Prairie Business Red River Valley by Prairie Business Magazine

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RRV Healthcare

JOEL ROTVOLD Physician Recruiter Altru Health System Grand Forks, ND

KATHY KENYON

Health care systems ‘creatively’ finding professionals

Employment Recruiter Altru Health System Grand Forks, ND

Health care systems in the Red River Valley are not finding it easy to recruit health care professionals, but are not letting that deter them from providing good service for those in the region. RICK GESSLER oel Rotvold, Executive Physician Recruiter for Altru Health System in Grand Forks, ND, says for the past 1520 years it has been tough recruiting medical

Employment/Employee Relations Manager Altru Health System Grand Forks, ND

professionals to the Midwest. “It certainly hasn’t gotten any easier,” he states. He has found that primary care physicians are the

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

Health care systems ‘creatively’ finding professionals 2

Valley City views housing as assistance for economic development

PBRRV October 2011

Research complex looking for cattle cost efficiencies

Partnership being developed with African country

Bemidji Medical Equipment joins Sanford HealthCare Accessories

toughest group to recruit because of the immense opportunities in the region. “I don’t think we are producing enough primary care physicians,” he states. “There is more specialty care in the United States and we are seeing a shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas.” Lake Region Healthcare CEO Larry Schulz is seeing physicians retiring that have been working for 35 years. “The hardest thing now to recruit in some ways is primary care especially internal medicine and pediatrics,” he states. “Fewer people are going into primary care.” Schulz believes that ongoing recruitment of primary care physicians is a concern. Lake Region Healthcare has dealt with the issue by going to a Hospitalist program to help physicians they don’t have to be on call and integrating the hospital and Fergus Falls Medical Group to form Lake Region Healthcare. “This provided us opportunity to recruit additional physicians,” he states. “There is a fairly significant start up cost when adding physicians. We were able to help meet those financial needs.” One barrier to recruitment is location. “When people look on the map and they see you are from west central Minnesota, they are thinking ‘North Pole’,” Schulz says. “What we find is that once we get them here to look, we are pretty successful in recruiting. A job for a spouse might be a secondary factor.” What is also making it more difficult is that there are more baby boomers seeking medical attention. In addition, it is estimated that 75 million baby boomers will be retiring across the nation in the next few years. It is also estimated that 46 million people fit into the ‘X’ generation category, meaning there aren’t enough to fill health care needs. This also means that health care facilities, like Altru, will have to dip into the ‘Y’ generation to supplement the number of health care professionals as they retire. The federal government is placing an emphasis on education in the mid-level areas (people such as physician assistants), but Rotvold states there needs to be more mid-level providers in primary care. “There aren’t going to be enough to meet the demands,” he states. Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, MN, is one health care system that has had some success in bringing in health care professionals. In the last 18 months, the system has increased its medical staff from 46 to a total of 70 by the end of 2011. “We’ve been able to recruit other medical professions – like physical therapy, nursing, and lab technicians – that are difficult because of our training program,” Schulz states. After the success of the education programs, Schulz explains that they have been able to get people to stay in Fergus Falls after that first visit because of the quality of life. “People who like lakes and outdoors, find they are abundant here, as well as what other things the community offers helps,” he says. “The biggest thing is that we get along with each other. That is a real positive thing that people see when they come for a visit.” When asked what he thought health care would like in 10 years, Schulz believes that the health care industry is going to see more physician extenders (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) providing primary care. “We won’t be replacing physicians, but those physician extenders will be working with the physicians,” he says. At Altru, Kathy Kenyon is one of three employment recruiters. Her concerns are finding candidates for the most critical positions and getting younger people to stay in the Grand Forks area and working at Altru. “They eventually come back,” Kenyon says. “It is more difficult to find a way to get them to stay here at the beginning.” Rick Gessler, Employment/Employee Relations Manager, adds that he wants their next job to be at Altru. “The opportunity for PBRRV

