Author: Marez

Toy Walls Make Surgery Less Scary for Kids

Posted on by Marez

Going into surgery can be scary for patients of any age, especially so for kids.

“There’s a lot of fear of the unknown, separation anxiety from their parents, anxiety about the surgery and the pain or whatever is going to come,” says Lisa Krebs, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at Rapid City Hospital (RCH) and Orthopedic and Specialty Hospital (MHOSH). “A lot of our kids are in that three- to eight-year-old age range where they start becoming aware of their bodies and they’re not sure what’s going to happen to them when they’re not in control.”

Which is why Lisa borrowed an idea that she’d seen at Same Day Surgery Center, where they have a stock of toys hanging from the wall. The idea is that kids going to surgery can choose a toy to soothe them and distract them from their anxiety.

Using her own money at first, Lisa purchased toys and placed them in a basket at MHOSH, which was soon replaced by a treasure chest. The anesthesia management caught wind of the project and began paying for the toys with department funds. By January MHOSH had a “Bluey”- themed toy wall, which Phillip Werman, CRNA RCH. The toys are now funded by a combination of Anesthesia Services and Monument Health Foundation.

Lisa estimates that anywhere from 10 to 15 kids a week undergo surgery at RCH. Most of those are either ENT surgeries or dental procedures performed by local dentists from Dakota Dental 4 Kids or Black Hills Pediatric Dentistry who retain operating room privileges. There are also orthopedic surgeries and the occasional hernia repairs or appendectomy.

“It’s a fun way to get kids to come to the OR with us without their parents. It causes less anxiety and less fear for them. They get to pick whatever they want out from our toy wall, and then they get to keep it and take it home with them,” she says. “Some of the older kids told me that the toys were a little young. They wanted fidgets, so we got fidgets.”

The reason it’s not called a “kids toy wall?” Well, grown ups get comfort from the toys as well. “I’ve had some adults that have just been super anxious and so they have picked something to hold in their hand while we were going off to sleep,” says Lisa.

About a quarter of the toys are taken by patients each week. So, Lisa sets a bit of time aside to periodically restock.

“For kids, it’s their first experience with anesthesia and you don’t want them to be traumatized by the hospital or scared of surgery in the future. So, if we can make it fun and less scary, that’s our goal.”

The toy walls have been so successful that Lisa has begun working on securing shelving for books that give the kiddos a better idea of what happens during a procedure. The books have pictures of the anesthesia machine and the equipment and masks that are used. Unlike the toys, however, the books are meant to be returned to the shelves. “They’ll be to read while they’re here. They aren’t really books they would want to read it again at home,” Lisa says, with a laugh.

Story by Kory Lanphear

Bubble Parade

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Hearing that nine-year-old Alayna had cancer was a tough moment for Alayna and her family. The diagnosis also hit hard for her Primary Care Physician, Matthew Rakaba, D.O., of Family Medicine Residency Clinic, not just because it was difficult to deliver the news; it was the timing, two days before Christmas 2024.

Over the next year, Alayna was treated for a medulloblastoma, a cancer that grows rapidly in the brain. Her cancer treatment was undertaken mainly in Colorado where she had a tumor resection followed by radiation treatment and nine rounds of chemotherapy. She would be there for 4 weeks, then come back to Rapid City Hospital for 4 weeks for 2 additional chemo treatments. While in Rapid City, her care would be supervised weekly by either Dr. Rakaba or his colleague, Blake Wadsworth, D.O., in addition to the Pediatrics nursing staff, and Family Medicine Residency attending Physicians and Residents.

“She is always a cheerful kid, always in good spirits every time I see her,” says Dr. Rakaba. “She is always wearing a big smile and the same Naruto hoodie.”

Upon completion of her last infusion, on Tuesday, March 17 — St. Patrick’s Day — Alayna was treated to a celebratory bubble parade. Caregivers and bubble machines lined the halls of the Pediatrics wing, prepared to shower Alayna with bubbles. To cheers of encouragement and shouts of admiration, Alayna was pushed from her room in a wheelchair toward the elevator. As she made her way to the end of the procession of balloons and bubbles, Alayna was escorted by her mom, dad and little sister. Dr. Rakaba, wearing a festive green skirt, did the honors of holding a bell, which Alayna rung to signify the end of her treatment. Afterward, celebratory cupcakes were served.

According to Dr. Rakaba, Alayna is officially done with treatment and is currently cancer free. She will continue to go to Colorado Peds for monitoring and regular MRIs. In Rapid City, Dr. Rakaba and his team will also follow her progress at the FMR clinic for labs and regular care.

