Avera Health

In The Moment ... October 10. 2018 Show 439 Hour 1

Big news come from Avera Health this morning as they have received a 7.8 million dollar grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to build a 24 hour telemedicine behavioral health team as part of Avera eCare.

The team will provide care out of Avera eCare's virtual hub, both in and out of the hospital.

A recent study shows 65% of the country’s non-metropolitan counties do not have a psychiatrist, and nearly half don’t have a psychologist. As mental health needs continue to rise, telemedicine may offer a solution for rural areas lacking access to those services. On Wednesday, the Helmsley Charitable Trust announced a grant to establish a first-of-its-kind behavioral health service through Avera’s eCARE center in Sioux Falls. 

Avera Health is hosting an art exhibit that highlights Lakota perspectives of the Wounded Knee Massacre. The display is in partnership with the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies.  

The exhibit is called “Takuwe,” which is the Lakota word for “Why.” It’s the third exhibit Avera’s Prairie Center has hosted in partnership with CAIRNS, but the first to focus on such a historic moment in both state and tribal history.

The rates for both suicide deaths and drug overdoses are highest in rural America, and those statistics continue to rise in South Dakota. On Thursday in Sioux Falls, Avera Health and the Department of Justice held a conference to help community members respond to the ongoing crisis. 

This is the fifth year that Avera and the DOJ have partnered for a conference on a particular topic. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons says this year’s theme suggested itself.

The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine is partnering with Avera Health to help Native American students pursue a medical degree. The first recipient of the Avera Health American Indian Scholarship Program Fund was announced Wednesday in Sioux Falls. 

Avera Health is awarding a more-than $126,000 grant to Feeding South Dakota. The money will help the organization provide food to rural communities through its Mobile Food Pantry Program. 

Matt Gassen is the CEO of Feeding South Dakota. During the announcement in the organization’s food warehouse in Sioux Falls, he says more than 100 thousand South Dakotans are considered “food insecure.” Many are in the state’s most rural areas.

South Dakota’s rural communities often lack resources to combat drug and alcohol addiction. Thanks to a new grant, Avera Health is looking to expand its telehealth services in some under-served areas. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration is awarding Avera a $750,000  grant to expand its addiction recovery services. The project starts with the Avera clinics in Flandreau and Aberdeen.

Malia Holbeck is the outpatient manager for Avera’s addiction recovery program. She says telemedicine can help bridge the gap for areas that lack certain services.

In The Moment ... June 7, 2018 Show 353 Hour 2

Avera Health has only had one CEO since its inception, though it's worth noting the organizations that preceeded it go back more than a century. John Porter had the helm for 44 years.

Now, a new leader steps into the role as Porter retires. Bob Sutton has been named Avera's new President and CEO.

He most recently served as Avera Executive Vice President of Human Recources, but his leadership experience spans decades and includes work as President of the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Avera Health is welcoming its first new CEO is more than 40 years. The organization announces Bob Sutton as the successor to retiring CEO John Porter.  

Bob Sutton is a South Dakota native, current president of the Board of Regents, and has held a variety of positions within the Avera system since he was first hired in 20-13. His most recent position was Executive Vice President of Human Resources.

Avera Health plans to build an Addiction Care Center on its new campus at 69th and Louise in Sioux Falls. Avera psychiatrist Dr. Matthew Stanley says an estimated 10%-15% of the general population struggles with some kind of chemical dependency. 

After 44 years with the Avera Health system, President and CEO John Porter is retiring. His tenure spanned decades of growth, including the joining of the Benedictine and Presentation health systems into Avera Health in 2000.

John Porter has a few major milestones to celebrate. After a more than four-decade career with Avera, this next year sees his 70th birthday and his 50th wedding anniversary. After reflecting with his wife, Porter says that's why now seems like the perfect time to move on.

In The Moment ... December 12, 2017 Show 238 Hour 2 

Jennifer Kirby was recently recognized as "Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser" at the 2017 Governor's Awards for Philanthropy.

Avera Health was named "Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation."

Lindsey Meyers, with Avera Health, and Jennifer Kirby joins us for a conversation about philanthropy in South Dakota and how personal connections drive the way we help one another.

First responders and medical professionals are assessing their performance during a mock helicopter crash. They held the drill Tuesday morning. Crews began by pretending they had Avera helicopter on the Sanford landing pad and people were hurt. 

Avera leaders say a new campus in Sioux Falls can better serve people with specialty health needs and promote economic growth. Wednesday Avera Health announced plans for building projects including new buildings and a surgical hospital.

Avera on Louise is the name of an additional campus planned for 82 acres at 69th Street and Louise Avenue in Sioux Falls.

Dr. Dave Kapaska is Avera McKennan Hospital’s President and CEO.

A drug that reverses opioid overdose is available in South Dakota without a prescription. The option is a response to national trends in painkiller abuse. Pharmacists at Walgreens can dispense the drug. Starting February 1st, Avera and Hy-Vee pharmacies also offer the medication to keep in case of emergency.

