MED Magazine January/February 2022

Sanford Heart Hospital Celebrates Ten Years

Wearable Device Data: Managing Patient Concerns

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

Recognizing Compassion Fatigue

VOL. 13 NO. 1

2022

Life at the Intersection of IT and Clinical Care Stephanie Lahr, MD

Chief Information Officer at Monument Health THE SOUTH DAKOTA REGION’S PREMIER PUBLICATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

When one number connects you to the region’s best pediatric specialists, Anything can be.

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

Care

•

Advocacy

•

Research

•

Education

Anyone taking opioids is at risk for an overdose.

Help your patients recognize the

symptoms of an opioid overdose.

Most opioid overdoses in South Dakota are accidental. If your patients have opioids in their homes, remind them of what to look for if an overdose is suspected.

What to watch for: Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils” Falling asleep or loss of consciousness Slow, shallow breathing Pale, blue, or cold skin or fingernails No response when they rub the middle of the chest with knuckles • Vomiting, choking, or gurgling sounds • • • • •

What can be done: Suggest to patients that they keep naloxone on hand.

It can save a life. Encourage them to keep their loved ones safe by taking these easy, preventative steps:

Refer your patients and their families to the

Resource Hotline 1-800-920-4343

It’s FREE, confidential, and available 24/7 For more about the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) data, visit

AvoidOpioidSD.com

• Get naloxone for FREE from any pharmacy • Order a FREE medication lock box for safe storage • Order a FREE Dispose Rx packet to safely get rid of unused or expired medication or find a take-back location Brought to you by the South Dakota Department of Social Services. Funding made possible through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant.

Nothing in this PSA constitutes a SAMHSA endorsement of content, services, or policies.

VO LU M E 13 , N O. 1 ■ JA N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2022

Inside This Issue

CONTENTS PAGE 6 | [Sponsored] The Importance of Recognizing Compassion Fatigue One healthcare professional shares her story and how peer counseling is helping her cope.

PAGE 8 | This Month Online Exclusive articles on our website, our digital partners, and a sneak peek at the very latest in high-tech ORs

On the Cover

Life at the Intersection of IT and Clinical Care

STEPHANIE LAHR, MD Chief Information Officer, Monument Health ■

■ By Eric Zacharias, MD

What to do when patients are worried about what their fitness tracker is telling them.

PAGE 13 | N E W ! USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight PAGE 14 | [Sponsored]

By Alex Strauss

At a time when new ways of managing healthcare information are more critical than ever, Dr. Stephanie Lahr is bridging the divide between high-tech and high-touch at Monument Health.

PAGE

PAGE 12 | Managing Patient Concerns About Wearable Device Data

10

The Sanford Heart Hospital Celebrates 10 years Sanford Heart Hospital marks 10 years of bringing innovative heart care to Sioux Falls PAGE 16 | NEWS & NOTES New technology, new board certifications, expansions, and awards for local institutions

FROM US TO YOU elcome to 2022! As we move forward into a brand new year, it seems fitting to start with a feature on someone who is moving her healthcare organization forward into a new era of information technology. Monument Health’s Chief Information Officer, Stephanie Lahr, MD, combines the vision and know-how of an IT professional with the patient-centered focus of a physician.

The result is changing how healthcare is delivered throughout Western South Dakota.

Also in this issue, an all-too-familiar case of compassion fatigue and how peer coaching helped. Sanford Heart Hospital is celebrating ten years of delivering world-class heart care in South Dakota. Plus, expert advice on how to handle patient concerned over what their wearable device may be telling them about their health.

If you are not already on our VIP list, be sure to sign up at MidwestMedical Edition.com/join-the-vip-list to receive news updates between issues.

W

—Steff & Alex

Cover photo: Stephanie Lahr, MD, Chief Information Officer, Monument Health Photo courtesy Monument Health

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VOL. 12 NO. 4

[ S P O NS O R E D ]

K

THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING COMPASSION FATIGUE IM’S WORK feeding hospital

Between work and family, Kim was over-

patients is rewarding but also

whelmed by her caregiver responsibilities. She

comes with challenges. During her

had recognized the times when she was

12-hour shifts, she averages about

irritable or stressed but didn’t have the words

nine miles of walking.

“We’re very busy; everyone is having a hard time with staffing right now,” Kim says. “We can’t go into COVID-19 rooms, but it’s all around us while we’re working.”

