electricpulp, Author at Monument Health

Jodi Kost, RN, receives DAISY Award

Posted on March 21, 2023 by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (March 31, 2023) – Jodi Kost, RN, a Clinical Resource Nurse at Rapid City Hospital Labor and Delivery, 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 two patients.

One patient wrote, “Without a doubt, Jodi was an integral part of our incredible experience at Monument Hospital. I consider myself blessed that she was my primary nurse and I will remember her with only the fondest of memories. I didn’t know that this superb of care existed, and she absolutely set the bar high and left a lasting impression as to what a good nurse should be. I still cry tears of joy every time I speak about my time at Monument Health, and I will never be able to thank Jodi enough for making it such a positive experience.”

Another patient wrote, “Jodi went above and beyond to provide care the minute she started her shift. I was amazed at the level of comfort, care and patience she provided throughout my stay. She knew exactly how to guide me through my concerns and procedures, even through the hardest parts. I appreciate her so much and truly hope every patient gets to experience someone like her.”

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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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.

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Monument Health Spearfish Hospital listed in top 100 rural hospitals

Posted on March 9, 2023 by electricpulp

Spearfish S.D. (Mar. 9, 2023) – Monument Health Spearfish Hospital was listed in the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s Top 100 Best-Performing Rural and Community Hospitals. This is the 13th year the Chartis Group has published this list. The annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX. The hospital was one of seven health care systems listed in South Dakota.

“Monument Health Spearfish Hospital physicians and caregivers are dedicated to delivering high-quality care. We provide a safe environment to promote healing. Our caregivers are compassionate, caring and passionate,” said Suzanne Campbell, Nursing Director at Monument Health Spearfish Hospital, “I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”

The INDEX uses publicly available data to conduct its annual assessment of rural hospitals across the nation. It is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

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Neurosurgeon joins Monument Health Neuroscience Center

Posted on March 8, 2023 by electricpulp

Rapid City, S.D. (Mar. 8, 2023) – Monument Health welcomes Glen Pollock, M.D, Neurosurgeon to the Monument Health Neuroscience Center. Dr. Pollock earned his medical degree at the University of South Florida. He completed his neurosurgery residency at the McGraw Medical Center of Northwestern University and at the University of South Florida and went on to complete his Endovascular and Cerebrovascular Fellowship at the Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center of New Jersey Capital Health. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.

Monument Health’s neurosurgery team provides operative and nonoperative care for conditions affecting the brain, spine and central nervous system. They specialize in lower back and neck and arm pain, spinal cord, skull and peripheral nerve disorders as well as work and sports related injuries.

To learn more visit www.monument.health/neurosurgery.

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Monument Health improves care for Medicare patients by joining an ACO

Posted on March 1, 2023 by electricpulp

Delivering high-quality care requires continuous action, planning and evaluation. Monument Health always looks to new opportunities to serve our communities, even as the demographics change. One thing that we know is on the horizon is an increasing number of patients using Medicare.

To better serve our Medicare patients and to prepare for the growing age demographic, Monument Health has joined Signify Health’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This action will help enhance care, manage risk and improve coordination of patient care for traditional Medicare patients.

“Joining an ACO furthers our commitment to providing high-quality care, close to home for our patients,” said Kelly Stacy, M.D., Executive Medical Director. “The additional resources and access to our physicians and providers means more coordinated care and an expanded care team for our patients.”

ACOs are groups of providers that work together to coordinate care for the Medicare fee-for-service patients they serve. The goal is to ensure that traditional Medicare patients get the right care at the right time while expanding access to the patients’ care team. This includes improved access to case managers, population health nurses, physicians and providers to work together on coordinated care.

“The coordination of care for our patients, throughout Monument Health with the tools available through the ACO will help our physicians gain a better understanding of the needs of our patients,” said Dr. Stacy, M.D. “With the additional data, we will have the ability to support our patients beyond primary care and develop specific care plans for our Medicare patients.”

Signify Health will provide Monument Health with patient data that will allow our caregivers and physicians to develop a better understanding of Medicare patients’ overall health. This, in turn, will empower Monument Health to provide better guidance and assistance in every aspect of each patient’s health care.

We will begin receiving Medicare patient information from Signify Health in April, and by this summer we anticipate being able to reduce redundancy in testing and treatment, improve patient tracking across health care systems and extend patient support beyond primary care. We will also be able to code patients to the highest specificity possibility, for which we Monument Health will receive higher compensation for services provided to Medicare patients.

