This symposium will contain content beneficial to physicians/providers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, sport coaches and other specialty providers. Medical providers CME and CEU(s) available.
BOC: Credits coming soon. CME: Credits coming soon. NSCA: Credits coming soon.
If your patients have opioids in their homes—they are at risk for overdose. Keeping naloxone on hand can reverse an overdose and save lives. The SD Standing Order makes it easy for your patients to get naloxone from participating pharmacies. Encourage your patients to keep their families safe. Help them understand:
• Naloxone is a safe medication used to reverse an opioid overdose.
• ANYONE can administer naloxone.
• There is no potential for abuse, and side effects are very rare.
• Naloxone is available statewide at participating pharmacies.
• If they can't afford naloxone, their pharmacy can help them get it for FREE! For more information on naloxone, the State Standing Order, or key data, visit AvoidOpioidSD.com
CONTENTS
PAGE 6 | [SPONSORED]
CHWs – Advancing Health Initiatives at Brookings Health System
FROM US TO YOU ON
COVER W
Fostering a Culture of Wellbeing at Sanford
One of the first Community Health Worker programs in South Dakota launched at Brookings Health System earlier this year. Here's why that matters.
PAGE 8 | This Month Online Recognition for area healthcare workers, upcoming fall and winter events, and six reasons to be a MED “VIP in 23”
Page 14 | Active Shooter Response in the Healthcare Setting
By Michael Victoroff, MD
There may not yet be a way to prevent these situations, but COPIC says there are options to prepare and train for them.
PAGE 15 | [SPONSORED] Dakota Vascular Offers the Region's Most Trusted Names in Vascular Care Patients in need of vascular treatment in the region now have a new option for their outpatient care.
PAGE 16 | NEWS & NOTES
A comprehensive roundup of recent healthcare news headlines from around the region
PAGE 22 | [SPONSORED]
The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort Offers ‘Something for Everyone’ Explore Deadwood and the Black Hills at newly-expanded and remodeled The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort
elcome to a brand new year with MED at your side! We are proud to enter our 13th year of supporting and uplifting healthcare and healthcare professionals across the Northern Plains.
If there is one thing we know, after so many years of covering medicine in our region, it is that this profession is not for the faint of heart. And while medicine has always been a challenging path, the last few years have only made things harder.
That is why we are starting the year off with a focus on resilience in healthcare and some of the people who are working to promote it at Sanford Health. Also in this issue, we bring you features on Sioux Falls newest Vascular practice, the value of community health workers in Brookings, and a remodel in the Black Hills to inspire your next vacation.
Remember, the news doesn't stop with the last page of this publication! Join the VIP list at MidwestMedicalEdition.com for up-to-the-minute healthcare news between issues. (And submit your news & announcements, too!)
Publisher / MED MAGAZINE, LLC
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Editor in Chief / ALEX STRAUSS
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VP Sales & Marketing 605-366-1479
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MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 90646, Sioux Falls, SD 57109
As a healthcare professional in South Dakota, if you have not already heard of a Community Health Worker (CHW), you will soon. One of the first CHW programs in South Dakota launched at Brookings Health System earlier this year. “We saw the role of the CHW to work with our population of patients who have recurring needs, particularly related to the social determinants of health, and help with care coordination beyond the hospital walls,” said Emily Delbridge, Quality Director.
Alyssa Olson was hired as the first CHW to initially help develop the program and then manage the program and see patients. Olson, a Brookings native, has a bachelor’s degree in community and public health and is a Certified CHW in South Dakota. According to Delbridge, it was quickly apparent how important the CHW was going to be in bridging gaps for patients. “Alyssa is a valuable member of the healthcare team at Brookings Health System. She has gained the trust and respect of her peers as well as the patients she serves,” she said.
Since the program launched in March of 2022, many success stories have begun to pour in, including a patient diagnosed with diabetes that was unmanaged. Through building a trusting relationship with the patient, Olson provided social support and encouragement, health education, and coaching on health lifestyle changes. The patient has now met with a diabetes educator, is set up with a continuous glucose monitoring system, and has seen a decrease in their A1C from 12.2% to 9.8% in just a month’s time, as well as other health improvements.
“It is fulfilling to see my patients make progress and improve their quality of life through our CHW program. I love celebrating small victories with patients and watching them meet their goals using techniques and skills I have taught them,” said Olson.