In addition to her hospital work, Kim cares for her mother, one of her sisters, and her son, who struggles with addiction and lives out of state. On a particularly difficult day in early 2021, Kim was talking to her counselor about her son’s behavior.

“I was just so baffled,” she says. “As far as I knew, we were very close. I couldn’t figure out

“Being able to put a name to it was so helpful. I was suffering from compassion fatigue,” she says. “You want to help, but there’s only so much of yourself you can give away.”

Prioritizing self-care remains difficult for Kim. On her days off, she takes long walks to relieve stress.

“Walking gives me time to be by myself and get my head back together,” she says. “But I always have a hard time answering that question, ‘What do you do for yourself?’”

why he was pushing the people he loves away.”

Kim’s coach at Face It TOGETHER is a peer

After wondering aloud if she should attend

who struggled with the addictions of two of

an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to hear

her sons.

different perspectives, Kim’s counselor rec-

“(Peer coaches) have gone through a lot of

ommended she call Face It TOGETHER, an

the same experiences. They’re talking from

addiction wellness nonprofit, and ask about

life experiences; they’re not so clinical,” Kim

their support for family members.

Face It TOGETHER offers professional peer coaching to those impacted by addiction, including loved ones. As a healthcare employee, Kim qualified for free peer support through a South Dakota grant.

One of Kim’s most significant takeaways from coaching came after completing an assessment designed for loved ones.

“My coach told me I was struggling with

6

to explain what she was dealing with.

says. “I definitely think it’s worth reaching out.

If nothing else, to have someone listen to you who’s gone through it themselves.”

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by substance use, either personally or as a loved one, please reach out for help. Face It TOGETHER peer coaching is evidence- based, confidential and available to anyone impacted by addiction.

Free support is available for healthcare workers

compassion fatigue. I thought, ‘That’s exactly

and others impacted by COVID-19.

it. I’ve never been able to put it into words

Learn more at wefaceittogether.org

before,’” she says.

or by calling (855) 539-9375. ❖

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY

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New Medicare Advantage Plan Helps Patients Navigate Care Sanford Health Plan's new Medicare Advantage Plan features health navigators and a way to help seniors see a doctor faster by skipping prior authorization. We spoke with health plan president John Snyder to learn more about the plan and how it will change the face of healthcare in our region.

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8

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April 9

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9

Life at the Intersection of IT and Clinical Care Stephanie Lahr, MD, Chief Information Officer at Monument Health

T

HE COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to every

interviewed for a hospitalist posi-

industry–but none more than healthcare. Within just a

tion at Kootenai Medical Center in

few months, care delivery approaches that had worked

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho that same year.

for decades were no longer adequate to meet the needs of medical facilities or the communities they served.

That's where people like Stephanie Lahr, MD, Chief Information Officer

his eyes kind of got big and he said

and Chief Medical Information Officer at Monument Health come in. Board

'Gosh, we have never had a doctor

certified in both internal medicine and clinical informatics, Dr. Lahr walks

ask us about that before,'" says Lahr.

the crucial line between medicine and technology to help her colleagues on

Lahr got the hospitalist job and

both sides of that line navigate the largely uncharted waters of medicine in

was also invited to help the hospital

the digital age.

shift how it managed information.

"My interest in clinical informatics really grew out of a belief that tech-

"I was providing expertise to the

nology was going to be central to the evolution of patient care delivery over

informatics and IT people, and

time," says Dr. Lahr. "If I wanted that to go well, I felt like I should be a part of

they said, 'Would you talk to the

making that happen and not standing on the sidelines."

surgeons? Would you talk to the cardiologists?'" says Lahr. "So I

Early Exposure to EHR

was filled with water. At work,

started brokering some of those

Dr. Lahr's first exposure to the

thousands of paper records were

conversations."

challenges of health information

destroyed within hours. But thanks

management came while she was

to the EHR system, Dr. Lahr was back

mation

still a resident at The University of

at work in a makeshift office within

various

Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

two weeks, armed with a computer

programs, Lahr decided to pursue

in the early 2000s. The health

and a telephone.

board certification in clinical

After doing course work in informanagement physician

through

leadership

system was in the midst of imple-

"Many people could not come

menting its first Electronic Health

home for weeks or months," recalls

For a while, she continued to

Records system and she saw first

Lahr. "It was extremely powerful for

wear both a clinical and an IT hat,

hand how hard–and also how valu-

me as a clinician to know that, even

practicing as a hospitalist one week

able–EHR could be.

though the paper records were

and doing information management

"As a resident, you just do what

unusable, I was still able to send

work the next. Right around the time

you're told, so implementing the EHR

prescriptions, give them informa-

that she decided to cut back on her

system was just one more painful

tion, and help relieve some of the

clinical hours and focus on infor-

part of residency," says muses. "But

stress in what was already a stress-

matics, Monument Health came

over time, it started to become

ful situation."

calling.