This comes at no additional cost to Medicare patients, and their services, rights and protections won’t change. Monument Health is the first health care organization in the region to join an ACO, and by collaborating with Signify Health, we are joining one of the largest collaborative ACOs consisting of more than 250,000 Medicare patients.

Jennifer LaBrie, Scrub Technician, receives TULIP Award

Posted on February 24, 2023 by electricpulp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (FEB. 24, 2023) – Jennifer LaBrie, a Scrub Technician at Rapid City Hospital Labor and Delivery, has received the TULIP Award. This award is presented to nursing support caregivers who exemplify Monument Health’s values of trust, respect, compassion, community and excellence. These individuals make a difference in the lives of their patients and patient families, and are a vital part of our nursing care teams.

Jennifer was nominated by a fellow caregiver, who wrote, “During a somber situation, she went above and beyond for this patient and family. The patient had specific requests regarding their loss, and Jen went out of her way to ensure each request was met exactly. The patient was also very specific in how she wanted to say her final goodbyes and Jen was so patient and respectful; she took great care in her preparations.”

The nomination continued, “She went above and beyond the patient’s wishes, to ensure both the patient and family were not only cared for, but that all requests were met with the greatest respect.”

TULIP is an acronym for, “Thoughtful upbeat loving individuals caring for patients,” and the TULIP Award recognizes outstanding members of Monument Health’s nursing support teams. Nursing support includes positions such as Nurse Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Emergency Department Technicians, Psychiatric Technicians, Health Unit Clerks, Dialysis Technicians, Clinical Assistants, Cardiac Monitoring Technicians, Activities Assistants, Medical Assistants, Certified Medical Assistants, Medication Aides and Restorative Assistants. Caregivers in Rapid City are selected four times a year for this recognition. Caregivers are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/tulip to nominate.

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About Monument Health

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Jess Owczarek, RN, receives DAISY Award

Posted on February 20, 2023 by electricpulp

Photo Link: Jess Owczarek, RN

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2023) – Jess Owczarek, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital Labor and Delivery, 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.

The patient was in the unit for several months and found that Jess always stood out as a nurse who goes above and beyond, is humble and compassionate. The patient wrote, “Jess has been extremely encouraging and supportive for myself and my family. She has so many wonderful qualities of being generous, compassionate, kind, giving of herself and she is happy to be at work. You can really tell she enjoys her career and taking care of others!”

The patient continued, “I am so blessed to have Jess as my nurse during my time at the hospital. Jess has definitely helped me carry this heavy cross with me and my family, and I cannot express enough in words how much I appreciate her care.”

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About Monument Health

MEDIA CONTACT:
Monument Health
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Alysia Lester, DNP, receives Clinical Excellence Award

Posted on February 14, 2023 by electricpulp

Alysia Lester, DNP, at Rapid City Hospital NICU, has received a Clinical Excellence Award. Recipients of the Clinical Excellence Award exemplify a commitment to the practice of medicine and to Monument Health’s mission, vision, and values. Their knowledge, skill, and professionalism in day-to-day interactions with patients, families, and colleagues reflect their commitment to clinical excellence. She was nominated by a fellow provider.

The provider wrote, “Alysia has touched base with me, a new grad nurse practitioner who is also new to the facility and area, multiple times a month to make sure I don’t need anything. She often offers me assistance in every way. She is an amazing resource for all new mid-level providers, even if not in her direct area.

Criteria for the Clinical Excellence Award includes:

Must be an employed physician or provider.
Exceptional knowledge and skill within their specialty which enables them to provide excellent clinical care.
Shows respect to patients, families and colleagues through compassion, empathy, courtesy and patience.
A strong sense of pride and professional passion for serving patients.
Consistently provides exceptional patient experiences and clinical outcomes.
Continues to provide direct patient care.

Nominations are reviewed and a monthly award selection is made by the Physician Operations Group. One award will be given out monthly. Nominations can be submitted here.

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About Monument Health

MEDIA CONTACT:
Monument Health
Strategic Marketing and Communications
prnews@monument.health
605-755-9100

Heart team approach saves Cowboy Hall of Famer

Posted on February 14, 2023 by electricpulp

Cowboys are made a little tougher than most people, so when you find one in the hospital, you know that things are serious. Take Frank Svalina for example. This 89-year-old cowboy spent most of his life on the ranch — a homestead his father established in 1912. “It was a pretty rough life out there. Anything you done, you done with horses or yourself,” Frank explained with a quiet laugh.

In 2021 Frank was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame, and despite growing up doing hard ranch work — or perhaps because of it — he was always healthy. Then, in 2009, he started experiencing dizziness, shortness of breath and fatigue. After open heart mitral valve replacement surgery using a biologic valve, his symptoms abated.