South Dakota is relatively new to developing a formal CHW workforce but is experiencing rapid growth. Prior to 2022, many similar positions were established across South Dakota, including tribal Community Health Representative (CHR) programs, but no statewide workforce had been developed.
“My advice to others looking to start a CHW program is to utilize the resources available through the State of South Dakota as well as network with other CHW programs,” said Delbridge.
More information about CHWs, Medicaid reimbursement, and the developing workforce can be found by accessing www.chwsd.org ❖
“Since the program launched in March of 2022, many success stories have begun to pour in . . . ”
January 26 – 28
SD Academy of Family Physicians Winter Seminar
Location: The Lodge at Deadwood
March 3 - 4
SD ACEP Winter Conference in Emergency Medicine
Location: The Lodge at Deadwood
March 24 - 25
SD Society of Medical Assistants State Convention
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Sioux Falls
March 25, 2023
BASH (Building a Superior health System) gala, Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation fundraiser
Location: Watertown Event Center
March 31 - April 1
South Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Annual Conference
Location: Holiday Inn City Centre, Sioux Falls
April 20 - 22
SD Counseling Association Conference
Location: Sheraton Hotel, Sioux Falls
TULIP award for nursing support caregivers
Sunshine Oines, Nurse Aide, Rapid City Hospital HVU
DAISY award for extraordinary nursing
Caleb Hansen, Registered Nurse, Monument Health Rapid City Hospital ICU
Courtney Quinn, Registered Nurse, Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital
Exceptional Employee
LaNette Kouf, credentialing specialist, Huron Regional Medical Center Chuck DeJean, accountant, Huron Regional Medical Center
Lori Molan, CNA and Restorative Aide, Pioneer Memorial Hospital & Health Services
MED distributes community healthcare news in Nebraska and North Dakota, too! You can find the latest news for these areas under the “News By Region” tab on our website.
As executive director of Surgical Institute of South Dakota, P.C., Mark Hatting has played a large role in building the culture and managing the growth of the organization, which is made up of a team of caring professionals specializing in general surgery, providing services to Sioux Falls and regional rural facilities.
Just as the field of medicine has undergone significant change over the past few decades, so has Surgical Institute. It was the late 1980s when the medical group was formed under the name Dakota Surgical by physicians Fred Harris and Don Wingert. Over the years, the group grew, and by 2002, the group had employed six physicians. Later that year, when Dr. Harris branched out on his own, the remaining physicians formed what is now known as the Surgical Institute of South Dakota, P.C.
Hatting was brought on to Dakota Surgical in 2002 and assisted the group during its transformation to Surgical Institute of South Dakota, P.C. He is a CPA by trade, armed with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Hatting’s career experience included auditing and cost report preparation for health care facilities, experience that has benefited the SI group.
After working with South Dakota rural hospitals and nursing homes as a CPA, he left the public accounting profession and gained his initial experience in medical group management with a clinic in Madison, South Dakota. From there, he took his current SI position. Hatting is a 16 year resident of Sioux Falls and is married with three grown children and eight grandchildren.
In his executive director role, he manages all business aspects of the practice, including employee recruitment and retention, compliance with federal and state regulations, human resources, CFO functions, and serves as a liaison between the group’s physicians and local hospitals . . .
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Dr. Heather Spies, Physician Director, Clinician Experience and Well-being at Sanford Health
Long before the coronavirus was on every clinician’s radar, the problem of clinician stress and burnout was already on Sanford’s.
“The writing was on the wall years ago,” says Luis Garcia, MD, President of Sanford Health’s Clinic division. “If you paid attention to what clinicians were saying, there were already signs that the practice of medicine was not as satisfying as it was 30 years ago.”
“The landscape of medicine has completely changed in the last 10 to 20 years,” agrees Heather Spies, MD, a practicing Ob/ Gyn and Sanford’s first Physician Director of Clinician Experience and Well-being. “As of 2020, it became clear that it is literally impossible to keep up with everything in medicine. There are simply not enough hours in a typical day.”
And yet, rural states like South Dakota need clinicians more than ever. Health systems lucky enough to find them cannot afford to lose them because of overwork, overwhelm, and exhaustion.
“We want anyone who considers getting into medicine to consider Sanford,” says Dr. Garcia, “And if they choose Sanford, we don’t want them to consider leaving until retirement.”
The concern is not just that doctors will leave. Unrelenting stress has been associated with a drop in clinical performance, which can lead to patient complications.
