters the John Mengenhausen Administrative Building. Mengenhausen retired in 2021 after leading the organization for 38 years. Mengenhausen was initially hired as the business manager for then-MinerHamlin Health Center in 1983. At that time, the organization consisted of two small clinics in Bryant and Howard and was only expected to be around for 2-3 years until federal funding expired. Over the next three decades, Mengenhausen’s role evolved to chief executive officer as he led the organization through significant growth to become South Dakota’s largest community health center and a leader in rural health care.

The first BREATHE-SD respiratory care program students at Huron Regional Medical Center recently started classes at the hospital. The classes are made possible by a $1.5 million Health Resources and Services Administration grant to HRMC in partnership with South Dakota State University and Northern Plains Health Network hospitals in Madison and Brookings. BREATHE-SD is a 12-month program that aims to bring respiratory therapy education and public health opportunities to rural facilities. Respiratory care is a high-need clinical care profession, especially in rural areas.

Huron Regional Medical Center has installed a uCT ATLAS CT Scanner. The uCT ATLAS features an integrated uAI Vision 3D camera, which enables AI empowered workflow and the .25 second rotation provides ultra-fast imaging, making CT scans faster and easier, even for pediatric and trauma patients. The robust coronary CT solution allows for advanced cardiac CT and the scanner provides wider capability to accommodate all sizes with an 82 centimeter opening, up from 70 centimeters in the previous CT, as well as a 700 pound weight capacity.

United Imaging confirmed that HRMC is the first facility to complete installation in South Dakota and one of few in the region.

Juana Muller, CCHT, CNA, is presented with the National Kidney Foundation Outstanding Technician Award from Jennifer Jungemann, RN, director of dialysis at HRMC.

HRMC’s Juana Muller, CCHT, CNA, was recently recognized as the 2024 Outstanding Technician from the National Kidney Foundation at their annual Spring Clinical Meetings. The foundation only honors one technician at its national spring conference each year. Muller works as a certified clinical hemodialysis technician at the Huron Regional Medical Center Dialysis Center.

Sau-Mei Ramos recently received the 2024 South Dakota Community Health Worker of the Year Award from the Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota. Ramos is a CHW, also referred to as a community liaison, at Huron Regional Medical Center. She has worked as a community liaison since the CHW grant-funded program began at HRMC in the fall of 2022. Originally from Humacao, Puerto Rico, Ramos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in Puerto Rico and holds a Community Health Worker Certificate.

SANFORD

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living announced that 23 Samaritan Society locations received the 2024 Bronze–Commitment in Quality Award, including a Good Samaritan Society Skilled Nursing Facility in Corsica, South Dakota, another in Sioux Falls (Luther Manor) and Good Sam’s St. Martin Assisted Living facility in Rapid City. The Bronze Award is the first of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which recognizes long-term care providers across the nation that have demonstrated improved quality outcomes for staff, residents and individuals with disabilities in long term and post-acute care.

STEVEN POWELL

Steven Powell, MD, fellowship-trained oncology and hematology physician at Sanford Cancer Center, has earned the Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology distinction. Dr. Powell graduated medical school from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Minnesota. He is an active investigator on numerous clinical trials and leads a research program focused on developing new cancer therapies. ASCO is the world’s leading organization for oncology providers.

SIOUXLAND

GREGORY R. JOHNSON

Best Maternity Hospitals 2024. Sanford is the only hospital in South Dakota to be named to the list. The ranking is based on a Nationwide Online Survey of healthcare professionals and hospital managers with knowledge about maternity processes, patient experience surveys, and hospital quality metrics: Indicators relevant to maternity care were considered. Sanford USD Medical Center delivered 3,229 babies in 2023.

Sanford Sheldon Medical Center recently received the Emergency Timeliness award on the Women’s Choice Award 2024 Best Hospitals Award Report. The Emergency Timeliness award is given to emergency departments that outperform national average measures for time spent in the emergency department before leaving as well as the percentage of patients who left the emergency department before being seen. In the report, zero patients were identified as leaving the emergency department before being seen.

UnityPoint Health has named Dr. Gregory R. Johnson as Chief Medical Officer of the organization. Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the McGovern School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He completed his residency training in both internal medicine and family practice at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Johnson will lead UnityPoint Health’s provider workforce and enterprise-wide initiatives focused on quality of care, patient experience, safety, care coordination and service line development.

MercyOne Siouxland Heart and Vascular Center physicians recently performed their 100th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure. TAVR is a less-invasive approach to aortic valve replacement than open heart surgery that may be an option for people diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis. While both types of surgery are excellent solutions for valve replacement, TAVR is typically associated with a faster recovery and shorter hospital stay than open heart surgery.

❱ 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.