“I asked how long that valve would last, and they said about twelve years,” Frank said. “Turns out they were pretty spot on.” In May 2022, Frank began experiencing heart problems again and was admitted to Monument Health Spearfish Hospital. “An echocardiogram done at Spearfish Hospital revealed severe degeneration of his tissue valve with severe mitral regurgitation,” said Cardiologist Rajesh Pradhan, M.D., FACC.

Mitral valve regurgitation describes when the valve between the left heart chambers doesn’t fully close which allows blood to move backward through the valve. Dr. Pradhan continued, “After a short stay in the hospital he was discharged home, however, after a couple of days his wife drove him to Rapid City Hospital Emergency Department to get admitted — he was hypoxic and gasping for air.”

Interventional Cardiologist, Joseph Tuma, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, said, “For patients with complex structural heart disease, we do what’s called the heart team approach. Our imaging cardiologists are part of that team, interventional cardiologists like myself are part of that team and the cardiac surgery team also evaluates the patient.”

By using this collaborative approach, the physicians at Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute are able to ascertain the best approach for a patient like Frank, and work with them to ensure the best possible outcome. “Dr. Pradhan is a very advanced cardiac imaging specialist, and he did a transesophageal echocardiogram and a cardiac CT scan to get a better look at the valve,” said Dr. Tuma. “In cases like these, the team sits down, looks at the images, decides what the best option is for the patient and then we meet with the patient and explain what we’re thinking.”

In Frank’s case, the best option was to use a minimally invasive procedure called a transcatheter heart valve replacement, which allows the valve to be replaced using a catheter that is inserted through the femoral vein. The procedure was a success. “When he woke up from anesthesia he instantly felt better,” explained Dr. Pradhan. “He basically walked home with a small Band-Aid in his groin two days later, without requiring any prolonged recovery.”

Advances in technology, paired with the heart team approach, ensure that patients like Frank can have minimally invasive procedures close to home, and still receive the best care.

Care and support in the fight against breast cancer

Posted on February 8, 2023 by electricpulp

When Spearfish resident Virginia Schmunk was visiting family in Green Bay Wis., she got a phone call that changed her life; she had breast cancer and it was advanced. Time is one of the most important factors when it comes to successful treatment and Virginia’s cancer had already spread when it was discovered. “When my doctor called to talk to me about this, I asked for her advice. I knew nothing about surgeons and wasn’t sure where to start,” Virginia remembered. “My doctor said, ‘Stay local,’ and I said, ‘You’re the boss.’ I really felt like everyone was in my court.”

That led Virginia to schedule an appointment with Nicholas Czosnyka, M.D., a General Surgeon at Monument Health Spearfish Clinic, North Avenue. He and Virginia were quick to begin planning her surgery, and he kept her informed every step of the way. She said, “It was reassuring. He talked to me in a very straightforward way. I knew right away I made the right choice.” For Dr. Czosnyka, arming his patients with knowledge is an important part of his role as a physician. “Patients are more informed these days and I think that’s a good thing. So it’s important for a physician to be able to explain what they know in a way that helps the patient understand what they’re going through,” he explained.

Virginia’s case stands out in Dr. Czosnyka’s memory. “When we talk about breast cancer, or any medical problem, there’s usually a spectrum of presentation from textbook to advanced.” He described her case as an advanced one. “It had already spread to an axillary lymph node.” Dr. Czosnyka said, “It tied together all of the treatment teams we have at Monument Health when it comes to breast cancer, from surgery to chemotherapy.”

The decision to find her care locally was an important one for Virginia. “My husband didn’t have to drive an hour to Rapid City and then an hour home to be with me for treatment. Especially in March when you just can’t be sure what the weather is going to do.” She said the ability to find and arrange the treatment she needed close to home helped make things much easier. Dr. Czonyka agreed, and said the flexibility of having care nearby is invaluable when it comes to treating cancer, when time is critical. “Life can be a balancing act of schedules and everyone can benefit from a little bit of convenience,” he continued, “driving five minutes or 50 minutes might mean the difference between someone coming in that day or waiting until tomorrow and that’s a really big deal.” He said it makes communication between doctor and patient easier as well, allowing for quick follow up during recovery, so any problems can be addressed right away.