May good luck — and good medical care — accompany Alayna throughout the rest of her days.

Story by Kory Lanphear

Five Caregivers Named to Elevate’s 40 Under 40 List

Posted on by Marez

Elevate Magazine’s recently released Black Hills Region 40 Under 40 list included five Monument Health Caregivers this year. It is the third annual list, which Elevate Rapid City compiles to recognize the next generation of leaders shaping Rapid City and the Black Hills.

According to the magazine, “The 2026 class represents a diverse group of individuals making a meaningful impact in their careers and throughout the region…highlighting the depth of talent and leadership across our community.”

For those unfamiliar, Elevate Magazine is an enterprise of Elevate Rapid City, which functions as a combined chamber of commerce and economic development department in Rapid City. The magazine highlights local businesses and tells the story of the people behind them.

Medical Caregivers from Monument Health among this year’s honorees include Ashlea Semmens, M.D., FACS, board-certified General Surgeon, fellowship-trained Breast Surgical Oncologist and Medical Director of the Breast Surgery program at Rapid City Hospital, who played a major role in acquiring accredited status for our Breast Care Program from The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, and Kelsey Johnson, CNP, in Pain Management at Orthopedic & Specialty Hospital.

Organizational leadership on the list is represented by Jimmy Seward, Director of Ambulatory Operations, Sturgis, a rare Northern Hills honoree.

Jennifer Cortes, Community Engagement Manager Behavioral Health and Kelsie Ficken, Development Officer in the Foundation represent Caregivers in outreach-based roles.

Listed side by side with leaders from such companies as Black Hills Energy, South Dakota Mines and many other businesses and independent individuals, our five colleagues are the most named from any one organization. They also cut across several departments within Monument Health, underscoring our far-reaching influence within the Black Hills and western South Dakota.

Congratulations to these five Caregivers and thank you for your exceptional work impacting our communities. We look forward to seeing what your futures will bring as we hope you will be here for generations to come.

To learn more about the Monument Health honorees — including some of their hobbies and favorite Rapid City places to visit and eat — and the rest of the 2026 class, check out Elevate Magazine via the Rapid City Business Journal.

Story by Kory Lanphear

Junior CNA Starts With Heart

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“It was a stressful time and meeting this caregiver was a BREATH of fresh air when we were holding ours. They came into our room to check my family member’s pressure and take a temperature. They were very pleasant, very proficient and proceeded with confidence and professionalism. How did this young person gain so much poise and ambition?” – From Kaia Carlson’s anonymous TULIP award nomination.

It was already a great start to her health care career when Kaia Carlson, 17, was hired as Junior Nurse Aide Certified in the Heart and Vascular Unit (HVU) while still a junior at Stevens High School. However, it quickly became downright auspicious when, just a month or so into the job, she was recognized by a patient with a nomination for Monument Health’s TULIP award.

TULIP is an acronym for Thoughtful, Upbeat, Loving, Individuals caring for Patients. The monthly award recognizes outstanding members of our nursing support teams. Kaia, who trained via Monument Health’s community CNA course, is the first Junior Nurse Aide to receive the award.

“The best part about TULIP is that all of it is anonymous. We don’t know who the caregiver is, or the patient,” says Sadie Colbeck, Supervisor Nursing Support, for HVU. “I never knew Kaia was nominated until I was told that she had won the award, and I’m a part of the nursing support council made up of nurses, nurse aides and CNAs, that votes on them.”

Kaia’s grandpa was a doctor, and her mom (Tara Carlson, PA-C) is a provider at Monument Health’s Rapid City Urgency Cares. “I grew up around medicine, and I’ve always really been interested in the body and how it works,” Kaia says. “After I started caring for people, that made me want to do it more, just because I like the hands-on patient work, and to care for people who are vulnerable and show them kindness and try to brighten their days. And this setting really has allowed me to do that, because there’s so many people that need that.”

A philosophy of care certainly made its way down the generations to Kaia. She has an informed, purposeful approach to interacting with patients, one that is wise beyond her years. So, it’s fitting that Kaia ended up in HVU because her method starts with heart.

“First thing I do when I go into a patient’s room is ask how their day went and then based off of that decide how to specifically care for them,” she says. “I try to be extra kind and just calm and ask them basic comfort questions and see if there’s any little details that I can do to just improve their day. Sometimes taking a little extra time to just give direct, specific care to that person can help a lot. I usually walk around with them on walks, and that’s a really good way to get to know them more personally, and it feels like they’re getting more personalized care, too.” 

