Author: electricpulp

Monument Health Custer Hospital earns national recognition

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CUSTER, S.D. (May 12, 2021) — The National Rural Health Association recently announced that Monument Health Custer Hospital is among the nation’s top 20 Critical Access Hospitals for patient satisfaction.

The association bases its top 20 Critical Access Hospital lists on a quality index, a patient perspective index and an overall hospital strength index. Custer Hospital was named to the list of Top 20 hospitals based on its patient perspective index. The only other South Dakota hospital to make the patient satisfaction index was Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

Critical Access Hospitals are a category of facility designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide for the health care needs of mostly rural communities. These hospitals generally have 25 or fewer patient beds, shorter hospital stays and a 24-hour emergency department.

“It’s especially gratifying that we excelled in the patient satisfaction category. Delivering high-quality care and providing a caring experience are among our top priorities, and this shows our patients recognize and appreciate what we’re doing,” said Mark Schmidt, President of Monument Health Custer and Lead-Deadwood Markets.

Custer Hospital’s patient scores were based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, a standardized survey and data collection methodology in use since 2006.

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About NRHA
The National Rural Health Association is a national nonprofit membership organization with more than 20,000 members. The association’s mission is to provide leadership on rural health issues. NRHA membership consists of a diverse collection of individuals and organizations, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health.

About Monument Health
Headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., Monument Health is a community-based health care system with a mission to make a difference, every day. The system offers care in 31 medical specialties and serves 14 communities across western South Dakota and in eastern Wyoming. With over 5,000 physicians and caregivers, Monument Health is composed of 5 hospitals and 40 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Monument Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@monument.health

Monument Health opens Gillette clinic

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GILLETTE, Wyo. (May 6, 2021) – Monument Health is opening a clinic in Gillette to help Northeast Wyoming patients meet their dermatology, bariatrics, general surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine needs. The new Monument Health Gillette Clinic is at 620 W. Four-J Court.

“We are excited to offer services closer to home for our patients who reside in eastern Wyoming,” said Thomas Worsley, President of Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and Hills Markets. “There has already been substantial interest for these new services, complementing the great care these communities currently enjoy.”

A member of the Mayo-Clinic Care Network, Monument Health is excited to expand services farther into Wyoming. Currently, Monument Health has clinics in Newcastle and Upton. The Monument Health Gillette Clinic will offer services such as dermatology, general and bariatric surgery, and orthopedics and sports medicine.

“We’re looking forward to bringing the option of bariatric surgery to the Gillette area. Preparation and follow-up for bariatric surgery requires multiple appointments with health care professionals, and we’re very happy to make this a more convenient option for the Gillette community,” said Monument Health bariatric surgeon Andrew VanOsdol, M.D.

“Monument Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Spearfish already provides care to a large number of Gillette and Wyoming residents. We are looking forward to having space farther west, to better accommodate our existing patient base and provide high quality care for future patients,” said Richard Little, M.D., orthopedic surgeon.

Monument Health is accepting new patients. For more information, call (307) 682-1204 or visit monument.health.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Stephany Chalberg
Public Relations Manager
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
schalberg@monument.health

Monument Health to move, expand dialysis clinic

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Larger storefront location will enhance patient experience

RAPID CITY, S.D. (April 22, 2021) – Monument Health has announced it will move its outpatient dialysis clinic to a larger, more accessible storefront location in the Dakota Market Square retail complex at East North and Cambell streets in Rapid City. The move is tentatively planned for Oct. 20.

Dakota Market Square, formerly Kmart shopping center, is currently undergoing major renovations to create a new retail center.

Mike Thompson, Director of Dialysis for Monument Health, said the existing dialysis clinic in the Monument Health Medical Clinic on Flormann Street has outgrown that location. The unit has 24 stations, each with a chair and a dialysis machine. Monument Health also offers dialysis care at Rapid City Hospital and in Spearfish.

All of Monument Health’s dialysis stations get heavy use every day. At times, out-of-town dialysis patients have been unable to travel to the Black Hills because dialysis was not available for them.

“Our dialysis needs keep growing. We need more chairs and we need more space,” Thompson said.

The new 16,000-square-foot Dakota Market Square clinic will have 36 dialysis stations. In addition, the new clinic will all be at ground level, so patients in wheelchairs won’t have to navigate elevators. The clinic location will offer access to public transportation, and out-of-town patients will have easy access from Interstate 90 and S.D. Highway 79.

Some patients receive a type of dialysis that can be done at home, and the new clinic will offer space for training and other support services.

