Author: electricpulp

Sports Performance Institute signs Freestyle Motocross pro

Posted on by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Dec. 15, 2020) – James Carter, professional Freestyle Motocross rider, has signed a sports performance agreement with Monument Health Sports Performance Institute. This is the third such agreement signed with a professional athlete.

Carter, a Rapid City native, decided at age 14 that he wanted to ride Freestyle Motocross. With determination, passion and hard work, he was able to embark on a professional career as an FMX rider by the time he was 18 years old.

Carter’s race history includes:

  • First Place ASA FMX World Championships
  • First Place Monster Energy X Pilots Tour
  • First Place Costa Rica X Nights
  • First Place IFMXF Best Whip
  • Third Place IFMXF FMX
  • Red Bull X-Fighters
  • Nuclear Cowboys
  • Nitro Circus

“Motocross is a rigorous sport and these athletes, as with all athletes, need to be physically and mentally prepared in order to perform their best,” said Mike Latour, Monument Health Director of Musculoskeletal Care. “We are very excited to be added to James’ performance team and help him with his career aspirations. We are also excited to help recognize and promote the sport itself, as it continues to grow in popularity both regionally and worldwide.”

“My partnership with Monument Health is one of the biggest accomplishments I have had in my career,” Carter said. “Monument Health and the Sports Performance Institute Powered by EXOS combine the best health care and great physical therapy. This is everything I can ask for, to know my overall health will be at 100 percent, which is key when it comes to being an athlete.”

Jim Rix, Monument Health Southern Hills Manager of Sports Medicine and Performance said, “We’re extremely pleased and excited to be partnering with an individual that values his pursuit of enhancing his own physical and mental performance as well as impacting individual athletes’ lives throughout the motocross community.  The Sports Performance Institute is excited to begin working with James’ performance team to further the growth within the sport of motocross.”

Carter joins Tamara Gorman, world-class triathlete, and Martin Christofferson, hopeful for the U.S.A. Olympic Bobsled Team, in signing with Monument Health Sports Performance Institute. Monument Health trains athletes of all abilities and levels. For questions, please call 605-755-6143.

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

20 artists to be part of hospital’s Community Tapestry

Posted on by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Dec. 2, 2020) – More than 100 artists submitted art for Dale Lamphere’s Community Tapestry project at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. Dale and the Monument Health Art Committee have narrowed the list to 20 pieces.

It was not an easy task, Dale said. Artists submitted an impressive variety of paintings, drawings, beadwork, wood, glass, metal and mixed media. A lot of really good art didn’t fit into the overall mix of media and message that will comprise the final tapestry, he said.

The final piece will feature metal diamonds arranged in a 16-foot-wide by 32-foot-tall space. Twenty of the diamonds will showcase the work of artists from the Black Hills and western South Dakota. Community Tapestry will be installed this spring.

The final 20 artists are listed below.

  1. Todd Grabow of Rapid City
  2. Chon Love of Rapid City
  3. Mallory Eck of Belle Fourche
  4. Dustin Twiss of Buffalo Gap
  5. Desy Schoenewies of Spearfish
  6. Kris Hachmeister of Belvidere
  7. Daniel Tackett of Rapid City
  8. Mackenzie Swanson of Hill City
  9. Faith Beckloff of Rapid City
  10. Tenyoh of Rapid City
  11. Rosella Beaumont of Rapid City
  12. Jean Selvy-Wyss of Rapid City
  13. Grant Standard of Caputa
  14. Wendy Martin of Rapid City
  15. Jay Pond of Rapid City
  16. Amy Woodbury of Rapid City
  17. Greg Geiger of Rapid City
  18. Skye Potter of Rapid City
  19. Brittany Poor Bear of Rapid City
  20. Anita Afraid of Lightning, Rapid City

 

Amy McGinnis, RN, wins DAISY award

Posted on by electricpulp

PHOTO LINK: Amy McGinnis

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Dec. 1, 2020) – Amy McGinnis, a Registered Nurse at Monument Health Heart and Vascular 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.

Because of visitation restrictions due to COVID-19, the patient’s husband could not accompany her during her stay. “It was so hard not having my husband by my side,” wrote the patient. Fortunately, she didn’t have to face the situation by herself.

“I never felt alone, because Amy made sure I wasn’t,” she continued. “I could never thank Amy enough for helping me through a hard time. I could never thank Amy enough for helping me through a hard time. Amy is compassionate and an asset to Monument Health.”

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.

###

CONTACT:

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

Nurse Taylor Gustafson wins DAISY award

Posted on by electricpulp

PHOTO LINK: Taylor Gustafson

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Nov. 12, 2020) –  Taylor Gustafson, a Registered Nurse in Labor and Delivery at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, 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.

