June 13, 2007

Avera McKennan Announces Construction of On-Campus Lodging for Patients and Families

Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center and the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation recently announced the launch of a capital campaign to fund the construction of the Nano Nagle Hospitality Home on the Avera McKennan campus. The home will provide lodging to patients and/or patient families at no charge. When completed, the Nano Nagle Hospitality Home will be more than 16,000 square feet and have the capacity to serve 16 to 20 families at one time. In addition, there will be a large common space and garden area, as well as a caretaker apartment.

Total estimated construction cost for the home is $3 million. On May 22, 2007, Tom Walsh, president and founder of Los Cabos Children’s Foundation, announced a matching gift of $1.5 million toward the project. The gift honors the five-year relationship between Avera and the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation, which provides medical treatment for children of the Los Cabos area both in Mexico and the United States. The Nano Nagle Hospitality Home will include two guest rooms designated for children and families traveling to Avera McKennan from Los Cabos for life-saving medical care. “All children’s lives are sacred,” says Walsh. “Whatever we do to help one child, helps all children. Our Nano Nagle Hospitality Home will provide support, hope and a better future for all involved.”

Residents Satisfied at Avera Mother Joseph Manor

Avera Mother Joseph Manor is ranked in the top 2 percent of 571 nursing facilities nationwide for resident satisfaction. “This impressive accomplishment reflects the dedication of our staff to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our residents and their families while they are in our care,” said Tom Snyder, administrator of Avera Mother Joseph Manor.

In the Press Ganey survey, Avera Mother Joseph Manor ranked at the 98th percentile during the first quarter of 2007 for resident/family satisfaction. Avera Mother Joseph Manor, an 81-bed skilled nursing facility, is part of Avera Mother Joseph Manor Retirement Community, which includes independent senior living apartments at Davis Court, semi-independent living in supportive care apartments, and assisted living in apartments at Nano Nagle Village.

Avera Leaders in Ministry Program Cohort Named

The 2007-2008 Avera Leaders in Ministry cohort includes from Avera Health: Rob Bates, senior vice president of Managed Care Services; Matt Michels, general counsel, and Michelle Walter, director of Human Resources; from Avera St. Luke’s: Ron Jacobson, president and CEO; from Avera St. Anthony’s: Paula Hunke-Davis, director of Respiratory Care/Sleep Lab; from Avera St. Benedict: Rita Blasius, assistant administrator and CFO, and Linda Reichert, director of Activities; from Avera Queen of Peace: Karen Klinkner, director of Nutrition Services, and Chris Lippert, director of OR/SDS/Central Registration/Bariatric Services; from Avera McKennan: Randy Anderson, regional administrator of Network Operations, Michelle Lavallee, senior vice president of Marketing and Communications, John Mathison, administrator of Specialty Clinics, and Fred Slunecka, president and CEO; from Avera Sacred Heart: Doug Ekeren, vice president of Planning and Development; and Kim Jensen, vice president of Human Resources. The Avera Leaders in Ministry Program is a nine-month program to assist leaders in deepening personal spirituality and to equip them to foster spirituality across the organization. Designed to integrate theological education and spiritual formation, the program has a strong focus on both understanding the Catholic tradition and fostering the diverse gifts of each participant’s own spiritual tradition.

AHA Honors Avera McKennan Health Care Clinic

The Avera McKennan Health Care Clinic recently received the American Hospital Association (AHA) Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE) in the category Community Service Programs. The clinic provides health services to individuals without medical insurance and primary medical care without charge. Constructed with volunteer community talent, the clinic opened in 1992. Volunteer nurses and physicians assist staff to provide preventative care and health information; diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and injuries; assistance in obtaining specialty care for patients with complex cases; and programs promoting wellness. The clinic also serves to train physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.

The AHA HAVE Awards program is in its 24th year of highlighting the extraordinary efforts of volunteer programs and the impact their contributions have on the patients, hospitals, health systems and communities they serve.

Avera Sacred Heart Transforming Care

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital is one of only two hospitals in the state and one of only 68 hospitals in the nation that will be participating in the Transforming Care at the Bedside Project. The two-year project is paid for by a $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and executed by the American Organization of Nurse Executives. The goal of the project is to increase nurse satisfaction and retention and to improve the quality of care in hospital medical/surgical units.

The initiative has a framework for change built around improvements in four main categories: safe and reliable care; vitality and teamwork; patient-centered care; and value-added care processes. Nurses and other staff identify areas for improvement in the four categories, test, refine and implement ideas to change care delivery.

Avera McKennan Seeks Genetic Research Support

On May 22, 2007, area business and community leaders and other elected officials attended a presentation by Dr. James Hudziak, professor of psychiatry, medicine and pediatrics at the University of Vermont. The occasion was the announcement by Avera McKennan of a $1.5 million commitment to the Avera Institute of Human Behavioral Genetics over the next three years. Hudziak is a consultant for the institute.

The Institute’s 1,000-square-foot genetics lab is housed in the Avera Behavioral Health Center. Construction started in January 2007. Fred Slunecka, president and CEO of Avera McKennan, said Avera will need $5 million to establish a basic core program. Research projects will be conducted in collaboration with the psychiatry department at the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota and the College of Pharmacy at South Dakota State University. First genetic testing could begin as early as July, depending on fundraising success. Collaborative support from the Sioux Falls School District and the Sioux Empire United Way is being sought to develop a pilot program for the study.

Avera Sacred Heart MRI Unit Accredited

The Avera Sacred Heart Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Unit has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation through a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer review  conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.

Avera McKennan Orthopedics Program First in Region to Receive Certification

Avera McKennan’s hip and knee replacement program recently earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality. On May 22, 2007, the Joint Commission awarded Avera McKennan with Disease-Specific Care Certification for hip and knee replacement. Avera McKennan’s is the first program in the region to receive this distinction, and is one of only 18 certified programs in the nation.

Carol Kooi, nurse manager of Avera McKennan’s Orthopedic Unit, said Avera McKennan’s orthopedic staff set a goal of becoming a Center of Excellence for joint replacement, and pursued the Joint Commission certification as a validation of the program’s excellence. A key focus of the Joint Commission in certification is documentation of evidence-based care. In 2006, Avera McKennan performed 908 knee and hip replacement procedures. In 2007, Avera McKennan received five-star ratings for Clinical Excellence from HealthGrades for total hip replacement and hip fracture repair. Orthopedics is one of the hospital’s top 10 service lines with 2,590 discharges in 2006.