Dialysis is required when a patient’s kidneys fail to filter toxins and waste from their blood. The dialysis machine removes the blood, cleans it, removes excess water, balances electrolytes and circulates the blood back into the body. The process takes about four hours, and it must be done as often as three times per week. Because patients spend a lot of time in dialysis, it’s important to provide roomy, safe, comfortable places for them to receive the therapy, Thompson said.

Kidney failure is often the result of diabetes, a disease that is particularly common in western South Dakota. Monument Health is the region’s largest provider of dialysis services.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Monument Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@monument.health

Danielle Reller, RN, wins DAISY Award

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PHOTO LINK: Danielle Reller, RN

SPEARFISH, S.D. (April 20, 2021) – Danielle Reller, a registered nurse at Monument Health Spearfish Hospital Surgery Center has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. She was nominated by a 7-year-old patient.

The patient was afraid when she came in for surgery, but Danielle spent some time comforting the little girl. Danielle gave me a turtle to be brave, Chapstick and a sticker. She let me listen to my heart and explained everything that they were going to do,” the patient said. “Danielle loved taking care of me, so that I would feel better. The Surgery Center is my favorite place. I want to take care of people when I grow up, like Danielle does.”

The patient’s mother added, “surgery is a scary time for both the child and adult. Danielle made the fear go away for both of us. For a 7-year-old to see the Surgery Center as a place she wants to go again says a lot about Danielle.”

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Wade Ellett
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
wellett@monument.health

Blood Flow Restriction Therapy helps patient regain strength after surgery

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Tom Riley, of Belle Fourche, sits beside the Blood Flow Restriction device that helped him regain strength in his arm at Monument Health Rehabilitation in Belle Fourche.

“What happened is, March of 2018, I noticed I was getting real intense pain in my neck that I just couldn’t get rid of,” began Tom Riley of Belle Fourche. Physical therapy brought a little relief, but it never lasted long, and Tom’s arm kept growing weaker. When he reached a point where he could barely lift a telephone, his primary care physician sent him to Monument Health Orthopedic & Specialty Hospital.

There, Michael Huot, M.D., with West River Anesthesiology Consultants, examined him and concluded he needed surgery right away. “He looked at me and told me he couldn’t do anything for me,” said Tom. “He told me that I needed emergency surgery to save the nerve in my arm.”

The next morning, Tom had that surgery, which included fusing cervical vertebrae in his neck. That procedure prevented the pain from worsening, but it didn’t restore the strength in Tom’s right arm.

For that, Tom needed to return to physical therapy. But with his arm so weak, he was limited in how much exercise he could do with it. Luckily, Monument Health physical therapist Kelsey Olson had recently earned her certification in Blood Flow Restriction training, or BFR.

Kelsey was one of a number of physical therapists that worked with Tom, and she felt that BFR might help in his recovery. “Normally you use it for orthopedic surgeries like knees or hips, and I thought why don’t we give it a try for Tom,” said Kelsey. “He couldn’t lift much weight, but we needed to get his strength and range of motion back.” BFR involves using a cuff or band — similar to a blood pressure cuff — that creates compression allowing the user to exercise with minimal loads, but with more significant results.

“It kind of tricks your body into thinking it’s doing more work than it is,” she added. Tom saw Kelsey twice a week, and using BFR, he would do four or five exercises. He made significant improvement. “It helped a lot that he was super motivated,” said Kelsey. “The therapy works, but you have to put in the effort. Tom always did, and he stayed positive throughout the process.”

During his recovery, Rhonda Fuhrer, Supervisor of Business Office Operations at the Belle Fourche Clinic, submitted an application on Tom’s behalf to Chutes for Charity, the non-profit extension of the Black Hills Roundup, that helps local families face life-changing events in and around Belle Fourche. “I was a bus driver for Rhonda’s daughter, and she submitted my name to get us some financial assistance, and it was just a huge help,” Tom reflected. It had such a positive impact on Tom and his wife that when he was able to work again, he saved money and made his own donation to Chutes for Charity — double what they had given him.

“I just felt that I needed to pay it forward,” said Tom. He’s grateful for the help provided by Chutes for Charity, and the treatment he received from Monument Health. “That doctor probably saved my arm,” Tom reflected. “And thanks to the physical therapy, I’m back to maybe 60 percent of what my arm was, and it’s still slowly coming. It’s at a point now where I can do pretty much everything I’ve always done. That feels pretty good.”