The Shift Toward Healthcare Informatics

system-wide changeover to a single

That fact really hit home when

By 2008, managing healthcare infor-

one who could speak both languages

a devastating hurricane hit the

mation digitally had become a way

to be a liaison between the IT and

region about a year after the EHR

of life for Dr. Lahr. But that was not

the clinical side," says Lahr. She

implementation. Lahr's house, along

the case everywhere, a fact that

became Monument Health's Chief

with those of many of her neighbors,

became very apparent when Lahr

Medical Information Officer in 2016.

apparent that, while it was painful at first, there were also many good things about it."

10

"I was meeting with the CEO and I asked about their EHR system and

informatics.

"They were looking to do a EHR system and they needed some-

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

Dr. Stephanie Lahr holds a Neteera device, a passive vital signs and bio-data monitoring solution. Among other applications, the device could be used to monitor a heart patient's vitals in the doctor's office waiting room.

Information Management in the Age of COVID Dr. Lahr spent her first year-anda-half at Monument Health leading a team whose job it was to visit Monument clinics, observe workflows, analyze the current state of information management, and assess the needs. In October 2017, the entire health system went live with the EPIC EHR platform. A year later, Dr. Lahr took on the additional role of CIO and is now a Certified Healthcare CIO through the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

"The funny part is that people might have briefly thought we were done after we went live with EPIC," says Lahr. "But the reality is that was just the beginning. That is the foundation we needed to be able to move to the next level."

When COVID-19 hit the region in 2020, it only reinforced the importance of the technology— and the auspicious timing of the implementation.

"Everyone suddenly realized that there is an absolute need for us to look at different ways of delivering care–either because patients are too far away, or it is not safe, or we don't have the staff," says Dr. Lahr.

Early in the pandemic, Lahr helped set up a Nurse Triage Line to help manage the onslaught of patients needing information, tests, and support. Originally established with a handful of IT nurses, Lahr, and another doctor, the Nurse Triage

room technology that "listens"

Lahr believes this kind of technol-

to doctor/patient conversations

ogy can help restore the joy of

and converts them into natural

practicing medicine.

language notes in a medical chart,

"As a clinician at heart, this is

so doctors and patients can simply

an imperative for me," says Dr. Lahr,

chat.

a 2021 winner of the Healthcare

Virtual assistants (think an

Information and Management

Alexa-type device for exam rooms)

Systems Society’s Changemaker in

will soon enable doctors to answer

Health Award.

questions such as "When was the

"We have never seen a time

patient's last MRI?" without having

when we were potentially further

to dive for the chart. Another new

away from that joy. But we have an

system will provide smart telemon-

opportunity to help fix that if we do

itoring of hospitalized patients and

it right. We have to keep asking,

even document their care in the

'What are the challenges that our

But Lahr says technology is not just

EHR, freeing nurses up to focus on

clinical teams are facing and what

about efficiency; it's also about

patient care.

tools are out there that could help?'

Line is now a permanent fixture with 9 full time nurses and plans to expand its navigation services.

Restoring the Joy of Practicing Medicine

better relationships. Some Monu-

By reducing friction in interac-

ment clinics are already using exam

tions and streamlining processes,

Midwest Medical Edition

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

These are the things that excite me every day." ❖

11

Managing Patient Concerns About Wearable Device Data

“Doc, my fitness tracker says I am about to have a heart attack!”

BY ERIC ZACHARIAS, MD

An active 53-year-old patient came in to see her physician because she was

Thus, you know neither its

worried about the rapid heart rates she saw when she downloaded the data

reliability nor necessarily how to

from her fitness monitor (she used a high-tech watch to track physiological

interpret it. Furthermore, it may be

data on her daily runs). She told her physician that she had a strong family history of heart disease and an internet search revealed that a high heart rate can be the first sign of an impending heart attack. Her data downloads had never shown such high heart rates before. She brought in a year’s worth of heart rate data printouts to the appointment and asked the physician to put these in her medical record. What should this physician do?

T 12

useful to explain that any abnormal information from such a device is not a medical diagnosis, but perhaps may be a reason for a careful medical assessment.

