Patient Stories 
Thanks to heart surgery at Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennington County Commissioner Ron Rossknecht can reach new heights, literally.
After heart surgery, most patients aim to regain their strength, return to daily routines and reclaim a sense of normalcy. Pennington County Commissioner Ron Rossknecht had something bigger in mind: the summit of Black Elk Peak. Four months after undergoing heart surgery at Heart and Vascular Institute, Ron reached South Dakota’s highest point: 7,242 feet in the air, and a world away from the operating room where his journey began.
A lifelong South Dakotan who grew up in North Rapid City, Ron, 73, has built a life grounded in hard work and a connection to his community. He’s practical and deliberate, the kind of person who takes time to weigh his options and make informed decisions. That mindset carried over when, during what he thought would be a routine checkup, he learned something new about his heart health.
With a history of hereditary heart murmur, it didn’t come as a surprise when a routine appointment to refill a medication turned into an EKG and then an appointment with Charan Mungara, M.D., Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) in Rapid City. What was surprising was the news that Ron needed surgery to replace a heart valve and repair an aneurysm.
After speaking with several physicians, Ron and his partner, Sue, had a choice to make: get the surgery at home in Rapid City at HVI, or go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Before deciding, Ron wanted to talk with someone who had undergone a similar procedure at Monument Health. Dr. Mungara connected him with a previous patient. That conversation gave Ron the clarity he needed. He chose to move forward with the heart team at HVI.
Ron had his valve replacement and aneurysm repair on Dec. 12, 2024. Just five days later, he joined a five-hour Pennington County Commission meeting via Zoom.
“I wasn’t there in person, but I put my suit on and sat on Zoom for five hours. I never missed a meeting because of the surgery, which I was pretty impressed by,” said Ron.
While in recovery, Ron was approached by HVI staff about joining their Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.
Cardiac rehab programs are medically supervised programs that are designed to improve cardiovascular health for patients following surgeries and heart attacks. They typically include exercise training and lifestyle education to improve heart health. At Monument Health, patients graduate from their cardiac rehab programs after 36 sessions, which equates to three months in the program at a rate of three times per week.
“I was teetering about whether or not I wanted to do it,” said Ron. “I was hesitant because I would have to commit to three times a week, but after my introductory lesson, I really liked it. We’d talk to each other at the round table and watch each other graduate. It was heartwarming.”
Ron started slowly, using the elliptical for his first few sessions. After those first sessions, he decided to try the treadmill, at which point Ron was asked if he had a goal. He decided his goal would be to walk two miles in less than 40 minutes.
“Some people can probably do that easily, but when you’re coming out of heart surgery, it’s a different story,” said Ron. “I won’t regret one minute that I was able to do that at the rehab.”
On April 4, 2025, after finishing his final treadmill walk and weight training routine, Ron’s peers gathered at their round table to celebrate as Ron graduated from the program and received his navy blue T-shirt with the words, “life can change in a heartbeat.”
“We always had to wear a white T-shirt with a pocket for our heart monitors,” said Ron. “When you complete all 36 sessions, you get the blue shirt. That was kind of a big deal.”
That blue T-shirt wasn’t the end of Ron’s journey. Early in his recovery, Ron had made another goal: to hike Black Elk Peak.
On April 12, exactly four months after surgery, Ron and Sue completed the climb together. Wearing his Monument Health cardiac rehab T-shirt, Ron proudly stood at the summit of Black Elk Peak.
Reflecting on his experience, Ron hopes others in western South Dakota understand that they do not need to travel far for expert heart care.
“You don’t have to go to Denver or Mayo for heart surgery. You can get that same quality of care — and better — right here at home in Rapid City at Monument Health,” said Ron. “I want our community to be aware of the quality and experience that Monument Health offers and how thankful I am to all of the staff involved in my procedure and recovery.”