RRV Healthcare advancement is huge,” he says, adding that Altru University provides different classes and helps employees develop core competencies and succession planning. Altru is finding that pharmacists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists are always a challenge. To assist in finding those specialists, as well as other health care professionals, Altru has developed several different programs. Grand Forks Public Schools and Altru Health System sponsor a joint venture called the School-to-Career program, in which high school juniors and seniors participate. Students are employed as nurse aides, health unit coordinators, or physical therapy and respiratory support staff in various patient care units. Since 2002-2003, it is estimated that 55 students have participated in the program of which approximately 25 are hired into permanent positions. To address the shortage of family practice physicians, the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency Program and Altru developed Mission Physician summer camps for high school students. These students are introduced to the world of family medicine through observation of clinical office practices, health care delivery, and clinical diagnosis and treatment procedures. Since the camps began in 2007, 238 students have participated. A survey of these students determined that 77 percent of them are majoring in health-related fields. The Altru Health System Shadowing Program allows students and adults to observe actual work in a health care career of their choice. Each shadowing experience is two hours long. The program started 20 years ago and more than 13,500 shadowing appointments have been scheduled. This is beneficial for Altru Health System. “The cost of hiring off the street is high,” Gessler explains. “When we hire those going through these programs we know what we’re getting and they know the organization and can focus on their jobs.” RRVPB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

Valley City views housing as assistance for economic development Valley City, ND needed housing badly! ince 2005, the Valley Development Group, along with contractors in the community, created options and vacancies by building 48 new apartment units along I-94. The multi-family complexes were needed because of the expansion of several major businesses in the community including Eagle Creek, John Deere Seeding Group, the addition of a power plant and other business development in the region. “There was optimism that the economy would continue to grow,” explains Jennifer Feist, Director of Development, Valley Development Group. “It impacted economic development because if employees couldn’t find decent housing jobs would be lost.” The multi-family housing incentive

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PBRRV October 2011

JENNIFER FEIST Director of Development, Valley Development Group

program awards developers $5,000 per unit for new construction as a 1 percent loan for 10 years with a balloon payment of $5,000 per unit after those 10 years. The Valley Development Group used a portion of the economic development funds from a 1 percent sales tax to provide cash incentives to developers. To date, two local development groups have used funds to build the apartments. Other units have been renovated and upgraded, but there are still housing units that need to be upgraded in the community. Feist says it was a strategic move on the part of the economic development group. “We wanted to make sure that companies didn’t stop growing,” she explains. “The market is substantially different than Fargo and Jamestown. We needed to do something to wet the appetites of the developers.” Feist says the Development Corporation has not been involved in financing housing programs in the past. “We really struggled on how to do this,” she adds. “We had to make sure it was an acceptable risk for the corporation.” If new housing is needed, it will depend on job creation. “There are a couple of projects on the burner that could open more growth,” Feist states. “It is something we monitor to see if it is something we need to do.” RRVPB Alan Van Ormer avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

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RRV Research

Research complex looking for cattle cost efficiencies

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PBRRV October 2011

North Dakota State University cattle researchers believe that feed efficiencies of 10 percent could mean a savings to the industry of around $30-$40 per cow. here is a lot of potential savings for individuals with the research we are conducting,” states Greg Lardy, Professor in the Animal Science department at NDSU in Fargo, ND. The NDSU Beef Cattle Research Complex started researching to find cost efficiencies for feeding cattle. The facility, located on the intersection of I-29 and 19th Avenue on the southwest side of the road, includes a cattle complex with a feeding area, handling area and calving pens, as well as an office and laboratory area. It also includes a feed storage and mixing area for the cattle. Research will include nutrition, reproductive physiology, genomics, management and production, preharvest food safety, economics, animal behavior, environmental management, nutrient management, and meat science and carcass quality. The facility was constructed using a combination of state and federal dollars totaling more than $3 million. The facility opened in June and can house almost 200

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head of cattle. During the first year of operation, the researchers are studying cow herd nutrition using distiller’s grain as a cost-saving strategy. In addition, research is being conducted on different levels of forage diets and the impact of various supplements and how it affects efficiency and growth of the cattle. Trent Gilbery, Facilities Manager at the complex, explains that all of the research being conducted relates to feeding cattle and improving feed efficiency to help with the high cost of feed for producers. “This information allows us to help producers,” he states. Lardy adds now that corn prices have almost tripled over the past few years, now it is even more important that research data helps producers understand the costs of doing business. RRVPB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

ON THIS

DATE Oct. 7, 1896 Dow Jones began reporting an average of the prices of 12 industrial stocks in the Wall Street Journal on this day.