Additionally, physicians should set expectations with patients who bring physiological data from consumer-grade wearable devices

HERE HAS BEEN a

First, it is useful to make it clear to

significant increase in

patients who bring in data from con-

the use of consum-

sumer-grade monitoring devices that

er-marketed, wearable

the information reported is designed

technologies that measure and

for consumer use and not for medical

report physiological data. As a

care. For example, you may choose

consequence,

have

to tell patients that although you see

your note and may help contribute

noticed patients are starting to

and agree that the information from

to their care, but it will not be

bring this information to appoint-

their wearable device is indeed

stored as part of the medical record

ments expecting something to be

abnormal/outside what may be

as data from a physician-prescribed,

done with it. Understanding a few

expected, this information is not

medical-grade device would.

basic principles will help when

from a medical-grade, FDA-approved

seeing such patients.

device.

physicians

as to how this information may be documented and used. For example, you could tell them that, given its limitations, the information may be documented in a subjective way in

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

Another point to understand is that, although data from wearable devices is not medical grade, it probably should not be completely dismissed without at least looking at it. This may involve

USD School of Health Sciences

Success Spotlight

a follow-up office visit. In an established physician-patient relationship, it is reasonable

Dawn Marie Johnson

for physicians to assume they have some

Degree: BSW 2012, MSW 2020

responsibility to consider the data that a patient presents to them from wearable devices in their overall decision-making process.

However, as noted above, the actual data brought by the patient can be considered indeterminate due to the unclear reliability of the source. Some physicians report that they treat data from wearable devices in a fashion analogous to how they would treat a sheet of paper brought in by the patient with a list of questions or self-checked pulses on it: it informs the care during the visit, but is not put directly into the medical record.

Lastly, it should also be made clear and documented that any patient who believes she is having a medical emergency, no matter what information a wearable device is reporting, should immediately dial 911. So, for the case presented, here is a reasonable approach the physician might take once the presence of an emergency situation has been excluded: Perform a thorough history and physical examination and let the patient know this is informed by her concerns as well as the information she brought from her wearable device. Determine appropriate near- and longterm testing, referrals, and follow-ups as for any evaluation.

Alert the patient as to the plan for further evaluation and management as well as signs and symptoms that would warrant re-evaluation or calling 911.

Tell the patient that although you appreciate the years’ worth of fitness data, it is not appropriate for the medical record. Also,

Current Position: Career Technical Education and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Sioux Falls School District Dawn Marie Johnson originally chose to study at USD to be closer to her sick father in Vermillion. But what she found in the School of Health Sciences was an academic "home" that would carry her through not only her undergraduate degree in social work, but also her MSW eight years later.

“It ended up being the perfect place for me, especially because they had support services available including a mentorship program offered to first generation Native American students,” says Dawn Marie.

At USD, she encountered the first Native American women she had ever met in her education. After graduation, Dawn Marie stayed in touch with her advisers who encouraged her to to be a part of the Social Work Board and to eventually return to USD to further her studies.

“These people already knew me and knew what I was about and what I was capable of,” says Dawn Marie.

“They encouraged me to apply and I ended up getting Advanced Standing.” Advanced Standing meant she received credit for work in the field and enabled her to earn her MSW in just two years — all while working a full time job and raising her young daughter.

Dawn Marie is a 2021 recipient of the Earl and Anna Broady Foundation Scholarship, an award connected to Running Strong for American Indian Youth, where she was selected as a Dreamstarter in 2020. In 2019, she was also selected as a USD “30 Under 30” and a Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders by the National Afterschool Association.

Congratulations to this USD School of Health Sciences success story!

communicate that the device used is not medical-grade and the information may not be accurate or reliable. ❖

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

Midwest Medical Edition

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

This SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT brought to you by:

USD.EDU/HEALTH

13

[ S P O NS O R E D ]

The Sanford Heart Hospital

Celebrates 10 Years SANFORD HEART HOSPITAL MARKS 10 YEARS OF BRINGING INNOVATIVE HEART CARE TO SIOUX FALLS

T

HIS YEAR, Sanford Health cel-

She continued, “The Sanford Heart

long-standing history of offering

Hospital changed that. Over the last

advanced, personalized heart care

10 years, that’s been our focus: to

was further advanced when the San-

ensure patients and their loved ones

ford Heart Hospital opened in 2012.

fully understand the care they need

And a decade later, that momen-

and can receive it in one location to

tum only continues to grow. Today,

the best of our ability. Even if they

the Sanford Heart Hospital leads the

can’t get to Sioux Falls for care,

way in quality, innovative procedures

through our outreach services, our

and care centered around patients and

specialists come to them in their own

their families.

community.”