OTHER

The Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program is marking 15 years of grantmaking. The program began issuing grants in April 2009, including two grants totaling $11.5 million to support a substantial expansion of Avera Health’s tele-emergency and tele-pharmacy service lines to hospitals across the upper Midwest. This was followed by a $5.5 million grant to the State of South Dakota to establish the region’s first mobile healthcare simulation education program, SIM-SD. In its first year of grantmaking, the Rural Healthcare Program also rolled out its mammography initiative. To date, Helmsley has dedicated $46.6 million to increase access to mammography services.

Marjorie Heier, MD, FAAFP, a faculty member of the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency since 2020, has received the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) “2024 Humanitarian Award”. Dr. Heier has been with the Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency since 2020, educating Resident Family Physicians at both the Center for Family Medicine Clinic and Falls Community Health. Her work includes providing full-spectrum medical care in the rural African country of Zambia, an area of limited resources and healthcare accessibility. Heier will be honored at the 2024 Congress of Delegates in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, September 23, 2024.

Telemedicine provider Avel eCare recently announced the launch of Avel eSync, a proprietary clinical workflow platform designed to enhance Avel’s services and enable organizations across the country to deploy critical telemedicine solutions. Built to optimize the clinician experience, the tool allows users to design tailored clinical workflows for a range of use cases across Avel’s various service offerings from emergency care and ICU to behavioral health and senior care. The platform also extends Avel’s scheduling module.

Nicole Fluth, OTD

Degree: : Doctorate of Occupational Therapy

Current Position: Occupational Therapist and Owner/Founder of Functional Kids Pediatric Therapy in Sioux Falls.

Occupational therapist Nicole Fluth has a unique perspective on the sensitive children she works with. She used to be one.

“I had sensory challenges as a child and struggled with paying attention and doing things like getting my socks on and getting my hair brushed,” says Fluth. “Having an overly sensitive child was a challenge for my mom.”

After earning a degree in exercise science, Fluth says she chose USD for her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy because of its excellent reputation, its location in her home state, and its affordability.

“One thing that I loved was that we had anatomy and physiology with the physician assistant and medical students,” says Fluth. “I think that interdisciplinary approach prepared us really well to practice in the real world.”

Fluth provided OT in a school district in Arizona and at LifeScape in Sioux Falls before starting her own business, Functional Kids Pediatric Therapy in Sioux Falls, three-and-a-half years ago.

“Before I started the business, I noticed that some kids might do well one-on-one in a clinic setting, but still struggle at home or in the classroom,” she says.

She started offering OT services in patients’ homes, daycares, and classrooms. Eventually, she also added a clinic. Today, Fluth’s business employs six other full-time therapists and several parttherapy therapists and has a waiting list of families.

She credits her USD experience with not only preparing her to be a good therapist but also to handle the rigors of entrepreneurship.

“Sometimes I joke that grad school was just as hard or harder than running a business,” she says. “But it set me up well to be able to practice with the base of knowledge I needed to be successful.”

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BEYOND THE BORDER

In addition to MED Magazine, which focuses on the South Dakota region, MED also curates and shares medical community news with 13,000+ digital subscribers in North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. We periodically publish in these pages some of the most notable news items from our wider coverage area that we think you will find interesting. Subscribe to any of our digital newsletters (see end of article) to have news items like these delivered to your Inbox.

IOWA

New Option for A Fib Now Available at UnityPoint Health–Des Moines

Electrophysiologists at UnityPoint Health are some of the first in the nation to use a new pulsed field ablation system to treat atrial fibrillation, which is one of the most treated heart rhythm disorders in the United States.

Pulsed field ablation uses highenergy electrical pulses to ablate the heart tissue causing irregular heart rhythms without using excess heat or cold, which has the potential to damage surrounding tissue.

Methodist Medical Center began offering the new pulsed field ablation treatment for AFib in June.

“We are proud to bring this new technology and treatment option for patients with AFib to our community,” said Wendy Rockey, executive director of cardiology services at UnityPoint Health–Des Moines. “This is another way UnityPoint Health is leading the way in heart care in central Iowa.” ❖

NEBRASKA

Great Plains Health Pulmonology launches lung cancer screening program

Great Plains Health Pulmonology in North Platte has launched a new lung cancer screening program, which offers consultations with a healthcare provider for people at elevated risk of lung cancer to determine if they are eligible for a low dose CT scan.

Dr. Guido Molina, Pulmonologist at Great Plains Health, emphasizes the importance of proactive screening: “Lung cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages, which limits treatment options and survival rates. Through these screenings, we can catch signs of cancer early when treatment is most effective.”

“Early detection is key in the fight against lung cancer,” adds Natasha Burch, APRN at Great Plains Health Pulmonology. “By offering accessible screening appointments, we hope to identify potential issues sooner and provide patients with timely intervention and care.” ❖

FROM MED ’S MULTI-STATE COVERAGE AREA

at Kearney Regional Medical Center

Douglas Koch, MHA ,has been named chief executive officer at Kearney Regional Medical Center and will assume these responsibilities August 5, 2024.

