Author: Stephany Chalberg

Wall, S.D. (Nov. 13, 2023) – Monument Health is pleased to announce the upgrade of its X-ray services at the Wall Clinic, providing enhanced imaging capabilities to the community.

The new X-ray room is the latest investment in the clinic and demonstrates Monument Health’s commitment to providing quality health care services to the community. The new X-ray room is equipped with digital radiologic technology, which provides improved image quality – compared to traditional computerized radiology. This technology also allows for quicker results, as well as reduced radiation dose to patients and caregivers. 

The new X-ray room at Monument Health’s Wall Clinic allows patients to receive high-quality care close to home, reducing travel time and making it more convenient for families to access the health care they need.

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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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Rapid City, SD (Nov. 10, 2023) – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), has released their coveted Digital Health Most Wired Survey results for the 2023 data collection period. Monument Health is proud to announce two Level 7 achievements for the Acute and Ambulatory survey selections.

Among the more than 55,000 facilities represented, Monument Health ranked above peers in categories like analytics and data management, population health, infrastructure, and patient engagement. The survey assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in health care organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.

“We are proud to recognize your organization’s exceptional dedication to digital health excellence,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell.  “Your pioneering performance in the industry not only inspires other organizations by example, but also provides patients around the world with better care.”

“Being recognized as a CHIME Most Wired organization shows that Monument Health not only prioritizes utilizing technology to improve patient care and outcomes, but also takes the security of sensitive patient information seriously. This is crucial in a healthcare environment where data breaches can have devastating consequences, both for the individuals affected and for the healthcare system as a whole,” said Patrick Woodard, M.D., Monument Health Chief Health Care Information Officer.

“To support your planning for the future, we have designed the Digital Health Most Wired program to deliver valuable insights into best practices, HIT adoption patterns, and digital health market trends,” said Branzell. The Digital Health Most Wired survey and recognition program serves as a comprehensive “Digital Health Check-up” for health care organizations across the world.  As success in digital health increasingly determines the quality of patient care, the scope of the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey reflects the progress of leading healthcare providers as they reinvent healthcare for a new century. This remarkable achievement stretches far beyond information technology and reflects an entire organization’s  commitment to improve healthcare through the advancement of digital health strategies.

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About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs), chief innovation officers (CIOs), chief digital officers (CDOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 5,000 members in 58 countries plus two U.S. territories and over 190 healthcare IT business partners and professional services firms, CHIME and its three associations provide a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate, exchange best practices, address professional development needs and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and care in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.

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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute will be extending its cardiac services to include treatment for advanced heart failure. This includes a partnership with the University of Minnesota, which is recognized as a world leader in cardiovascular care. 

Luis Hernandez, M.D., FACC, recently completed an Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, and has been named Monument Health Service Line Lead for Heart Failure. 

“This expansion of services is still in development in many ways. We’re beginning with patients who need more attention and care for their heart failure,” said Dr. Hernandez. “That may include increased medical management, a left assisted ventricular device (LVAD), which is a heart pump, or a heart transplant. We do not offer heart transplantation in Rapid City, but our partnership with the University of Minnesota will allow us to offer our patients these therapies while we continue to provide increased services in our community.’’

Just as important, Dr. Hernandez and his team are working to ensure that cardiac patients will be assessed for potential heart failure in order to catch problems earlier. “We are going to see patients in the hospital, put them on the right medical therapy and provide close follow-up care to help prevent hospital readmission and improve quality of life. By seeing them sooner, we may be able to prevent the need for a heart transplant or an LVAD,” added Dr. Hernandez. “We will also be able to identify and work to alleviate social issues that may be contributing to readmission.” 

Monument Health is continuing to grow the service by hiring more providers for the program, in addition to the established team, to work alongside Dr. Hernandez in the Heart Failure Program. 

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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.

RAPID CITY, SD (Oct. 6, 2023) – Monument Health Supply Chain has received the Curvo Customer Excellence Award for achievements in sourcing performance.

The Award is given to health care supply chains demonstrating outstanding performance in the following five categories, Physician Alignment, Cost Reduction, Supplier Relations, Reduction of Product/Clinical Variation and Technology Utilization.

Curvo Vice President of Customer Experience, Joe Jackson, presented the award on October 3 to Brad Haupt, Vice President of Supply Chain, and Dr. Deepak Manmohan Goyal, Executive Medical Director.