Heather Bush, RN, wins DAISY Award

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PHOTO LINK: Heather Bush, RN

Spearfish, S.D. (April 6, 2021) –

Heather Bush, a Registered Nurse at Monument Health Spearfish Hospital’s Labor and Delivery unit, has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. She was nominated by a patient who had recently given birth.

“After the birth of our baby, Heather spent hours at my bedside helping me figure things out, reassuring me and making sure that I also took care of myself,” the patient said. “We felt like we were the only ones there and we felt that Heather gave care as though I was her best friend, or our baby girl was her own.”

Heather also spent time helping the patient’s husband prepare for his family’s return home, answering his questions, teaching him the signs of postpartum depression and making sure that he knew infant CPR.

“She made an impression on each of us and when we got home, family members commented on how caring our nurse was,” said the patient. “Heather is a special nurse who deserves to be recognized for her care and the overall experience that she brings to her patients.”

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Wade Ellett
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
wellett@monument.health

Kris Schwartz, RN, wins DAISY Award

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PHOTO LINK: Kris Schwartz, RN

Rapid City, S.D. (March 29, 2021) – Kris Schwartz, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital’s Emergency Department, has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. She was nominated by the mother of a patient.

In a challenging situation, Kris came allayed the worries of the patient and her family. “I first called and talked to Kris, she was so understanding, warm and knowledgeable,” the nominator wrote. “After talking with her, my fears were erased and when we arrived her kind smile greeted us. Being in the hospital is never easy but her skills soon put me to ease, as I soon knew we were under good nursing care.”

Kris monitored the patient, checked with pharmacy to ensure there would be no problem with multiple medications and helped the patient and her family maintain a sense of calm through it all. The nomination also shared that Kris is the kind of caregiver that all nurses should aspire to be.

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Wade Ellett
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
wellett@monument.health

Group’s Hero Walk gives veterans a final tribute

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The Monument Health Military and Veteran’s Group recently completed a test run of the Hero Walk, which will provide a final salute to veteran patients who pass away in our healing environments.

Sonya Randazzo, Preference Card Analyst and Chair of the Monument Health Military and Veterans Group, is passionate about showing veterans the respect that they deserve. It’s that passion, combined with a commitment to providing high-quality care, that motivated her to improve the experience of veterans during their stay at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. She’s not alone in this — The Military and Veterans Group Board includes Trina Dunn, Applications Analyst who serves as Co-Chair, Jennifer Lewellen, PACS Analyst, is the Secretary of the group, and Michael Morford, Human Resources Business Partner is the group’s Communications Liaison.

Like Sonya, these folks each have the desire to help veterans when they come to Monument Health. “The vet’s group took off with a slow start,” Sonya said. “But once we got our board formed, we started to look for ways we could impact our community and patients.”

One of the first things they did was to get involved in Operation Patriot — a program created by the Volunteer Auxiliary — and get a veteran designation included in Epic. This created a way to identify veterans and military personnel when they were admitted to the hospital.

This provided an opportunity for Veteran Visits, where folks from the Military and Veterans Group or an approved veteran volunteer, could visit with veteran patients. They would present the patient with a certificate and pin, thanking them for their service, but more importantly, giving the patient an opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with a fellow veteran.

Some of these patients were the last remaining members of their family, and they were in the hospital alone, Sonya said. Veteran Visits gave them an opportunity to spend time with someone with whom they could share a connection. During COVID-19 restrictions, Operation Patriot had to be suspended, but it has recently returned to action.

That was only that start, however. After the group was presented a Hospice-bound veteran patient with a flag prior to his transfer, giving a final salute and sendoff. The veteran’s group felt they should do for more veteran patients in their final days.

That’s where the idea for Hero Walks started. “The question we kept coming back to was how can we honor the veterans and military personnel who spend their last days with us?” said Sonya.

To make the vision into reality, they needed the right flags for the job. Durable, reusable flags would need to be custom-made. They reached out to Vickie Boll at C&L sewing, who did an amazing job at manifesting their ideas into a beautiful, American flag cover made of vinyl.

 

As shown during this test run, during a Hero Walk non-military caregivers will stand respectfully as the patient is walked past. Military personnel and veteran caregivers will salute.

When a veteran or military patient passes away, the hospital coordinator notifies security, activating the Hero Walk procedure that is currently being piloted at Rapid City Hospital.

Monument Health Military and Veterans Group members will line up, along with additional caregivers that are available. Military and veteran caregivers will salute the veteran patient and civilian caregivers will stand respectfully silent while “Taps” is played. When COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, patients’ family members will be invited to accompany the walk when this is safe and appropriate.