“When we first opened in 2012,

When planning the heart hospital,

that’s when we started on our journey

the project team worked with physi-

of how a building can improve the care

cians, researchers, nurses, staff and

experience for patients and staff,” said

patients to determine — from its outer

Bridget O’Brien-Johnson, MSN, the

walls to its entryways and hallways

executive director of the Sanford

to the patient rooms — a design that

Heart Hospital.

worked for everyone.

Attached directly to the Sanford

O’Brien-Johnson explained, “Our

USD Medical Center, the Sanford Heart

patients and guests were our priority,

Hospital ensures patients in and

so we went in asking: What does the

around South Dakota have access to

experience look like for patients and

all heart services under one roof —

families? We know it’s hard. It can be

and close to home. Patients also have

scary. How can we make that experi-

the benefit of being connected to

ence as smooth as possible? First, we

a full-service hospital if another

needed everything in one building.

specialist is needed.

Then, we looked at the building aesthetic.”

ebrates the 10-year anniversary

Years in the making

of the opening of the Sanford

“Before the Sanford Heart Hospital,

embraced the philosophy that the

Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls,

we had services in several different

greatest capacity for healing occurs

spots,” said O’Brien-Johnson. “We

when stress and anxiety are less-

weren’t structured to best focus on

ened. And a welcoming, healing

the patient as a person and their

environment is a critical part of

For nearly 50 years, patients have

family, which is an important aspect

quality care.

turned to the heart program at

of the healing process.”

South Dakota.

A beacon for better heart care

14

Sanford Health. The health system’s

Sanford Health has always

The result was a building that

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

features the signature Sanford Health

“The rooms are also set up in three

Sanford’s fellowship-trained team

collegiate gothic design and a setup

zones. There is a staff zone near the

treats patients without open heart

that worked for providers and staff in

door that has all of their equipment,

surgery, leading to fewer risks, less

preventive, critical and emergency

a zone for the patient bed and a family

pain and a faster recovery.

care settings. Every aspect, including

zone farthest from the door,” said

The Sanford Heart Hospital has

recessed lighting, music, scents and

O’Brien-Johnson. “This allows staff to

more than 750 of the most experi-

custom artwork, was considered in

provide care without having to cross

enced heart experts in cardiology,

detail.

over into the family area.”

electrophysiology, cardiovascular

Sanford Heart partnered with

surgery, interventional cardiology,

local artists to produce commis-

A heart for patients

sioned artwork. Each f loor still

“The physicians who I have the oppor-

vascular care, rehabilitation and

displays artwork that highlights

tunity to work with are incredibly

other specialties.

nearby communities.

motivated to learn and provide our

Most recently, the Sanford Heart

community with the latest and great-

Hospital received the American

A seamless design

nuclear medicine, thoracic surgery,

est,” explained O’Brien-Johnson.

Heart Association’s Gold Get With

Beyond visuals, the functionality of

“It seems like every year or so we’re

The Guidelines - Heart Failure Quality

the building for testing, procedural

celebrating a new technology, and it’s

Achievement Award in 2021. This

spaces and patient rooms was top of

so exciting.”

recognition shows the Sanford Heart

mind.

Within months of opening the

Hospital’s commitment to providing

“We made a mockup of an inpa-

doors, the team at the Sanford Heart

quality care for heart failure patients

tient room on top of the Sanford

Hospital started the structural heart

while they’re in the hospital or at

Surgical Towers. Staff had at least a

program, significantly expanding the

home.

year to go in there and tell us what

heart care options available at Sanford

worked, what didn’t work, what

Health. In September 2012, the San-

Looking to the future

needed to move and what was miss-

ford Heart Hospital began performing

Though ten years have passed, this is

ing,” O’Brien-Johnson explained.

transcatheter aortic valve replace-

only the beginning for the Sanford

“Those inpatient rooms are so func-

ments, or TAVR procedures, and other

Heart Hospital.

tional that, to this day, we haven’t

highly advanced treatments soon

had to make any modifications.”

followed.

