A lot of you probably start your day by reading the paper. Directors at the Avera Heart Hospital start their day by delivering the paper to all the patients rooms. We'll show you why they say that's helping with patient care.

Beth Weber and Jolee Thurn look forward to their weekly walk and getting out from behind their desks as directors at the Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota in Sioux Falls to do a little foot patrol for their executive paper route.

Beth tells Jolee as they approach the first patients room, " I tell you what, this beats when I was younger and had to get up at four in the morning and go out in the elements. This is the most fun part of the day."

Jolee walks in to Gary Peterson's room and introduces herself to the Marshall, Minnesota man. "Good morning. How are you? I'm Jolee Thurn from downstairs in human resources and it's my turn to deliver the Argus. Is everything OK?

While patients are excited to read all about it, administrators are happy to hear all about it.

Jolee says, " Says it's an opportunity for especially non-clinical folks a chance to meet the patients and families. It's been very very rewarding and it's an opportunity we haven't had before that."

Beth knocks and goes into Vinton Wendt's room from Fedora, SD. "Good morning Vinton. How are you. I'm Beth Weber director of imaging services and I wanted to check to see how you are doing?

They also checked in on Kathy Medeiros from Willow Lake who is recovering at the hospital.

Beth says, "The paper delivery service gives us a lot of satisfaction that we are doing a good job for our patients. When we go in and talk to them in the morning, they tell us stories we would not hear and find out things we wouldn't have had we not gone in and talked to them. And if there is something we can change or fix before they leave, we will do so immediately."

You don't have to read between the lines here.

Jolee says, "I always say a paper delivery day is a great day. It's a great way to start the day and we love it."
Beth says, 'It's a great experience."

Don't think for a second the president of the hospital doesn't carry his fair share of the paper weight.  Jon Soderholm does his delivering duties every Monday and even comes in on the weekend to deliver papers and talk with patients.