Sanford’s answer has been to invest significant resources into fostering a system-wide “culture of well-being”.
“A culture of well-being includes looking at ways to support our clinicians both inside and outside of work,” says Garcia. "It is not about a meeting or a strategy. It is a cultural change that tries to understand the journey of a physician throughout their career.”
The strategy includes an umbrella of services specific to a provider’s career stage. For new physicians, services include a weeklong orientation with an emphasis on well-being, onboarding programs, and mentoring. Established physicians can take advantage of financial planning, counseling, peer coaching, and support through the stress of litigation.
For those nearing the end of their clinical practice, Sanford is developing a "path to retirement" including succession planning and a leadership academy to identify "rising stars".
“From a high-level executive standpoint, as we speak about this culture change, you cannot see this as an expense," says Dr. Garcia. "You have to see it as an investment in your greatest asset.”
Dr. Spies has been one of those assets at Sanford for 17 years. The Watertown native practiced in her hometown for nine years before transferring to Sioux Falls eight years ago. A few months before the pandemic, she took on her additional role in clinician well-being, a job which now takes half her time.
“Sanford wanted a physician in this role who is continuing to practice,” says Spies. “A practicing physician can have a better understanding of what’s really going on.”
One thing that’s going on, says Spies, is that even when it may not be humanly possible to keep up with all the tasks confronting them, most clinicians really want to do “all the things”. They are super-achievers both by nature and by training. Spies says the gap between what is necessary and what is actually feasible can leave them feeling frustrated, anxious, and defeated.
“Just when you think you’re all caught up and you’re ready to end your day, twelve more messages can come in,” says Dr. Spies. “It’s exhausting.”
“Part of the problem is that it takes more time than it used to to keep up with clinical data,” says Spies, echoing a sentiment heard nearly everywhere in medicine these days. While EHR systems and patient portals have made it easier to access up-to-the-minute patient information, they have also created confusion around who does what from a technical standpoint.
“A lot of our strategy has been to utilize team-based care along with AI and other tools in EPIC to take some of that clerical burden
“A culture of well-being includes looking at ways to support our clinicians both inside and outside of work.”
off of physicians, increase efficiency, and allow them to have as much face-to-face time with their patients as possible,” says Spies.
But not everything can be blamed on tech. Spies says a lot of clinician stress is the result of a societal tendency to overcommit and be constantly connected.
“I can look up my patient’s labs while I’m at my son’s baseball game. But it can also be a hard thing to draw boundaries around,” says Spies. “We are all busier than ever in our lives outside of work. But we all need a balance or integration between our work and our life.”
In spite of the pandemic and the extra stress of the last few years, Sanford Health is one of only a handful of health systems in the country where the number of clinicians reporting burnout has not increased. Spies and Garcia say the challenge now is to reduce that number and that depends on normalizing something that was once taboo.
“We want our physicians and APPs to be
able to speak up when they are not doing OK, to reach out and ask for support and resources,” says Spies. There is evidence that the tide is turning. Utilization of Sanford’s expanded team of mental health professionals and peer coaches is steadily increasing.
Spies says peer support is also a key
Healthcare systems around the country are working on solutions to the problem of physician burnout. At North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, one answer is Kerry Paul Appleton, a mobile “resilience coach”.
MED: You were a pediatric intensive care nurse. How did you end up in this job?
KPA: In my own observations, I started thinking about who is taking care of us as healthcare workers? There was no good answer. At my previous institution, part of my role involved mentally preparing nurses to work in an ICU with children and babies. Resiliency work was a side hustle for me before I got an offer from North Memorial to do this full time.
component of a “culture of well-being”. Sanford’s clinical well-being council includes ambassadors and advocates from across the region who lead small peer support groups of international physicians, mid-career physicians, female physicians, APPs, and others.
“The journey has been to continue to find ways to do the best we can in our practice, but also to look around at the people around us and realize that we all go through things,” says Dr. Spies. “We have to take the time to recognize when a colleague is struggling and needs help and we need to let them know that it is OK to get it.” ❖
MED: What do you do as a “resilience coach”?
KPA: Every day is different. I am a mobile unit so I drive anywhere people want me to. I also take a lot of virtual meetings. The scope is to create and manage resilience-based programs for healthcare professionals. I do coaching with teams and individuals and manage our Heartmath program, which is essentially emotional regulation on the go.
MED: How have people responded to you?