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RRV News

Partnership being developed with African country A Farm Channel partnership is being developed between Praxis Africa, a registered NGO in Ghana, Praxis Strategy Group, a United States based economic development consulting firm, and AdFarm, an agricultural marketing and communications firm with offices in the United States and Canada.

raxis Strategy Group co-founder, President and CEO Delore Zimmerman says the Farm Channel will link Ghana farmers with buyer markets in the Red River Valley Corridor. In addition, companies in the Red River Valley will be selling machinery over in the West Africa nation. In addition, the Farm Channel will be complemented by the National Food and Agriculture Show (FAGRO,) a national agricultural trade event that brings domestic and international companies to present new technologies, trends in agricultural marketing, farm business management, and production practices. The 2011 event is slated for Oct. 7-16 in Accra, Ghana and organizers hope to heighten interest in farm machinery and equipment, agricultural inputs, farm and agribusiness services, and agricultural commodities and value-added products. Ghana is different than many agriculture communities in the Red River Valley. For example, multiple farmers share tractors and have not quantified an ag market, Zimmerman says. “Ghana has tremendous resources in land and water,”

says Zimmerman, who has made several trips to Ghana since 2008 to develop this partnership. “Only four percent of the country has irrigation and there is capacity to use more.” Zimmerman thinks this is a workable partnership. “We are planning in investing in farms over there,” he states. “We intend to work with a half dozen farms to help them build their operations.” For the Red River Valley, Zimmerman believes this partnership will help grow the ag economy and create possible investments for machinery companies. “There is just a tremendous need for services in Ghana,” he says. Ghana is considered to be one of the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world between 2011 and 2015. Accounting for approximately 42 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product and 54 percent of its labor force, agriculture is the driving force behind the growing economy, according to a press release from the three groups. Farmers grow a diverse mix of crops including cocoa, cassava, citrus, pineapple, palm oil, and mangos.

RRVPB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com

Bemidji Medical Equipment joins Sanford HealthCare Accessories Bemidji Medical Equipment and Sanford HealthCare Accessories have merged as one team, operating under the name of Sanford Health HealthCare Accessories. his merger will allow us to expand services and extend hours to better serve customers,” says Russ Nylander, Executive Director, Sanford HealthCare Accessories. “The real convenience for customers is that they’ll be able to access all our services from both companies at one location. This merger will offer the same product, same service and same staff our customers are used to plus more. We are looking forward to expanding.” The new combined HealthCare Accessories will be located at 1705 Anne St. NW, Suite 1 in Bemidji. Bemidji Medical Equipment will relocate from its Pine Ridge Avenue location but will continue to run non-customer related services out of that office. “Not only is this merger a benefit to the customers,” says Gary Johnson, Director, HealthCare Accessories Bemidji, “it is also a positive move for our employees as it will offer growth opportunity and employment stability.” Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, inclusive of

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PBRRV October 2011

Sanford Bemidji, has more than 1,450 employees, 75 doctors and 118 beds and is part of the Sanford Health system based in Fargo, ND and Sioux Falls, SD. Sanford is the largest, rural, not-for-profit health care system in the nation with a presence in 111 communities in eight states. Sanford Health includes 32 hospitals and more than 900 physicians in 70 specialty areas of medicine. With more than 20,000 employees, Sanford is the largest employer in North and South Dakota. The system is experiencing dynamic growth and development in conjunction with Denny Sanford’s $400 million gift in 2007, the largest gift ever to a health care organization in America. This gift is making possible the implementation of the several initiatives including global children’s clinics, multiple research centers and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.

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