Koch received his Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Colorado Technical University and his Master of Healthcare Administration from Ohio University.

From 1993 to 2001 the South Dakota native held clinical and leadership positions at Avera Health and Sanford Health in South Dakota. From 2001 to 2018 he held executive positions at Aurora Healthcare, an integrated nonprofit healthcare system in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

In 2018 he returned to Rapid City, South Dakota, and served for three years as vice president of operations for Monument Health. Since then, he has served as chief executive officer for Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center in St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Doug’s midwestern roots, education and vast operational experience are an ideal fit to join the Bryan Health administrative leadership team and lead KRMC as it enters its second decade of operation,” said John Woodrich, Bryan Health executive vice president and COO. ❖

Sanford Bismarck now offers Ion technology, a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsy, which will enhance the detection of lung cancer by letting oncologists navigate to distant regions of the lungs to locate and test areas that could be cancerous.

“The Ion robotic system enhances our ability to diagnose lung cancer at any stage, which can significantly improve the survival rate for patients,” said Anthony Tello, MD, pulmonary/critical care department chair. “The advanced 2D and 3D imaging capabilities and the robotic-assisted precision allow for more accurate biopsy procedures, ultimately leading to earlier detection and intervention.”

“Early detection is key to improving the outcomesfor patients with lung cancer,” said Brittney Mueller, vice president of operations. “Sanford Health is committedto bringing new technologies like Ion to the residentsof western North Dakota in an effort to keep care close to home and advance the fight against lung cancer.”

Sanford Health Primary Care providers will be screening their patients at risk for lung cancer and referring those found to have lung nodules to the Sanford Lung Nodule Clinic, located inside the Bismarck Medical Center. ❖

Building Better Teams,

Join us for one-day symposiums and discover the latest practices to best serve the health and recovery of our patients.

SYMPOSIUM LOCATION: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dakota Dunes Event Center

CNOS Orthopaedic Symposium Studies in Sports Medicine

Friday, September 27th • 8am - 4pm

$110

*plus taxes and fees, Students: Free

SCAN THE CODE TO REGISTER

CNOS Occupational Medicine Symposium

Friday, October 25th • 8am - 4pm

$150

*plus taxes and fees, Students: Free

SCAN THE CODE TO REGISTER Earn Continuing Education

SYMPOSIUM EVENTS 605-217-2667 2024

Upcoming Regional Events

July 12 – 13

7:00 am – 4:30 pm, 7:15 am – 12:15 pm

41st Annual Sanford Black Hills Pediatric Symposium

Location: The Lodge at Deadwood

July 18 - July 21

6:30 am Thursday – 12:00 pm

Sunday Mayo Clinic Neurology in Clinical Practice

Location: Westin Chicago River North, Chicago, IL

August 9 - 10

7:00 am – 12:00 pm

Contemporary Cardiovascular Care for Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers

Location: Kalahari Resorts and Conventions – Wisconsin Dells

August 12 - 13

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

2024 Healthcare Revolution Workforce Summit

Location: Ramkota Event Center, Pierre, SD

August 12

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Nebraska ASAP to Host Upcoming Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit

Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton, Downtown Omaha

August 16

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

2024 Nebraska Medical Association Annual Membership Meeting

Location: Embassy Suites Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center, LaVista, NE

August 16 - 18

7:00 am – 12:00 pm

8th Annual Hematology and Oncology Conference for NPs and PAs

Location: Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area, Rochester, MN

September 18 – 19

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

South Dakota Statewide Trauma Conference

Location: Highland Conference Center, Mitchell, SD

September 24 – 26

South Dakota Health Care Association Annual Fall Convention

Location: Ramkota Hotel, Sioux Falls

September 25 – 27

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Mayo Clinic Neurology in Clinical Practice

Location: Westin Chicago River North-Chicago, Illinois OR Livestream

September 25 – 27

98th Annual SDAHO Convention

Location: Holiday Inn Rapid City Downtown

September 27

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

CNOS Orthopaedic Symposium

Location: Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Dakota Dunes, SD

October 4

8:00 am – 4:30 pm

25th Annual Avera Cancer Institute Oncology Symposium

Location:

The District, Sioux Falls

October 21 – 22

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare ‘24: Inspiring Partnerships and Scaling Collaborative Impact

Location: Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

October 25

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

CNOS Occupational Medicine Symposium

Location: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Dakota Dunes, SD

Compassionate, skilled providers work with patients and families to meet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs for patients nearing the end of life. Care and support are provided by an experienced team including nurses, social workers, nursing aides, physical therapists, counselors, chaplains, physicians, pharmacists and volunteers.

• A shared Electronic Medical Record makes the coordination with Monument Health hospitals and services seamless.

• Our Hospice House located in Rapid City provides 24-hour hospice care if/when a patient needs it.

• Ability to provide a full line of services from home medical equipment, pharmacy, specialty pharmacy and home care.

• Referral to the correct level of care is seamless and easy for families.