“My vision is to continue bringing innovative care models and talented

Patient rooms use an acuity

“Every time we have reached 250,

physicians and staff to our commu-

-adaptable care delivery model. Acu-

500 – or now we are at about 630 – TAVR

nity. Hopefully, we can keep the

ity-adaptable care is an emergency

procedures, it is a milestone. That pro-

program growing and advancing into

care model where the patient remains

cedure takes many different specialists

new areas of heart care that we aren’t

in the same room from the moment

and staff,” said O’Brien-Johnson.

offering our patients yet.” ❖

they arrive to when they are dis-

Through TAVR and similar

charged, and services come to them.

minimally invasive procedures,

Midwest Medical Edition

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

15

Happenings around the region

News & Notes

South Dakota | Southwest Minnesota | Northwest Iowa | Northeast Nebraska

AVERA The Avera Foundation celebrated a month of fundraising for the Light the Way Campaign in November, which culminated on Giving Tuesday, a global day supporting charitable giving. This year, all contributions were matched by local businesses and individuals to support the expansion of the Avera Behavioral Health Center in Sioux Falls. The $28 million addition to the Avera Behavioral Health Center will house residential addiction care for youth as well as 24/7 behavioral health urgent care for all ages in Sioux Falls and surrounding areas. The addition will enable Avera to offer partial hospitalization to youth so that they can spend part of their day in school and part of their day making progress on their behavioral health condition.

SANFORD The nurses of the Patient Center on the second floor of the Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center have received a group DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing. The nominating patient praised the team for skill and efficiency, as well as their ability to work well together for the benefit of patients. Congratulations to this extraordinary team.

Sanford LPN Vicki Kampa of Sanford Webster Medical Center was honored with a DAISY award in the third quarter. Kampa was nominated by a knee replacement recipient. She helped the patient avoid a trip to Sioux Falls for a post-surgery recheck by arranging photos and X-rays in Webster.

16

Sanford Health announced in early December a groundbreaking stem cell trial, expanding the use of adult-adipose derived stem cells in the use of osteoarthritis across five joints. The clinical trial, called the ENDURE trial, is the first of its kind study. Men and women over 18 with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in the wrist, knee, ankle, shoulder or hip are eligible to participate in the study. This trial is the first FDA-permitted trial that allows for stem cell treatment in five joints.

“We are at a tipping point in medicine when it comes to using our own bodies to heal ourselves,” said David A. Pearce, PhD, president of Sanford Research. The study is currently open in Sioux Falls. To view at the full impact report, visit sanfordhealth.org/ communityimpact

Sanford Health boosted the economies of South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa by a total of $11.9 billion in 2020, according to a new study conducted by an external firm. Sanford Health is the largest employer in South Dakota and one of the largest employers in North Dakota.

In 2020, the study found that more than 73,000 jobs generating $4.7 billion in wages and earnings were directly and indirectly attributed to Sanford Health. In every community with a Sanford clinic, employment salaries are contributing significantly to the local economy.

Households supported by Sanford Health spent $6.3 billion on goods and services in 2020.

Sanford Health, in partnership with North Dakota State University, recently received a $2.8 million research grant from the NIH to study the impact of the gut microbiome on stress-related eating in the natural environment in individuals with obesity. Scott Engel, PhD, of Sanford Health Center for Biobehavioral Research and Kristine Steffen, PharmD, PhD, of the North Dakota State University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, co-lead the award. The goal of the four-year NIH R01 grant is to evaluate the impact of stress and the gut microbiome on eating and the risk for obesity development.

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

MONUMENT Monument Health Spearfish Hospital has been designated a MBSAQIP Accredited Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a national organization. MBSAQIP is a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). It affirms that the hospital’s bariatric patients receive multidisciplinary medical care, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. In addition, accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity. “We’ve made sure that we’re providing everything these patients need,” said surgeon Andrew VanOsdol, MD, who leads the bariatrics program at Spearfish Hospital. Monument Health Spearfish Hospital’s bariatrics program is one of two programs in South Dakota that are accredited by the MBSAQIP. The other is at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.

SIOUXLAND Tracy Feathers is the new development officer at MercyOne Siouxland Foundation. Feathers will partner with the Siouxland community to raise private, philanthropic support to further the Mission of MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. The Foundation supports MercyOne by generating and providing resources and promoting community involvement. Feathers is a graduate of St. Joseph School of Nursing and Briar Cliff University. Her prior experience includes pharmaceutical sales for Abbott Laboratories and DUPONT Pharmaceuticals.

She also spent the last 14 years in development and marketing for June E. Nylen Cancer Center, Northeast Community College, and most recently, the Crittenton Center.

