Latest news with #AveraHealth
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Altru still waiting for final acquisition of Devils Lake hospital. The final step? Approval from the Vatican
May 9—DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — Altru Health System's acquisition of CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake, once expected to be completed by the end of March, is waiting on one last step before it can be finalized, Altru CEO Todd Forkel said. That step? Approval from the Vatican. "It's really a wait-and-see as that final step gets done," Forkel said. The hope of a springtime takeover came and went as Altru continues to wait for the current owner, CommonSpirit Health, to get the faith-based hospital taken off the Catholic registry — an act that needs approval by an office at the Vatican. It's the last step before the acquisition, which started in June 2024 , can be completed. While waiting, Altru has named a future CEO for the hospital — Ellendale, North Dakota, native Tanner White . White said he's excited to begin his work at the hospital, and it's important for him to get involved in the community. Devils Lake Mayor Jim Moe said previously that the new CEO will be put on some committees in the city, and White is ready to get started. "I spent 14 years in Aberdeen (South Dakota) and I've been involved in all different sorts of committees, from the chamber to local golf course board to everything in between," he said. "Going to the Devils Lake region, I think it's important to get myself involved in those boards and committees, so I look forward to jumping at those opportunities as they present themselves." A hospital plays a pivotal role in a community, Forkel said, and he believes White will get involved early on. White has seven years of experience working with South Dakota-based Avera Health in multiple leadership roles, including vice president of network operations, director of therapy services and regional manager of philanthropy, an Altru announcement said. He also served as a liaison between Avera Health and several critical-access hospital boards, which led to him apply for the Devils Lake position. "I just really have come to love rural health care," he said. "I grew up in rural North Dakota, so I know what it means to provide good, quality care, and I decided it's time to take the next step, and maybe get hands-on in my own critical-access hospital." Altru conducted a regional search through the upper Midwest for the CEO position and received more than 30 applications, said Forkel, who also has ties to Avera and Aberdeen and knew White. Forkel said there's a comfort level in knowing White will be a good fit for the organization. "I got to see firsthand that he's a high-quality leader," Forkel said. "He's really good at building a great organizational culture and so that really has always stood out in the past, and definitely during the interview process. He's great at getting input from staff, building relationships, recognizing others for the work that they do and connecting them to purpose."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A South Dakota city is pioneering nurse apprenticeships for English-as-second-language residents
Norma Torres Ortiz, a registered nurse with the Huron Regional Medical Center, works with a patient. (Courtesy of Huron Regional Medical Center) Norma Torres Ortiz quit her full-time job at a Huron nursing home in February 2019 to spend her days studying for the national nurse licensure exam. Her first language isn't English, it's Spanish. Originally from Puerto Rico, she still considers English a struggle. To pass a challenging professional exam in a language she's still learning, she had to work twice as hard. It took the 47-year-old two years to pass the test, succeeding in June 2019. Now, she's a travel nurse contracted with Avera Health and working part time at the Huron Regional Medical Center. 'Every single time I write 'RN' by my name, I stop and feel so grateful,' Torres Ortiz said. 'I didn't think I'd ever pass.' After moving to South Dakota in 2018 in the years after being displaced by Hurricane Maria, Torres Ortiz learned that many other non-English-speaking U.S. citizens, immigrants and refugees with professional nursing backgrounds live in the Huron area. But like she was initially, they were standing along meatpacking assembly lines or cleaning houses. Studying for the licensure exam, or NCLEX, would mean they'd have to study English harder, take time off work or quit their jobs entirely, she said. It's a missed opportunity, Torres Ortiz said, as health care systems in Huron, elsewhere in South Dakota and across the country suffer a nursing shortage. South Dakota is projected to have one of the highest nursing shortages in the county by 2030. There are 11 nursing vacancies at Huron Regional Medical Center currently. So Torres Ortiz led an effort to help non-English speaking nurses study for the exam. It turned into the state's first registered nursing apprenticeship through Huron Regional Medical Center. The program was approved by the state in February. Apprenticeship serves as alternative to international hiring program Larger health care systems like Sanford, Avera and Monument are building international nursing programs, recruiting and hiring nurses through work visas. International nurses must also pass the NCLEX to work in the state. Avera Health has commitments from more than 170 international nurses, with one starting with the hospital system this year and another six planning to start working before the end of the year. Monument has hired international nurses since 2017. Though the program in western South Dakota has employed about 30 nurses a year, the program has dwindled to less than 10 due to federal visa backlogs. Sanford employs more than 700 internationally trained nurses across its five-state footprint, with plans to hire another 300 in the coming year or two. Employing international nurses is a 'long-term strategy' to stabilize the health care workforce, said Erica DeBoer, system vice president and chief nursing officer with Sanford. 