“Taylor was my nurse during the labor and birth of my third baby. She was the kindest, most attentive nurse I have had in all three deliveries,” the patient wrote. “Because she acted quickly and confidently in the face of an extremely scary situation, they were able to get (the) baby out quickly. If she hadn’t been so attentive and in tune with my labor, the outcome could have been much different for both baby and me.”

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.

###

CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Regional Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@regionalhealth.org

Karli Shama, RN, wins DAISY Award

Posted on by electricpulp

PHOTO LINK: Karli Shama, RN

RAPID CITY, S.D. –  Karli Shama, a Registered Nurse at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital,  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.

“Karli Shama is this amazing ‘rock star.’ She has unparalleled patience dealing with our calls, taking the time to answer any and all questions that we have, and has made us feel extremely confident in the love and care our family member is receiving while we are unable to be by his side,” the family member wrote. “Not only has Karli done an amazing job caring for him, she has also made a point to learn all our names and has treated every one of us like we are her family. … We are extremely glad to have met Karli and can all say she is one amazingly kind hearted individual that Monument Health is lucky to have.”

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.

###

CONTACT:

Dan Daly
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
ddaly@regionalhealth.org

Rapid City Hospital honors Tanner Thorfinnson

Posted on by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D.  – Tanner Thorfinnson, Registered Nurse with the Intensive Care Unit at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, has been recognized with the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses across the United States who go above and beyond for their patients and community.

Tanner was nominated by a former patient, a truck driver who was passing through Rapid City for work. While at a truck stop, he became very light-headed from a bleed. He underwent a procedure and spent a couple of days in the hospital. The patient was worried, in part because his semi’s main power switch was still on and needed to be shut off so the engine wouldn’t develop severe issues.

“I had no way of getting these things taken care of while I was here in the hospital, as no one could help me out,” the patient said. Another nurse suggested that Tanner, on his day off, could go to the truck stop and shut off the power switch. “(Tanner) came to the hospital to get my keys and instructions … He also came into my room to introduce himself and make sure he knew exactly what needed to be done,” the patient said.

“I cannot thank Tanner enough for what he did to go above and beyond his typical nursing duties to help a random stranger out,” the patient added. “He proved to me that day what an extraordinary nurse does. His kindness will never be forgotten.”

The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses recognizes those who display dedication to the health and wellness of their patients. The DAISY Award 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.” The DAISY Award continues to recognize and celebrate the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and their families every day. Monument Health honors nurses in all markets with the award.

About Monument Health
Headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., Monument Health (formerly Regional Health) is a community-based health care system with a mission to make a difference, every day. The system offers care in 33 medical specialties and serves 20 communities across western South Dakota and in eastern Wyoming. With over 4,500 physicians and caregivers, Monument Health is comprised of 5 hospitals, 8 specialty and surgical centers and more than 40 medical clinics and health care service centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

###

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

Nurse Michael Hoffmann wins DAISY Award

Posted on by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 22, 2020) – Michael Hoffmann, Registered Nurse with the Intensive Care Unit at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, has been recognized with the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses across the United States who go above and beyond for their patients and community. Michael was nominated by a former patient’s family.

“Michael is by far one of the most knowledgeable, caring, compassionate nurses I have ever had the privilege of meeting,” said the nominator. “He took excellent care of my mother and my family, showing deep concern for the well-being of us all. He took the time to listen to our concerns, keep us informed of mother’s care and had excellent communication and rapport with the doctor on staff.”

The nominator went on to say that Michael has a natural ability to make people feel like individuals as opposed to just another patient. “He said, ‘I may have seen the patient’s disease process before, but I have never seen your mother before. I understand the disease, I need to learn how to understand her.’ Amazing nurse! Kudos to you Michael, we will never forget you.”

The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses recognizes those who display dedication to the health and wellness of their patients. The DAISY Award 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.”

Lead-Deadwood Hospital honors DAISY winner

Posted on by electricpulp

DEADWOOD, S.D. (Sept. 18, 2020) – Kaylee Cornelius, Registered Nurse with Surgical Services at Monument Health Lead-Deadwood Hospital, has been recognized with the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses across the United States who go above and beyond for their patients and community. Kaylee was nominated by a former patient.

“Dear Nurse Kaylee has been a very special friend and nurse to me ever since I met her after my illness,” the patient said. “She was so kind and patient with me. I felt very cared for.”

Kaylee first cared for the patient at the clinic, and cared for her again when she had a procedure done at the hospital. After the procedure, the patient said: “As I was being wheeled out to go home, takes my hand, hugs me and tells me, ‘I mean it, if you need anything, you just call me.’”