Educational Resource Library For Healthcare Professionals Check out a variety of educational resources focused on a broad range of beef-related topics. Some of these complimentary educational opportunities are eligible for continuing professional education units (CPEUs) by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Scan for more information

16-1231-SD-HealthcareProfessionals-Ad.indd 1

Midwest Medical Edition

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

12/7/2020 4:35:37 PM

17

• Happenings around the region

News & Notes

Happenings around the region

In November, MercyOneAir Med marked 35 years of providing trauma and emergency care in Iowa.

The service first lifted off from Des Moines in November of 1986. The MercyOne Air Med later integrates with helicopter programs developed at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City and MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City. Today five helicopters transport nearly 1,500 patients each year. The flight team recently developed a new process for transporting patients who need external support to breathe. The process known as ECMO involves a surgically-attached device that removes and oxygenates a patient’s blood. A patient can now be transported while receiving ECMO care.

UnityPoint Health has introduced a digital option to offer proof of vaccination status or negative test for established patients. For people who travel, or need to show vaccination status for an event, their COVID-19 vaccination status can be accessed through MyUnityPoint (MyChart).Chief Information Officer Laura Smith lauded the technology and how easy it is for patients to access. “The Quick Response (QR) code can be scanned at the point of service, printed or saved to another mobile app,” Smith said. “A business can then read the QR code which displays vaccination status, or dates and results of recent COVID-19 tests.” Established UnityPoint Health patients can log in to MyUnityPoint, click on “Menu,” then “COVID-19” and finally “QR codes” to access this feature.

St. Luke’s College–UnityPoint Health held its Winter Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 10th at the Sioux City Convention Center for the Graduates of the Class of 2021. Twenty-seven students graduated after completing one of the College’s professional healthcare programs. Twelve students earned Associate of Science in Nursing Degrees, 12 received BSN degrees and three students received Bachelor of Health Science degrees.

AVERA WELCOMES Drew Messerschmidt, MD & John Wagener, MD | CARDIOLOGY Look to Dr. Messerschmidt or Dr. Wagener for compassionate and comprehensive cardiovascular care services at Avera Heart Hospital.

John Wagener, MD

18

As experts with cardiology, they provide care for patients of any age, with a special focus on the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and related conditions. They help patients with lifestyle changes or procedures including angiograms and cardiac catheterization as well as other steps to address heart conditions and vascular illnesses.

North Central Heart – A division of Avera Heart Hospital 4520 W. 69th St. | Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-977-5000 or 800-952-2213 Avera.org/doctors

21-HHSD-27766

Drew Messerschmidt, MD

MidwestMedicalEdition.com

OTHER Yankton Medical Clinic internists Dr. Alan Spanel and Dr. Martha Holstein have earned board certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Both doctors joined the clinic in September. Dr. Spanel works at YMC’s Norfolk location. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine/primary care residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Dr. Holstein received her medical degree from the USD Sanford School of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She practices both pediatrics and internal medicine and has previously earned board certification in pediatrics.

GREATER ACCESS.

L-R: Crystal Gemar, CASA case manager, Sherri Rodgers-Conti, executive director CASA, Jordan Schild, MD, Daniel Megard, MD, Scott Kindle, MD

Yankton Medical Clinic recently made donations to two community non-profit organizations. River City Domestic Violence Center and Southeast CASA each received a $5,000 donation. River City Domestic Violence Center aids victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and child abuse. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA volunteers are trained, qualified adults who advocate in court for abused and neglected children. Southeast CASA serves a five-county area including Bon Homme, Clay, Turner, Union and Yankton counties.

Prairie Lakes Healthcare System recently welcomed Interventional Cardiologist Richard Howard back to the Prairie Lakes Cardiology Staff. He joins existing Cardiology specialists: Evelio Garcia, MD, Salem Maaliki, MD, Steven Miller, MD, Haley Ellis, CNP, and Jacklyn Karli, CNP. Dr. Howard earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York and did his residency at the Boston University Medical Center. While there, he also completed fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology.

Midwest Medical Edition

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

WELCOMING

(TOP TO BOTTOM, L TO R)

Aaron Althaus, MD • Joanie Columbia, MD • Raymond Kuwahara, MD Kevin Liudahl, MD • Joseph Morris, MD • Phinit Phisitkul, MD Bill Samuelson, MD

Improving Health, TOGETHER

We are pleased to announce that effective January 3, 2022, the physicians of Tri-State Specialists will join CNOS. Together, we’ll expand quality patient care through enhanced collaboration and the addition of new specialties.

REFER TO 605-217-2667, OPTION 7.