After she graduates from Stevens, Kaia plans on attending either Grand Canyon University in Arizona, or USD here in South Dakota. She’ll first pursue nursing and after that decide if she want to go on to pre-med or pre-PA from there, though she sheepishly admits that she hasn’t even thought about adding her TULIP award to her application yet. 

“I have so much love for the TULIP award, because Monument Health is the only organization who has it,” Sadie says. “It’s great that Kaia’s the first junior nurse aid to win it, because the role is still so new and it comes from her peers. That’s a really cool aspect to the award in general­ — it’s the people you work with that are voting on who deserves the award.”

Each TULIP award winner receives a handmade, glass vase from a local craftsperson. “They’re all just a little bit different, a little bit unique, because all of our TULIP winners are just a little bit unique,” says Sadie.

Patients can be reminded to go to monument.health/TULIP to nominate a Nursing Support Caregiver.

Story by Kory Lanphear

Photo by Erika Bratten-Cianca

First Spearfish Hospital Expansion Phase Complete

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Phase One construction of the Spearfish Hospital Expansion is complete and we began caring for patients in our newly opened facility this month. This milestone has long been in the works, requiring the coordination and cooperation of internal and external stakeholders, construction companies, city officials and, especially, Spearfish Caregivers and community members. Seeing it come to life has been incredibly exciting for our entire organization.

The addition to Spearfish Hospital includes 19 inpatient rooms, 15 of which are designated for medical surgical care and four for the ICU. The space is lighter, brighter and more modern than what we had before. Rich blue walls and seafoam green accents create a calm, healing atmosphere with artwork to match. Centrally located nurse stations allow Caregivers to keep a close eye on the patient rooms. Private rooms with individual bathrooms are a meaningful upgrade, both for patient comfort and for safety.

On the main floor, 22 Surgery Pre/Post rooms offer flexible bed spaces for patients checking in for surgery, recovering immediately after a procedure, or awaiting discharge or transfer. These rooms are filled with natural light and furnished to feel as welcoming and comfortable as possible. The basement level is home to a brand-new, much larger cafeteria that will serve Caregivers, guests and patients. Caregivers will also enjoy a new Starbucks machine, a small but welcome addition.

Phase Two will bring a new surgical wing, with construction expected to take around 14 months. Once that is complete, the final phase will transform the existing surgical wing into a modernized Emergency Department, nearly doubling capacity from 7 to 13 beds. We are proud of the progress and grateful to the many people who helped bring Phase One across the finish line. There will be more updates as this $80 million project continues to transform health care in the Northern Hills communities and across our organization.

Story by Kory Lanphear

When It Comes to Fighting Colon Cancer, We Really Blue It

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Friday March 6 was Blue Day, an annual, national event honoring Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. At Rapid City Hospital’s main entrance, Providers and Caregivers from Gastroenterology donned blue shirts and gathered around a large, inflatable demonstration colon to hand out helpful information, pins and other goodies to raise colon cancer awareness in the Black Hills.

Colon cancer rates are high in the United States and raising every year, especially for people under 50 years old. Locally, though, screening rates are low. However, colon cancer is preventable and detectable in its early stages. It’s also treatable and curable, even in advanced states, according to Emuejevoke Okoh, M.D., a fellowship-trained Interventional Gastroenterologist, who was on hand to talk to reporters from KNBN and KOTA Territory for the occasion. He stressed, though, that individuals need to know that screening starts at 45 years old, and possibly earlier for those with a family history or predisposing conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Although there are a few options for getting screened, which have improved in accuracy and reliability the past few years, the gold standard remains a colonoscopy.

Chantel Holz, CNP, in Gastroenterology detailed the minimal risks of getting a colonoscopy which are vastly outweighed by the benefits. There are low chances of peroration because the procedure is performed with a tube attached to a small camera.

“High-processed foods, processed red meats, and especially diets that are lower in fiber ­— those are the things that increase the risk of colorectal cancer,” Chantel says. “If you’re having any symptoms: change in bowel habits, blood in the stools, weight loss, you want to be aware of it and bring it to your provider because you really want to go forward with a colonoscopy.”

If colon cancer is caught in the early stages, survivability percentages are high. However, in the later stages, the percentages fall off quickly, so it’s crucial that people get their screenings early and often.

For more information on Blue Day, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and colon cancer, check out the Colorectal Cancer Alliance website.

Story by Kory Lanphear

Photo by Erika Bratten-Cianca