'With an aging workforce and population, there's truly not enough individuals to help care for all the patients that need our support,' DeBoer said. Smaller systems like Huron can't afford to hire large numbers of international nurses through an agency, said Brooke Sydow, program manager for the health system. The study group and apprenticeship program allows the system to tap into a market beyond its traditional university and technical college pipeline. And apprenticeship programs aren't new to the health system. Sydow said the system launched a practical nursing apprenticeship to build its workforce in 2018. A licensed practice nurse provides basic nursing care to patients and works under the supervision of registered nurses. Reflecting the diversity of the Huron community Apprentices start the new program by taking a medical language course for English language learners, enrolling in the licensing exam preparation class and training at the Huron hospital alongside a veteran nurse. There are five students in the group, which started in May last year, though Torres Ortiz hopes to see more join. The classes alone cost the hospital about $1,350 per person. Sydow expects the total cost per apprentice will vary between $25,000 and $50,000, depending on how long they shadow another staff member. Sydow plans to cover all, or nearly all, expenses for apprentices through the hospital or with state funding, to financially support apprentices while they train so they can quit their other jobs and focus on their education. She plans to hire three apprentices in the first round. It's worth the cost, Sydow said, because the health care system is investing in Huron's increasingly diverse community. Beadle County is 68% white, 15% Hispanic or Latino and 12% Asian, according to 2023 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The county has the highest percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents in the state. That diversity is largely due to refugees from the Karen ethnic group, originally from Myanmar (formerly Burma), who moved to Huron starting in 2006, initially to work at a turkey plant. A wave of Hispanic immigrants moved to the county since 2000, also attracted by food processing and manufacturing plants. 'We're trying to make our workforce reflect our community population,' Sydow said. 'So that's a big piece of it: helping the community feel more connected and at home, so we have practitioners, providers and nurses who are the same as them.' Torres Ortiz would like to help more Puerto Ricans fill immediate nursing needs in South Dakota. Before she moved to Florida in 2017 after being displaced by Hurricane Maria, she earned her bachelor's degree in nursing in Puerto Rico. But she wasn't able to find a job because there were too few positions for the number of nurses at that time, she said. Instead, she cleaned houses and businesses. She followed her son to South Dakota after he started working in the area. 'When you post a nursing job in Puerto Rico, you could get 20 applications in an hour,' Torres Ortiz said. 'Here in Huron, you wait months to find and hire someone.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ringing the bell was a surreal moment
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Avera Race Against Cancer is coming up in two weeks. This year, there's going to be a new team of runners lead by a young woman who just finished her last round of radiation. Surrounded by her husband and two boys, Kate Patrick got to ring the bell after her final round of radiation treatment Monday. 'My word I used today was surreal, it's a moment that you know is coming, but until you're here, it almost doesn't feel like today is real,' Patrick said. Patrick was diagnosed with breast cancer last June at 37. Rosebud Sioux Tribe declares state of emergency 'Hearing the word that they were very concerned it was cancerous is something that just hits you like a brick wall, because you know a lot of people who cancer is a part of their story, but you think it'll never be you,' Patrick said. 'Kate has a unique story, she is actually too young to be doing screening mammograms, she noticed a lump in her breast and under her arm,' Dr. Ally Higgins, a breast medical oncologist with Avera Health said. Patrick underwent five months of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation and had a double mastectomy here at the Prairie Center of Avera Health. 'Kate is an amazing woman and amazing patient, she takes very good care of herself from a health perspective and she's been very resilient through what is a long course of treatment,' Higgins said. Patrick says surviving breast cancer is by far the toughest thing she's ever gone through, but she knew she had to what she had to do. 'That mind set of here we go, we are going to move forward, we are going to fight and keeping a positive mind set through it all, not always easy but unfortunately sitting in the yuck doesn't do us any good,' she said. Getting screened early can save your life. 'It's very important, even if you don't have a strong family history of breast cancer to understand that breast cancer is very common, 12% of women in their life will get breast cancer,' Higgins said. That's why Patrick has a message to others who might find themselves in a similar situation, surround yourself with family and friends. 'The village of people who showed up friends and family, right those are expected, but the village that showed up beyond that was something that our family will never forget,' she said. The Avera Race Against Cancer is May 10. Patrick has a team of about 15 to 20 runners who will compete in the 5k. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