Dr. Czonyka looks back at Virginia’s case as a success, though the healing process is ongoing. He said, “One thing we have to ask is ‘Did we cure the cancer, did we get it all out?’ Now, two years out from surgery, there is no evidence of a recurrence of cancer, I feel confident we were able to do that.” For Virginia, her treatment experience with Dr. Czosnyka was positive, all things considered. “Even after the surgery he would come to check up on me and I still say hi when I see him around Spearfish,” she said. “In fact, last spring, they had a Wellness Fair at the Pavilion here in Spearfish, and I went over and reintroduced myself to say ‘thank you for saving my life.’”

Monument Health has surgical care teams in both Rapid City and Spearfish. Surgical care teams include skilled, experienced surgeons and specialists equipped with the latest diagnostic and surgical technology.

Monument Health has board-certified surgeons who provide evaluation and treatment for a full range of general surgery conditions. Physicians and providers work collaboratively with a specialized support team to monitor the patient through recovery and beyond.

The Monument Health Cancer Care Institute in Rapid City provides outpatient oncology services, supportive laboratory and imaging services.

Monument Health physicians work together across specialities to provide high-quality care while keeping patients close to home.

When a pacemaker doesn’t keep pace

Posted on February 8, 2023 by electricpulp

Modern medicine is full of life saving technology, like pacemakers, which help patients live normal lives after experiencing heart failure. These devices normally last throughout a person’s lifetime but in rare cases they can unexpectedly fail. In those instances, time is critical. When Jack Kitchen’s pacemaker began to fail, he was almost 60 miles away from a doctor who could help him. Quick thinking, coordination and even faster actions from Jack’s care team got him the care he needed in time to save his life. “I was at the Hot Springs VA and I got sick. I didn’t think I was that sick, but the VA called the Rapid City heart doctors and they wanted me in Rapid City fast.”

Jack did get there fast. An ambulance transported him to Monument Health Rapid City Hospital from Hot Springs in under 45 minutes. Kelly Brandsted, CNP, and Samantha Speed, DNP, at the Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute, were on the team that treated Jack. Kelly received the call from the VA Hospital in Hot Springs. She said, “They called and said Jack was experiencing episodes of lightheadedness and dizziness. They thought he was having pauses on his heart telemetry.” Pauses on heart telemetry sounded unusual because Jack had a pacemaker. Kelly asked to see the telemetry and it confirmed that his pacemaker wasn’t working. They needed to see him right away, and the team was ready when he arrived. “We were pretty much at the door to greet him when he arrived. This was at the end of the day too. I called Dr. Barbera back in when Jack was on his way, and kudos to the electrophysiology (EP) lab, they stayed to help get everything ready.”

Saverio Barbera, M.D., is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute in Rapid City. He was quick to get Jack into the operating room. Dr. Barbera said, “The emergency room wasn’t going to be able to do much at this point, so we fast-tracked him. He was blacking out periodically right in front of us and we wanted to take over the pacing of his heart as soon as possible. He continued, “We knew what we had to do. We got him prepped, cleaned his chest as fast as we could, and gave him a local anesthetic. He was wide awake; he could tell what we were doing. He knew his life was in danger and worked with us so we could save him. It was about five minutes of hell for all of us.” The rush was not lost on Jack, who noticed how quickly everything was moving. “They got me right into the surgery room. I asked, ‘What’s the big hurry?’” Jack maintained a sense of humor throughout the ordeal. Jack said, “I told the doctor to ‘just put on a glove and pull that sumbitch out,’ and he did it. He got it done.”

According to Samantha things moved very quickly. She said, “By the time we got him to the lab he was blacking out every 8 to 12 seconds. We had to get his new device in as quickly as we could. The time from the EP labs to getting his new device in was around ten minutes, it was really fast.” Dr. Barbera agreed with that, but said time seemed to move slowly. “It takes about seven seconds or so to lose consciousness when there is no pulse, and every time we saw a flat line on that screen we knew we had to move. Every second seemed like ten minutes at that point. We were moving as fast as we could, but it feels like you never have enough time when you’re rushing to save someone’s life.”

The operation was a success. As soon as they were finished, Dr. Barbera said the improvement in Jack’s condition was like night and day. “It was amazing. It was like the lights had been intermittently flickering and now they were back on, and everything was fine.” Kelly agreed and was glad to see Jack recovering and more like the patient they had come to know. “Jack is always joking and laughing, so seeing him like this was scary and awful. It was a huge relief to see him being his normal self.” Jack was released that weekend and said he was quickly able to go back to his normal life “After I got out, I went down to the Dairy Queen, got a hamburger and fries and strawberry malt and drove home.” He said the care didn’t stop after he was released, “They called me when I got home and made sure I was okay and helped get my monitor setup.” He keeps a close eye on his monitor now and hasn’t had any problems with his new pacemaker.