KPA: This is brand new for so many people and it has taken some time for people to be ready. My approach is to show up and be very consistent so that people get to know me and feel safe opening up to me. One tactic that has been very helpful is unit-based huddles where I come twice a week for six weeks and share
“Just when you think you’re all caught up and you're ready to end your day, twelve more messages can come in.”Kerry Paul Appleton, Resilience Coach, North Memorial Health Hospital, Robbinsdale, MN Luis Garcia, MD, President of Sanford Health Clinic division
South Dakota Physician Well-being Program. A program of the SD State Medical Association with funding from the state's three largest health systems, the PWBP offers confidential individualized support services and resources in person or remotely to South Dakota licensed physicians and residents.
LEARN MORE: Website: mwhms.com/pwbp Phone: 605-275-4711
The goals of HPSP are to promote early intervention, diagnosis and treatment for health professionals with illnesses, and to provide monitoring services as an alternative to Board discipline.
LEARN MORE: Website: Mn.gov/boards/hpsp Phone: 651-642-0487
The Iowa Physician Health Program provides a safe place for physicians to get assistance and support for mental health conditions, physical health conditions, and substance use disorders that could impact their ability to safely practice medicine.
LEARN MORE: Website: https://iphp.iowa.gov Phone: 516-281-6006
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information in short bursts. I think the biggest part of my work is allowing space for people to share what they need to share.
MED: How do you help people open up?
KPA: I approach the work as a peer. I'm not a mental health provider. I'm very cautious to stay in my lane. It is not my job to diagnose and treat. My job is to validate and normalize. If what they need is beyond me, I serve as a bridge to people who can help them. So that, if they choose, they can stay in the work that they worked so hard to do.
There is a renewed focus on active shooter situations and the safety of medical providers and how to protect them, their staff, and patients. While there is no definitive solution to prevent these situations, there are options to prepare and train for them.
De-escalation training and therapeutic listening are critical skills, but what do you do when the situation escalates to involve a gun? Similar to fires, floods, and pandemics, healthcare facilities are required to have a response plan in place for active shooter scenarios. Hospitals and medical offices have unique security issues that differ from schools, businesses, and religious institutions. How do you develop a plan that is appropriate for your own facility or practice? The following are some key considerations:
Active shooter events are rare in healthcare facilities—despite impressions generated by popular media.
The “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT” doctrine highlighted by many law enforcement agencies does not really fit the needs of most healthcare organizations. Serious ethical and practical issues can make “escape” problematic in these settings. Strategies such as barriers, access controls,
and security training tend to be more relevant.
High-stress training (sometimes involving simulated violence, confinement, or gunshots) is inappropriate for almost any healthcare or educational facility. It is inherently traumatizing and can even be counterproductive to the goals of effectiveness and safety. Slow-motion scenarios with voluntary role-playing, careful supervision, and “timeouts” can be useful.
A comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan, which outlines a response framework, should include deterrence, protection, response, and mitigation.
Organizational strategies should address external and internal barriers and access controls, safe areas, surveillance and communication technologies, communication plans, decentralized command, staff training (including Stop-the-Bleed™, an American College of Surgeons training program), threat awareness and response, patient protection policies and processes, and risk reduction focused on specific vulnerabilities.
Personal strategies should address tactics and solutions appropriate for the physical abilities and temperaments of individual staff.
Staff should understand that police response may be delayed; an active shooter event will often be
ended before police arrive. There is the likelihood that it will be up to those involved to protect themselves and those who are vulnerable.
It’s almost impossible to predict how any individual is going to react in a potentially lethal encounter. Training helps, but biology, psychology, and circumstances are more important, and these factors vary across individuals and situations.
Running is the best option when it’s possible and ethical. Hiding relies on luck—unless there are areas already secure, or which can be rendered secure.
Staff may face the ethical dilemma of not wanting to abandon vulnerable patients while fearing for their own safety. Procedures for patient protection should be developed, discussed, and rehearsed (e.g., with “tabletop” modeling or a group walk-through) in each care center, when possible.
It’s critically important to protect survivors from shame, blame, afterthoughts, and PTSD.
There should be immediately available resources to address physical safety, legal, medical, and psychological impacts.