One gender care option ends, patients face hurdles
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – When Jack Fonder heard that gender-affirming care ended at Avera Health, he acted fast to connect transgender patients to the care they needed. 'When you talk about losing access to health care, that does affect a lot of people,' said Fonder, outreach facilitator for the Transformation Project. Would FEMA cut cost South Dakota millions? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gender-affirming care is defined as healthcare that supports a patient's gender identity, in treatments such as medical (hormonal replacement or surgery), behavioral, psychological and social. Over the past month, Fonder learned through many voices at the Transformation Project that transgender patients received letters from their Avera physicians stating an end to gender-affirming care. 'Within the Avera health system, we have some really great allies, doctors, nurses that are 100% OK with serving all of the population of Sioux Falls and surrounding areas,' said Fonder. 'What it looks like now is, unfortunately, individuals do have to find a different healthcare provider.' In a statement provided to KELOLAND News, Avera Health said the following: Avera treats all people who come to us with dignity and respect. As a Catholic healthcare provider, there are certain interventions we do not provide. In such situations, patients have the opportunity to seek a provider that would offer those interventions. Avera Health In 2023, South Dakota passed a law banning gender-affirming care for anyone under the age of 18. The U.S. Supreme Court is also considering a case regarding gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors. 'I'm a trans person myself, too, so I know how important this care is, and I know how hard it is when you have to just constantly worry about am I going to have access to the care that I need to survive every day?' Fonder said. As Fonder explained, finding new health care options as a transgender person can be difficult. A transgender or gender diverse person seeking gender-affirming care must present a letter from a therapist to access care from a physician, Fonder explained. This could be a months-long process for individuals, as scheduling appointments for either a therapist or doctor can book out fast. 'That's not good because when you are on hormone replacement therapy, you need your prescriptions to be filled in a timely manner,' said Fonder. 'It's very important that you stay on those things on a schedule.' On one hand, there's receiving timely care, and on the other hand, there's making sure insurance covers that care, Fonder added. He said transgender individuals with Avera-only insurance will face a new struggle. Alleged victims of former massage therapist in detail claims of inappropriate touching 'They're going to have to start paying out of pocket to go to other places to get to have access to the care that they need,' said Fonder. Fonder encourages anyone in the community to reach out to the Transformation Project if they've lost access to healthcare through Avera Health. Fonder said the Transformation Project can help connect transgender patients to new doctors and therapists, or offer support to anyone feeling overwhelmed by the entire process. 'It's terrible, but it was good that we knew and we were able to kind of inform some of our clients and our population of people that we work with so they could start taking steps to move forward with what they needed to do in that situation,' said Fonder. The Transformation Project is an organization supports transgender individuals and their families, while educating state communities about gender identity and expression, according to its website. According to its website, Avera Health is a non-profit, ministry-driven health system in the upper Midwest that offers over 60 medical specialties. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Clinic-based food pantries bridge the gap between healthcare and hunger