The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses recognizes those who display dedication to the health and wellness of their patients. The DAISY Award 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.” The DAISY Award continues to recognize and celebrate the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and their families every day. The award is presented in Lead-Deadwood twice a year.

###

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

Urologists join Monument Health team

Posted on by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D., (Sept. 3, 2020) – Monument Health announced that Urologists Melissa Brown, M.D., and Russell Hayden, M.D., have joined the Monument Health Rapid City Medical Clinic on Fifth Street in Rapid City.

Dr. Brown is a Urologist with more than 27 years of experience treating the full spectrum of general urology conditions. She is also a clinical instructor with the University of South Dakota’s Sanford School of Medicine. Before joining Monument Health in the Black Hills, Dr. Brown practiced in Aberdeen and also spent time in Arizona, Minnesota and Massachusetts.

She has presented on urinary incontinence, prolapse and diagnosis of renal masses, among others. She is a member of the American Board of Urology, the American Urological Association and the Society of Women in Urology. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Hayden is a Urologist with a sub-specialty in male infertility. He received his residencies in General Surgery and Urology from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Before joining Monument Health, he served as the Fellow in Male Infertility and Sexual Medicine and as an Instructor of Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.

He is a member of the American Urological Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction and the New York Academy of Sciences. He has published papers, written chapters and presented on several topics, including vestibular prostheses, azoospermia metastatic prostate cancer and more.

Dr. Brown and Dr. Hayden are both accepting new patients. Appointments can be made by calling Monument Health Medical Clinic on Fifth Street in Rapid City at 605-755-5700.

###

CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
ddaly@monument.health

Sturgis doctor starts career in medicine after 18 years in farming

Posted on by electricpulp

One of the hardest days of Dr. Kent Wright’s life was watching the cattle as they were driven away from his family’s third-generation dairy farm in Sebeka, MN. He’d spent 18 years owning and operating the farm and its pure-bred herd of registered Holsteins. But he, along with many other family dairy farmers, made the difficult decision to liquidate after the milk market tanked in 2009.

“The decision to close a third-generation family farm was very difficult,” Dr. Wright said. “It was very hard to walk away from.”

Unlike most dairy farmers, his office contained a microscope and cryogenic freezer. He focused on maximizing his herd’s genetic potential through embryo transplantation, where he was the primary facilitator of bovine superovulation, embryo collection and implantation of embryos into the surrogate females. He incorporated high-level science into his genetic practices, which made him competitive in the national and world dairy show rings.

It was his interest in science that led him to a different path once the operation shut down: medicine. Ten-plus years of schooling and training was an interesting choice for someone who, as a teenager, never wanted to spend one more minute in school than necessary. But 11 years later, Dr. Wright has joined the family medicine staff at Sturgis Clinic.

Dr. Wright at Sturgis Clinic

 

“It’s pretty ironic, because I hated school with a passion, and I never wanted a job where I had to dress up,” he said, adding that his wife was a huge proponent of him going back to school. “I joke that when my wife met me, she found me back in the brush and cleaned me up and made me go to school.”

He completed the first two years of medical school in Dominica at Ross University School of Medicine and finished his clinical years in Saginaw, MI. While medical school and his family medicine residency at the University of Arkansas were challenging, Dr. Wright noticed he may have had a slight advantage since he was used to the long hours and hard work of farm life.

“I come from a very rural place, so a lot of times when you have a problem, you need to figure your way through it,” he said. “If I was delivering a calf that was breech in the middle of a blizzard, I wasn’t going to get help from a veterinarian. I had to figure it out.”

It was during his residency when he realized he wanted to work with a rural population, or rather, people who reminded him of his friends and family. Dr. Wright grew up just outside of Sebeka, a town of 700. Rural activities like hunting, fishing and farming are close to his heart. He noticed that patients valued a doctor who understood their work and their background.

“There was a fair amount of agriculture there, and I found that was really a patient population that I connect very well with, because I understand what they do,” he said. “That’s my crowd.”

His goal to serve rural patients is what brought him to Sturgis. The Black Hills made the short list of places he and his wife wanted to end up after his schooling. His family is especially excited for snow and skiing, as they’ve been away from that in Arkansas.

“When I had the opportunity to come here, I jumped at it,” he said. “So far we’re loving it.” Dr. Wright has three stepsons who are working in North Dakota and Montana, a teenage son with him in Sturgis, and a daughter who stayed in Arkansas for schooling.

He has enjoyed using skills he learned as an adjunct professor during medical school to educate patients on their conditions and certain medications.

While he doesn’t miss fighting with the budget, Dr. Wright does miss the cattle. “I might eventually try to find some acreage to have a few cattle, but we’ll see – my wife’s not completely sold on that yet.”

Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Welcome, Dr. Wright and family!