Industry Progress: Health Care

AVERA, MERITCARE NAMED TO LIST OF NATION'S 100 MOST WIRED HOSPITALS

Sioux Falls-based Avera Health and MeritCare of Fargo have been named to the 2009 Most Wired Hospital list by Hospital & Health Networks, a journal of the American Hospital Association. MeritCare and Avera Health are two of only five hospitals nationwide to be named to the list all 11 years since its inception in 1998. Avera Health was also named to a list of the most wireless hospitals released along with the 100 most wired list. The 100 Most Wired Hospitals list is based on a survey and benchmarking study that measures the use of information technology for safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce, public health and safety. More than 550 health care systems representing 1,314 hospitals throughout the nation responded to the survey. The organizations with the highest survey scores were named to the 100 most wired list.

LAKE REGION HEALTHCARE BEGINS PALLIATIVE CARE

Fergus Falls, MN-based Lake Region Healthcare has added a palliative care program to expand the focus of care to improving the quality of life by helping to ease the suffering of patients from chronic or serious illnesses. Palliative care involves caring for, rather than curing patients, by providing intensive pain management and social, spiritual and emotional support. Lake Region Healthcare’s palliative care team, which includes nurse Sue Risbrudt (left), internist Dr. Bruce Money (second from left), chaplain Rev. Bradley Skogen (second from right) and social services manager Nancy Swendsrud (right), began working with patients in July.

LEAD-DEADWOOD REGIONAL HOSPITAL PILOTING TELEPHARMACY PROGRAM IN SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota’s Lead-Deadwood Regional Hospital is piloting a telepharmacy program that allows medication to be distributed safely and accurately without a pharmacist on site. The hospital’s new telepharmacy equipment costs more than $27,000 and is expected to save more than $106,000 annually. Part of the funding was provided by a payout from the dissolution of the Western Plains Health Consortium and the Lead-Deadwood Regional Hospital Foundation with the remainder covered by contingency funding.

GROUP ENDS FIGHT OVER PLANNED MERGER BETWEEN SANFORD HEALTH AND MERITCARE

The Citizens for MeritCare group that opposed the proposed merger between Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health and Fargo-based MeritCare has halted its effort to slow down the potential merger between the regional health care giants. The group expressed concern that the merger would result in consolidation of administrative services and would ultimately lead to job losses at MeritCare. Officials from MeritCare and Sanford have said publicly that they expect to add jobs, not cut them. A definitive merger agreement could be in place this month and the merger could take effect as early as next month if it is approved by both health care organizations’ boards. It is still possible the merger could be opposed by the North Dakota attorney general’s office during a 90-day review period that expires in early November.

SANFORD USD MEDICAL CENTER TECHNOLOGY TO HELP IN TREATMENT OF GALLSTONES

Sanford Clinic Gastroenterology at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls is the first clinic in Sanford Health’s coverage area to start using a new technology to diagnose and treat conditions like obstructions and stones within the bile tract. The technology, known as SpyGlass Direct Visualization System, includes a miniature 6,000-pixel fiber optic probe that provides physicians with a direct view of a patient’s bile duct, overcoming some of the visual challenges of conventional procedures.

ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL IN DICKINSON, ND, DESIGNATED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL

Dickinson, ND-based St. Joseph’s Hospital has been designated as a Critical Access Hospital. As part of an agreement with a hospital in Richardton, ND, the Richardton facility will relinquish its Critical Access Hospital status and become a nursing home, allowing St. Joseph’s to gain critical access status. Federal law does not allow two facilities within a 35-mile radius to both have critical access status. Senator Kent Conrad authored a provision in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act last fall that gave Richardton access to up to $1 million to help in the transition to a nursing home. Senator Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl Pomeroy secured an additional $809,000 in the Omnibus Appropriations bill this spring to help Richardton purchase nursing home beds and make physical improvements in order to transition to meet nursing home safety codes.

WETZEL NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MEDCENTER ONE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CLINICS

Jeff Wetzel has been named executive director of Medcenter One Occupational Health Clinics with Bismarck-based Medcenter One. Wetzel is responsible for providing direction, leadership and management for the occupational health clinic that has locations in Bismarck and Dickinson, ND. Wetzel previously served as injury rehabilitation and prevention manager at Medcenter One Occupational Health Clinic.

ST. MARY'S INNOVIS HEALTH IN DETROIT LAKES, MN, RECEIVES LEVEL III TRAUMA DESIGNATION

The Minnesota Department of Health has officially designated St. Mary’s Innovis Health in Detroit Lakes, MN, as a Level III trauma hospital. Level III trauma designations are for hospitals with dedicated emergency physicians, an on-call surgery staff with X-ray and lab capabilities.

SANFORD HEALTH TO OPEN CHILDREN'S CLINIC IN BELIZE

Belize will be the site of Sanford Health’s first international children’s clinic. The new Sanford Children’s Clinic Belize is expected to open in 2011 in Belize City. Sanford Children’s Clinic Belize will work collaboratively with a number of organizations to assist in development and ongoing operations. Sanford Health also opened its first Sanford Children’s World Clinic location in Duncan, OK, in August.

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