“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished, because ultimately, the goal is to benefit our patients. Through strategic sourcing, we can make a real contribution to affordable, quality healthcare. This is part of our journey towards the creation of a ‘Clinically Integrated Supply Chain’,” said Dr. Goyal.

“The ability to improve on so many aspects of our sourcing processes has transformed our results, and we’re honored to be recognized for it,” said Brad.

Monument Health also reduced medical device costs by $2,800,000 through sourcing efficiency using the Curvo platform, data and services. 

“With this award, we honor the hard-working, innovative teams that serve as models for the modern healthcare supply chain,” said Curvo Co-Founder and CEO, Andy Perry. “This recognition puts a spotlight on how forward-thinking strategies elevate the supply chain to a more efficient, effective role that adds real value to healthcare.”

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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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

About Curvo

Curvo is a healthcare-only technology company focused on software solutions that drive innovation and operational improvements to strengthen financial performance. We power partnerships between clinicians and administration to optimize spend, maximize quality, and make a dent in the cost of healthcare.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 5, 2023) – Physicians, caregivers and patients celebrated the official completion of the Cancer Care Institute expansion and renovation with an official ribbon cutting. The 70,000-square-foot, two-story project began in 2021.

The expanded Cancer Care Institute has more than doubled the space available to treat the growing need for cancer care in the Midwest; serving patients from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming, as well as the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Rosebud reservations. The Cancer Care Institute sees over 40,000 patient visits each year.

“This expanded facility is a testament to our commitment to providing world-class care, close to home,” said Eric Eastmo, M.D., Radiation Oncologist. “The facility paves the way for us to continue to recruit additional specialists and expand access to cancer care.”

The Cancer Care Institute now has adequate space for expanded clinic space and associated exam rooms, 24 private infusion rooms, a large laboratory with privacy bays, a state-of-the-art oncology pharmacy and brachytherapy suite. A high-tech conference room provides greater opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration and community rooms that are available for classes and support groups for patients, families and caregivers. The expansion also includes a wig shop, a prosthetic room for custom-fitting mastectomy bras, a gift shop, salon, several seating areas and a healing garden.

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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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Sept. 29, 2023) – During the month of October, the Monument Health Foundation will be holding three local Monument Health Has Talent competitions across the Black Hills. Monument Health caregivers will be showing off their talents for prizes and a chance to perform at the Board Dinner Finale in December and a grand prize. Performers include a fire breathing dancer, vocalists, a painter, instrumentalists and a silk acrobat.

The public is invited to attend a preliminary show. Tickets are on sale now for $5. Each ticket is good for admission to the competition and one vote towards the People’s Choice Award.

All proceeds to benefit the Monument Health Foundation.

Local Talent Shows held at the following locations:

Thursday, Oct. 12 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Matthew’s Opera House at 612 N Main Street, Spearfish.

Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at 601 Columbus Street, Rapid City.

Friday, Oct. 20 from 6 – 8 p.m. at The Custer Beacon at 351 Washington St., Custer.

To purchase tickets visit monument.health/talent.

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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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Sept. 27, 2023) – Breanna Connett, D.O., board-certified general surgeon, and Marcus Tjeerdsma, M.D., board-certified general surgeon, joined Monument Health’s General Surgery team earlier this month. The addition of these two robotics-trained surgeons expands the ability to provide the most advanced minimally invasive, general surgery services to the region.

Both Dr. Connett and Dr. Tjeerdsma are trained in da Vinci Robotic Surgical Assist System. For patients, the benefits of robotic surgery include smaller incisions, which can alleviate blood loss and reduce risk of infection, among other things.

“The General Surgery Team is dedicated to not only bringing the most advanced surgical systems and techniques to the region but also the best physicians,” said Jacob Weasel, M.D., medical director of general surgery for Monument Health Rapid City Market. “Our surgical team continues to grow to meet the needs of our communities.”

At Monument Health, our surgical care teams in Rapid City and Spearfish include skilled, experienced surgeons and specialists equipped with the latest diagnostic and surgical technology. Patients will now have easy access to a full spectrum of board-certified surgical experts.

“The expansion of the robotics-trained surgical team allows our physicians to care for more patients, close to home,” said Robert Santa-Cruz, M.D., medical director of robotics for Monument Health. “Growing and expanding our team also allows patients to have shorter wait times to see a physician and get the care they need.

Visit with your primary care physician for a referral.

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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 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.