Staff and administrators should be well-trained in how to react when law enforcement arrives. ❖
Patients in need of vascular treatment throughout the Midwest —especially in South Dakota—h ave a new option for their outpatient care. Board Certified, experienced and trusted names in vascular care now have a new location in Sioux Falls, SD. Dakota Vascular is accepting patients and providing outreach throughout the area, including parts of South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
Since Dakota Vascular first opened its doors, the region’s patients have enjoyed expanded access to essential vascular care. With a core philosophy of “Caring for Arteries and Veins Beyond the Heart,” Dakota Vascular offers the following services:
• Varicose vein treatments
• Limb preservation treatments
• Vascular surgery
• Dialysis access
• Artherosclerosis treatment
• And more
Founded by four vascular surgeons formerly with Sanford Health, this new physician-owned clinic is dedicated to partnering with patients for the duration of their vascular journey and delivering effective healthcare that’s focused on improving patient wellbeing.
The care team at Dakota Vascular is led by four premier venous and arterial disease specialists:
Dr. Kelly is a board certified vascular surgeon with over twenty years of experience treating patients. As a well regarded expert in venous and arterial disease, Dr. Kelly is regularly called on to present to medical groups across the world.
Dr. Santos has over two decades of experience in vascular surgery. Formerly a department chair at a local hospital’s vascular program, Dr. Santos now brings his skill and expertise to helping patients at Dakota Vascular, providing critical vascular care for patients.
Dr. Santos is well known for being a physician who listens and collaborates with patients.
Dr. Nissen is committed to compassionate care for patients–helping them achieve vascular results that improve the overall wellness and quality of life.
Dr. Nissen provides treatment for every aspect of venous and arterial care, with an emphasis on surgical repair and complex cases.
Dr. Jorgensen was born in South Dakota, and has dedicated his professional career to helping his fellow South Dakotans receive top quality treatments and vascular care. Well known for helping patients understand their conditions and answer questions, Dr. Jorgensen firmly believes that all healthcare should be personal— including vascular care.
All four surgeons are board certified in vascular surgery.
While Dakota Vascular’s primary clinic is located in Sioux Falls, SD, the surgeons regularly perform outreach throughout the region. This ensures that patients who may not otherwise have access to angioplasty, stenting, aortic stent grafting, or endoscopic vascular surgery can make an appointment with one of the Midwest’s premiere vascular care specialists.
In that way, the team at Dakota Vascular hopes to improve the health and wellness of their patients—and their surrounding communities. Dakota Vascular is now accepting new patients. ❖
Avera will soon open the new Avera Medical Group Family Health Center–Dawley Farm in eastern Sioux Falls, just off Veterans Parkway north of the 26th Street intersection. The $34 million, 86,000-square-foot building is similar in design and services to the Avera Family Health Center on Marion Road that has served southwest Sioux Falls for six years. The free-standing Emergency Department is the first of its kind in eastern Sioux Falls and Avera’s second in the city.
Tamera Larsen-Engelkes has been named Chief Nursing Officer at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls. In this role, she is responsible for the overall direction, coordination and evaluation of nursing services throughout the entire Avera McKennan region.
Larsen-Engelkes joined Avera McKennan in 1996 as a bedside nurse in the burn unit and ICU. Since then, she has been a resource nurse, unit supervisor, and nurse manager in the Women’s Center. In 2013, she was named nursing director for inpatient orthopedics, brain and spine, short stay, inpatient rehabilitation and rehab therapy departments.
Larsen-Engelkes was most recently Vice President of Informatics for the Avera system.
Avera Medical Group medical oncologist Benjamin Solomon, MD, is the first author on an international study on the SPRING trial published earlier this year in Cancer Medicine. SPRING stands for Survival Prolongation by Rationale Innovative Genomics. The study explores the combination of avelumab, palbociclib and axitinib to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer. SPRING enrolled patients at five centers worldwide with Avera enrolling one-third of the total number of patients. Overall, eight of 15 patients (53%) achieved clinical benefit. Solomon presented final study results at the international WIN 2022 Symposium: “Integrating Genomics and Transcriptomics to Reshape Precision Oncology–A Winning Strategy,” held in Barcelona, Spain in October.
Avera has received over $2.5 million in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support nursing and address healthcare workforce capacity through innovative solutions including telehealth and virtual nursing. The first grant, Project NEXT, a $1.5 million grant from HRSA, will support a three-year Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program. Project NEXT will prepare the rural public health workforce by providing cross-trained skills in telehealth, health information technology and skill opportunities such as telemetry monitoring and virtual nursing. The second HRSA grant is part of the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Registered Nurse Training Program and provides $1 million in funding over three years.