Mar. 20—PARKSTON, S.D. — More than 80,000 South Dakotans struggle with food insecurity, including one in nine children and one in 12 adults. Food insecurity doesn't just affect nutrition — it impacts overall health, making it harder for individuals to recover from illness, manage chronic conditions and maintain well-being. Now, a new partnership between Avera Health and Feeding South Dakota is tackling the issue where it intersects most critically with health — inside hospitals and clinics. Avera and Feeding South Dakota have introduced clinic-based food pantries to provide immediate relief to patients facing food insecurity while also connecting them with long-term support. Through a $5.4 million, five-year federal Healthy Start grant, these wellness pantries aim to bridge the gap between medical care and access to nutritious food. By addressing food insecurity at the point of care, the initiative ensures that vulnerable patients receive not only treatment but also the essential nutrition needed to support their recovery and overall health. The idea for this initiative had been developing for years among both Feeding South Dakota staff and Avera's top officials. Every three to five years, Avera conducts a community needs assessment survey, and food insecurity has consistently emerged as a top concern among patients. The collaboration made sense to leaders of both organizations. "It's a true testament of what can happen when organizations bring together their expertise," said Megan Kjose, chief development officer of Feeding South Dakota. The program first launched at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, where patients at the main campus are screened for food insecurity. If a patient is identified as needing assistance, they receive an emergency supply of shelf-stable items, dairy products, and fresh produce. In addition to providing immediate relief, care teams also refer patients to local food pantries for ongoing support, helping to create a more sustainable solution to food insecurity. With its initial success, Avera expanded the program beyond Sioux Falls to Avera St. Benedict Hospital in Parkston, ensuring that rural communities also have access to essential food resources. At Avera St. Benedict, clinic and hospital patients have been screened for social determinants of health for well over a year. In November, food insecurity was officially added to the screening process. "We're asking diabetic patients to eat healthily to meet their goals, but if we're not assessing their access to food, we're not doing our job," said Lindsay Weber, president and CEO of Avera St. Benedict Health Center. At the Parkston clinic, every patient is now asked about food insecurity. If they indicate concerns about securing their next meal, staff assess household size and discreetly provide an emergency supply of food from the wellness pantry. The food, dispersed confidentially by nursing staff, includes proteins, fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. Each bag also comes with a produce prescription — vouchers to the Parkston Food Center for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables — ensuring that patients have access to both shelf-stable and fresh food options. "This allows patients to not only have access to shelf-stable items but also gives them access to healthy food sources at the local grocery store," Weber explained. Since its implementation, the pantry at Avera St. Benedict has distributed over 60 bags of food. Each distribution is documented electronically in the patient's medical record, allowing the clinic to track needs, monitor trends and better understand food insecurity in the community. While not open to the general public, the pantry functions as a critical emergency resource for patients identified through screenings. In 2024, 72,000 South Dakotans were identified as food insecure, and it's projected that 106,000 will be affected in 2025. This highlights the urgency of addressing food insecurity now, before it reaches even greater levels, Kjose said. Kjose noted that 65% of food-insecure residents do not qualify for federal food assistance programs, leaving a significant gap in available resources. By embedding food support within a medical setting, Avera and Feeding South Dakota are working to close that gap. Avera Vice President of Communications Lindsey Meyer describes food insecurity as a silent problem — one that patients may feel more comfortable admitting to their healthcare providers. Because of this trust, wellness pantries serve as an effective model for ensuring patients have access to the food they need. As patients open up to their healthcare providers about their struggles with food insecurity, Avera staff see firsthand the impact of these conversations. "Patients trusting us and opening up to us is great. Being able to have that conversation with them is rewarding," Weber said. Feeding South Dakota has been tackling hunger in South Dakota communities for 50 years this year, marking a major milestone in its mission to combat food insecurity. Over the decades, the organization has developed a variety of programs to reach those in need, and this partnership with Avera represents a new step in addressing hunger directly within healthcare settings. Avera has previously partnered with Feeding South Dakota to support its mobile food pantry, which serves 55 counties. Avera has helped fund and expand the pantry's reach, adding seven distribution locations within its service area to better assist communities facing hunger. As the program continues to develop, Avera hopes to expand clinic-based food pantries to additional regional sites, integrating food security further into patient care. While specific locations for future expansions have yet to be determined, the goal is to refine and replicate the model in other healthcare settings, demonstrating how health systems can play a direct role in addressing hunger. "We're committed to being pioneers in these models," Weber said. "Avera Parkston has always been willing to trial initiatives that will positively impact our communities. We're excited and grateful to have the opportunity to better serve our patients."