“There are a lot of people involved, and we had to sort out the safest, most respectful way to do this that wouldn’t disrupt other patients or medical care,” Sonya said.

The Hero Walks are, of course, entirely optional. If a veteran prefers not to be recognized in this way, those wishes will always be respected. But when a patient opts to be included, everyone at Monument Health wants to ensure that they are treated with dignity and honor. “It’s incredibly important that we show these men and women the respect that they deserve,” said John Pierce, President of Rapid City Hospital and Market. “They made a sacrifice for our country, so it’s not only a responsibility – but also a privilege – to honor them properly. I think this is an excellent way to do that here at Rapid City Hospital.”

Hero Walks is officially operating in Rapid City Hospital. Vickie Boll, who created the first flag is also making similar flags for Hospice House, Custer Hospital, Lead-Deadwood Hospital, Spearfish Hospital and Sturgis Hospital. Once completed, Hero Walks can expand to those areas.

“We still have some logistics to figure out,” Sonya added, “but after the first test run, we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, so we know that we can use this to honor the veterans and military personnel who wish to be remembered this way.”

Same Day Surgery Center caregivers use generosity to help a patient’s family

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Ronda Lamke,  Dee Dee Carda and Carla Carmichael refuse to let an opportunity to help pass them by.

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

This quote, made famous by Mister Rogers, serves as a warm reminder that there are always people who look for ways to make a situation better. At Monument Health, you don’t have to look far to find them.

Whether they’re operating within their roles in the system or volunteering their time outside of work, Monument Health caregivers are the definition of helper. Sometimes, they go beyond the duties of their roles to make a difference, like Same Day Surgery Center caregivers DeeDee Carda, Nurse Manager, Carla Carmichael, Support Specialist II, and Ronda Lamke, Credentialing and Privileging Specialist.

Not long after the holidays, Carla was checking in a young patient. When verifying the address, the patient’s mother indicated that their home had burned down the night before. “That little child, here for surgery, just looked really sad,” Carla said. “His mother told me he was upset because all his Christmas presents were destroyed.”

Ronda overheard this exchange and knew that her team couldn’t ignore it. “It broke my heart,” she said. “I took them back to their room and then I went to DeeDee and explained the situation.” Like many Same Day Surgery patients, these two had traveled to Rapid City the day before the procedure. They had stayed in a hotel, but because of the situation back home, they didn’t know where they would be staying when they left town. “They lost everything,” said Ronda. “I said, ‘what if we gathered money and got them a Wal-Mart gift card or something?’ And DeeDee thought that sounded great, and I went back out and told Carla that we’re going to ask our people to gather some money, because everyone here is pretty generous.”

Ronda was right about that — the caregivers at Same Day Surgery Center are generous, raising almost $700 for this family, giving them gift cards for gas and groceries, as well as some cash to use for whatever the family needed. “The mom was just so touched,” DeeDee added. “She just couldn’t believe people would do that for a stranger, but everyone who works here just cares.”

The generosity of Same Day Surgery Center caregivers made a huge impact on this patient’s family, but they don’t limit their giving to one emergency or one family. “We’ve just got this group here, at Same Day, that whenever there’s any kind of need, in just a few minutes, it’s like, everyone is pitching in, in one way or another,” said DeeDee. From preparing meals for fellow caregivers when they’re ill or have surgery, to adopting families during the holidays, these caregivers are always eager to help. ”

“It’s nice that there are good people out there,” added Ronda. When it comes to good people, the caregivers at Same Day Surgery Center have set an example that anyone can be proud to follow.

Jess Ramse, RN, wins DAISY Award

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PHOTO LINK: Jess Ramse

Rapid City, S.D. (March 1, 2021) –  Jess Ramse, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. She was nominated by a patient’s family member. 

The nomination described the challenge of having a loved one in the hospital during the pandemic, “with the limited ability to be there for them when they need you the most.”

The patient’s family member went on to say, “Jess took care of my brother for multiple days in a row and did an amazing job. She communicated with me and my family every step of the way. She would call me during rounds to make sure I had the opportunity to speak with his providers and listen to the plan of care. She never hesitated to page doctors to ask my questions regardless of how many there were. Jess always followed through with what she said she was going to do for both my brother and my family.”

The patient is doing better and expected to make a full recovery. The family member who nominated Jess credits the nurse and other caregivers and said of Jess, “her skills, knowledge and empathy made all the difference.”

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Wade Ellett
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
wellett@monument.health