CNOS.NET

19

• Happenings around the region

News & Notes

Happenings around the region

Lydia Newman is the new Director of Marketing and Business Development at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System.

Newman holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies/Business from Augustana University. She is new to the healthcare industry, but has eight years of marketing experience in various industries.

Newman previously managed the advertising and marketing for a large manufacturing company in Watertown. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Watertown.

Newman grew up in Lake Preston, South Dakota and lives in Riley Knutson, PA-C, has joined Surgical Institute of South Dakota. Knutson earned his Master’s Degree in Physician Studies from the University of South Dakota. He is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Knutson is also certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Basic Life Support, and Disaster training. He will work in conjunction with fellowship trained Colon & Rectal surgeon Dr. Jesse Guardado at SI.

In January, the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) is launching the third year of its nurse leadership program for South Dakota hospital and post-acute nurse leaders. SDAHO collaborates with the USD Beacom School of Business to create executive leadership content designed to meet specific state needs and provide additional resources to help retain and grow current and emerging nurse leaders.The program includes monthly webinars and in-person education and will conclude with a completion ceremony. Among other topics, participants learn about creative thinking and problem solving, financial essentials for healthcare managers, conflict resolution, regulatory compliance, survey preparedness, advocacy, building and boosting team performance, championing change and more.

Three construction projects that kicked off with the Huron Regional Medical Center Physicians Clinic expansion in June are slightly ahead of schedule for completion over the next 5-6 months. Once completed, the HRMC Physicians Clinic, which is located just south of the hospital, will be transformed from a single-story structure to a two-level clinic. The second story is enclosed, and the exterior is completed. Inside, the walls are framed and sheet rock has been installed in the exam rooms on the north end of the clinic. Even with delays in construction materials, this project has been able to receive needed materials. Construction should be done by mid-May.

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

20

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REFER TODAY AT WISH.ORG/MEDICAL-REFERRAL

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY

Scan to refer a child.

21

• Happenings around the region

News & Notes

MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS. FROM WHEREVER.

Yankton Medical Clinic Installs Breakthrough Philips MRI Yankton Medical Clinic, PC, has installed a Philips Ingenia Ambition 1.5T MR system at their Yankton site.

The Ingenia Ambition 1.5T incorporates a number of new technologies designed to deliver exceptional image quality for a broad range of diagnostic applications. It incorporates Philips’ advanced dStream technology, resulting in improved signal-to-noise ratio for exceptional image resolution.

The Ingenia Ambition 1.5T also features an in-bore patient experience designed to reduce patient anxiety

A FULL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ACCESSIBLE FROM VIRTUALLY ANY DEVICE, WHEREVER YOU AND YOUR TEAM MEMBERS HAPPEN TO BE.

with ambient lighting and audio and visual enhancements. Patients personalize their experience by selecting a theme to fill the room with a colorful video image. The video is then viewed while in-bore and is combined with soothing audio to create a truly immersive experience.

Clear patient instructions are provided by the AutoVoice component of the system, which coaches the patient through their exam. Scanner noise is reduced through the ComforTone scan techniques portion of the system.

The Philips Ingenia Ambition 1.5T is based around a wide-bore magnet with a 70-centimeter opening, making it possible to image patients of varying sizes,

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ages and physical conditions, including patients who might otherwise avoid MR because of claustrophobia.

The new machine also features several innovations designed to increase staff productivity and complete scans faster, making it more convenient for patients. ❖

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IN MATTERS OF THE HEART, EVERY MOMENT COUNTS. We’re honored to receive the Platinum Performance Achievement Award recognizing our enduring commitment to delivering high-quality care. This award recognizes our caregivers and providers for delivering the highest quality care to heart attack patients.

2021

Chest Pain – MI Registry

Monument Health has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain - MI Registry for two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures to receive this 2021 award.

TOP 7% OF HOSPITALS NATIONWIDE Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute is one of only 57 centers in the country who have achieved platinum status for excellence in cardiovascular outcomes for ten consecutive years as part of the ACTION Registry.

353 Fairmont Blvd. | Rapid City, SD | monument.health/heart

Your patients won’t face cancer alone.

At Sanford Health, our specialized cancer team delivers the most advance procedures and treatments at home in Sioux Falls. The best medical minds work together for your patients — using advanced science to lead the way to breakthroughs in cancer care.

Refer a patient at (844) 851-1515 or sanfordhealth.org/referral-center

Participating in innovative research today shapes the future of care tomorrow.

CLINICAL TRIALS 513-891-655 12/21