South Dakota | Southwest Minnesota | Northwest Iowa | Northeast NebraskaEric Krohn, DO, has joined Monument Health Orthopedic and Specialty Hospital in Rapid City, as the only fellowship trained Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon in the Black Hills region. Dr. Krohn specializes in deformity correction, growth modulation and fracture care. Dr. Krohn received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania and completed his residency at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, Oregon. He completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Robbins is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America.
Monument Health welcomes Christopher Robbins, MD, CCD, Family Medicine Physician to the Rapid City Clinic, Flormann Street. Dr. Robbins is a patient-oriented family medicine physician who treats pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. Dr. Robbins completed his residency at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital Family Medicine Residency Clinic and obtained his doctorate of medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School in Lubbock, Texas. As a clinically certified densitometrist, Dr. Robbins can read DXA scans that allow him to diagnose osteoporosis and aid in its prevention and treatment.
Sanford Health has been recognized for its commitment to veterans and active military employees. The healthcare system landed in the top 10 on the 2023 Military Friendly Employer list and 2023 Military Spouse Friendly Employer list. Sanford Health was also recognized at no. 4 on the Best for Vets: Employers List by Military Times. This is the fourth year in a row Sanford Health has been recognized as a Military Friendly Employer but the first year being featured on the Military Friendly Spouse Employer list.
Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare of 2022. Gassen was recognized for his leadership on a $350 million virtual care initiative. The award also recognizes Sanford Health for building a training pipeline for rural healthcare providers including plans to grow its graduate medical residencies and fellowships in specialty areas. Prominent leaders named to this year’s list include President Joe Biden; Karen Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health; Rosalind Brewer, president and CEO of Walgreens Boot Alliance; Dr. Karen DeSalvo, chief health officer of Google; and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra among others. Gassen’s profile is available online at san.fo/MH100.
Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services, one of the leading providers of healthcare in Minnesota, have signed a non-binding letter of intent to combine and create a new health system. Together, the combined system will bring together Sanford Health’s experience serving rural populations with Fairview Health Services’ experience in serving urban populations across complementary geographic footprints. The governing boards of both health systems have approved proceeding with necessary steps, such as due diligence and review processes. The intention is for a definitive agreement to be signed and the closing of the transaction is anticipated in 2023, pending antitrust and other necessary reviews and closing conditions.
Sanford Health has received a grant to expand its PLEDGE Study. PLEDGE centers on a blood test to identify children at risk of developing type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and is integrated into routine pediatric care at Sanford clinics. The $3.4 million grant from The Helmsley Charitable Trust will support continued screening to identify children at risk of developing T1D or celiac disease. Children found to have markers related to T1D through the PLEDGE Study are offered education, ongoing monitoring, and appropriate early intervention to prevent serious illness. Children with markers of celiac disease are referred to pediatric gastroenterologists for treatment. The Helmsley Charitable Trust made an initial $1.3 million grant when the PLEDGE Study first launched in 2020.
Jenna Bortnem, PT, DPT, has joined Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital. She attended The University of South Dakota, received her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, and then received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2013. She has experience in acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation, pediatrics, and outpatient therapy. She has a particular interest in orthopedic care, functional dry needling, and chronic pain.
iation Oncologist, Joni Buechler, MD has joined the cancer care team at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System. Dr. Buechler has 34 years of experience in radiology as a radiologic technician, radiation therapist, nurse, and Radiation Oncologist. She earned her medical degree from the University of North Dakota and completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. She is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology. Since 2014, Dr. Buechler has spent time at Prairie Lakes Cancer Center as a locum physician. Upon the retirement of Dr. Jeffrey Brindle, she assumed a full-time role. She previously worked in Fargo for the last 10 years.
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System has named Dusty Wilkens as the new Director of Information Technologies and Bio-Med. This is a new position at Prairie Lakes in which he manages information security, communication infrastructure, computer and software systems, and biomedical technology. Wilkens joined Prairie Lakes in 2017 as System Security Analyst. He was most recently appointed as Interim IT Leadership in March 2022. Dusty has been in the IT Industry for the past 25 years and holds numerous industry certifications. He has been part of the Watertown community for the majority of his life.