A medicine called naloxone reverses the toxic effects of taking too many painkillers. It’s the generic drug for the brand-name Narcan.

Dr. Matthew Stanley with Avera Health says using the nasal spray is the first step in saving someone who overdoses on opioids.

The first holiday season after someone dies is often difficult for people who loved him or her. It’s full of traditions and gatherings that used to include an important person now gone. One woman says she’s channeling her grief into improving the lives of others because that’s what her son did. 

Melody Hilbert raised three children. Jonah was the second born, sandwiched between two other boys with "J" names.

Some patients with medical needs who don’t require the rigorous attention of hospitals have another option for discharge. Avera in Sioux Falls is now operating a transitional unit to serve people who can leave the hospital but can’t go straight to a nursing home, rehab, or back home.

The State of South Dakota doesn’t allow health providers to add beds for more people in nursing homes, but leaders are making an exception for transitional care.

National health experts are looking to South Dakota strategies as they discuss rural health care. The US Department of Health and Human Services showcased Avera’s telemedicine efforts with viewers around the country. It was part of an effort about National Rural Health Day.

Avera’s eCare services use high-quality video and audio to connect Sioux Falls physicians with small town hospital staff. This allows doctors and nurses to collaborate on treating rural patients in real time.

A new form of radiation therapy allows breast cancer patients to avoid weeks of trips back-and-forth to the hospital. That means some women who live far away from treatment centers don’t have to jeopardize their health if they can’t make it to radiation. A Sioux Falls hospital is one of eight in the country using what's called IORT. 

Eighteen months ago, Lu Rice was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Madison woman knew she needed surgery and radiation. She’s seen people go through treatment for five days a week.

A new agreement preserves health insurance options for 26,000 State of South Dakota employees. State leaders and Sanford Health negotiated to cover state employees at an in-network cost. That allows some DakotaCare patients to see Sanford doctors without huge price increases.

Thousands of South Dakotans must change doctors and clinics if they want their health insurance to cover the care. Starting January 1, 2017, Sanford Health no longer accepts Avera insurance including DakotaCare, and Avera Health in South Dakota isn't taking Sanford Health Plan insurance. That leaves some people who can't afford to pay out of pocket with little choice, and it requires others to leave trusted medical providers to find new services that work with their insurance.

Avera Health is removing its South Dakota hospitals, clinics, and physicians from the Sanford Health Plan. The change means people who have Sanford insurance won’t have coverage if they go to Avera’s providers. It’s the latest development in a health care clash among the state’s two largest health systems.

During his State of the Union address President Barack Obama announced the establishment of a new initiative to accelerate cancer research called Cancer Moonshot. The initiative comes with a billion dollar pledge and is being led by Vice-President Joe Biden. The goal is to make therapies available to more patients and also improve early detection. Last week the vice president held a nationwide summit. We are recreating the panel that met at Avera Health in Sioux Falls on Dakota. Midday.

Guests Include:

Dr. Luis Rojas - Avera Medical Group Gynecologic Oncology

On this week's edition of Dakota Digest, Bill Clinton visited Sioux Falls to campaign for his wife - Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Also, SDPB's Jim Kent covers a senior prom. However, this prom isn't for high school seniors. The honey bee population continues its decline, and Avera is launching a new study to track twins.

First-year medical students are tapping into new technologies that support health providers in rural areas. Avera’s eCare facility provides live video access to specialists and emergency physicians to support providers in different circumstances. Some students say it makes them more confident in pursuing work in rural medicine. 

Medical students in short white coats surround a mannequin. Three volunteers in blue paper gowns take direction from a physician on a TV screen who walks them through life-saving techniques.

Avera Health is buying insurance organization DakotaCare. Company leaders are not revealing the purchase price. Talks started two weeks ago, and representatives for both entities could reach a final deal by the end of this month. Leaders say customers and employees likely won’t notice changes in the short term.

The board chair for DAKOTACARE says health insurance reform can be good for consumers but difficult on insurance companies. Doctor Kevin Bjordahl says sometimes making insurance affordable for a patient puts a strain on insurance providers.

Cancer researchers in Sioux Falls are now part of an international group collaborating on personalized treatment. Avera Cancer Institute is one of five American institutions partnering in a consortium referred to as WIN. Doctors say the revelations can help people with cancer at all stages.

Standard cancer treatments are often based on therapies that work for most people. Doctor Brian Leyland-Jones says everyone is different – and so are their cancers. He says tumors have different genes, compositions and signaling pathways.

Medical professionals from six small hospitals across South Dakota are learning how to handle complications during childbirth. Avera Health teams of doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other care providers are working in teams in critical simulations.

Eight medical professionals crowd around a simulator that forces them to figure out how to deliver a baby when its shoulders are stuck. Trainers use a device to measure the pressure a doctor or nurse puts on a baby while trying to free the newborn.