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Laurie Fieber has been named the Vice President of Clinic Operations and Alison Gilbertson has been named Vice President of Human Resources at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System. Gilbertson holds a master’s degree from the University of South Dakota and her undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University. She has been with Prairie Lakes for the past 10 years, and 8 years prior, where she has served in several leadership roles including Director of Human Resources, Executive Director of the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation, Organizational Development Specialist, Medical Staff Liaison and Recruiter, and Outreach Coordinator. Gilbertson was most recently promoted to the position of Interim Vice President in February 2022.
Fieber received her nursing degree from the University of South Dakota and her Master of Science in nursing from Grand Canyon University. She has been with Prairie Lakes for almost 20 years where she has served patients in the ER, Same Day Surgery, Home Health/Hospice, and Cath Lab. Fieber previously held the leadership role of Director of General Surgery, ENT Clinic, Outreach Clinics and Central Scheduling. She was most recently promoted to the Interim Vice President role in January 2022.
Clinical Social Worker Benson Langat came to the United States from Kenya to pursue an education. After earning his undergraduate degree at the University of South Dakota in 2014, he went to work at Children’s Home Society.
“It was while I was working with kids at Children’s Home, that I started feeling like I wanted to be able to do more,” says Langat. “I had a good relationship with my USD professor who had been asking me when I was going to get my master’s degree. I knew that’s what I needed to be able to do the work I wanted to do with individuals and families.”
While some students love the convenience of online classes, Langat knew that was not for him. The USD School of Health Sciences Master of Social Work program allowed him to have the "in person” experience he wanted.
“I chose USD because it was right here in Sioux Falls,” he says. “I wanted the relationships that you build by being with classmates. I had a great experience as an undergrad, so it was not a hard decision for me.”
Langat has taken what he learned and run with it—both literally and figuratively. Not only is he better equipped to help clients at the non-profit mental health facility where he works, but he has also helped launch meaningful community efforts like the 437 Project, a 437-mile run across the state for suicide prevention.
On January 3rd, Midlands Clinic joins the CNOS Clinic in Dakota Dunes. The two Midlands Clinic locations will be renamed CNOS — Sioux Point Clinic and CNOS - Cosmetic and Dermatology, but will remain in the same locations. “This is truly the work of two great organizations partnering to provide even broader care. As our communities grow, CNOS is committed to responding to that growth and ensuring specialty services where they’re most needed,” says Nolan Lubarski, CNOS CEO. CNOS and Midlands patients can expect to keep their same provider at the same locations throughout the transition.
“Statistics show that suicide rates are on the rise,” says Langat, who is also a professional runner. “I liked the way the 437 Project ties both mental and physical health together to bring awareness to the issues of suicide and mental health.”
Dr. Elijah Miller, an Orthopaedic Surgeon with CNOS was recently presented with the 2022 Bob Green, DO Memorial Award at the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics Fall Awards Ceremony.
In order to receive this prestigious award, Dr. Miller had to achieve the highest combined score, written, and oral certification examinations for the year 2021. One recipient of this award is chosen each year. Dr. Miller practices at the UnityPoint Fort Dodge Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He specializes in joint replacement, sports medicine, and fracture care.
Jessi Sopko, MSW, LCSW, QHMP, has been named director of social services at Huron Regional Medical Center. Sopko earned her Master of Science Degree in social work from University of South Dakota in Vermillion. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in human development and family studies from South Dakota State University in Brookings. Sopko began her career as a CARE specialist at Southeastern Behavioral Health and served as a mobile crisis team member in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. Since November 2018, Sopko worked as a case management clinical supervisor, therapist and emergency services consultant at Community Counseling.
The University of South Dakota’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) has received full accreditation for the program by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education (COA), demonstrating its readiness to deliver the degree preparing registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA). The program’s first classes will start in spring 2023 to help meet the continued need of growing and building South Dakota’s healthcare workforce. Nurse anesthetists are the sole provider of anesthesia care in 83% of South Dakota counties, demonstrating the need to elevate the quality of care in the emerging healthcare systems and to strengthen CRNA leadership skills. USD is the only public university in the state to offer the DNAP degree.
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center has announced that Pam Johnson-Carlson, DNP, RN, NE-BC, has been named senior vice president and chief nursing officer. JohnsonCarlson graduated from Midland Lutheran College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in nursing. She went on to receive a Master of Science degree in maternal/child nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Creighton University. Johnson-Carlson started her nursing career at Children’s as a bedside nurse, rising in responsibility to eventually serve as vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer from 2007 through 2011. Johnson-Carlson’s first day at Children’s will be Jan. 16.
The South Dakota Department of Health has launched a new telehealth partnership with Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Agencies and Sioux Falls-based telemedicine provider, Avel eCare. Known as Telemedicine in Motion, the partnership offers each participating licensed ground ambulance service in South Dakota a
telehealth solution that will include the necessary hardware, software, installation, training, support, and telehealth subscription for professional consulting services at no cost. Avel will work directly with EMS providers on the initial installation and continued support. The goal is to support the retention and recruitment of EMS workforce with access to on-demand support. Dell Rapids and Humboldt have already received equipment installation. The DOH and Avel aim to have at least 60 EMS agencies up and running with virtual telemedicine capabilities by next spring.
As part of the 2022 National Rural Health Day celebration in November, Brookings Health System was recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health with a Performance Leadership Award in all three measured categories: quality, outcomes and patient perspective. The Performance Leadership Award uses the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX.The award reflects top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the nation. Earlier this year Brookings Health System was recognized as one of the Top 20 Rural Community Hospitals in the nation by the National Rural Health Association.
Explore Deadwood and the Black Hills at The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort and experience all the area has to offer.
Located on top of a hill at the north end of Deadwood, The Lodge boasts spectacular 300-degree views of the surrounding Black Hills as well as luxury amenities and plenty of entertainment.
Anthony Galbraith, general manager of the property for the past 13 years, said that The Lodge recently completed a 13-month remodel and addition and now has 185 guest suites with top-notch amenities and fantastic views. King balconies were added to the 45 new rooms, all of which have walk-in showers and other upgrades. Most of the 185 suites have balconies. Another major portion of the addition is a two- story suite that has amazing views of the surrounding Black Hills.
“People are awed by the modern feel of our new addition,” said Galbraith. “We get comments about how nice it is. Between those modern amenities and our original rooms, which are western themed, we really have something for all tastes here, whatever your preference.”
Choose from many different room types of the property’s luxury accommodations, from a deluxe king or double queen to an extra-large suite and king spa suite, or opt for Deadwood’s finest room, the Presidential Suite.
For gamers, The Lodge also has a sportsbook and a large gaming floor. “We put in a
42-foot Daktronics video wall, along with overstuffed chairs, stadium seating and other top-notch amenities in our BetLodge Sportsbook, which opened in June,” said Galbraith. “There’s nothing like it in the fivestate region. It’s really something to see.”
Dining options include two awardwinning on-site restaurants: the Deadwood Grille, featuring chef-inspired cuisine and wine pairings in a fine dining atmosphere, while Oggie’s Sports Bar and Emporium provides a more casual dining experience. The Lodge is also home to an indoor water playland, Las Vegas-style casino, fitness center, two Tesla chargers, trolley service to area attractions and a gift shop featuring South Dakota-made items. If meeting planning is in order, The Lodge has 20,000 square feet of meeting space where they hold events such as meetings and weddings, to include catering. “We are a one-stop shop for events,” Galbraith said. “We really do offer something for everyone,” said Galbraith.
Perhaps what sets The Lodge apart most from other accommodations is its staff. It employs about 300 total staff to service the facility, which is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “I’m extremely proud of the staff here and the way they treat our customers. Fantastic people work here,” Galbraith said. ❖
Book your stay at the Lodge at www.DeadwoodLodge.com.
1.855.850.KIDS (5437) is your 24-hour link to pediatric specialists for physician-to-physician consults, referrals, admissions and transport.
Stephen Wasemiller, M.D. Cardiovascular Medicine
Jeff Wilson, M.D. Cardiovascular Medicine, Interventional Cardiology
Fawzi Ameer, MD. Cardiovascular Medicine
Saverio Barbera, M.D., FACC, FHRS Electrophysiology
Michael D’Urso, M.D., FACC Cardiovascular Medicine, Interventional Cardiology
John Heilman III, M.D., FACC Cardiovascular Medicine
Luis Hernandez, M.D. Cardiovascular Medicine
Ethan Levine, D.O., FHRS Electrophysiology
Charan Mungara, M.D. Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery
Rajesh Pradhan, M.D. FACC Cardiovascular Medicine
Drew Purdy, M.D., FACC Cardiovascular Medicine, Interventional Cardiology
Bhaskar Purushottam, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, FSVMB Cardiovascular Medicine, Interventional Cardiology
Alexander Schabauer, M.D., FSVMB, FACC Cardiovascular Medicine