HEALTHeCARE - Avera Health

S U M M E R 2 0 0 6
A
ccording to the results of the 2006 Most
Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study
released in the July 10 issue of Hospitals & Health
Networks, (H&HN) Avera Health is once again on both
the 100 “Most Wired” and 25 “Most Wireless” lists.
Avera is the only health network in the nation to make
both lists every year running since their inception
(“Most Wired” in 1999 and “Most Wireless” in 2004).
Some 13 organizations are new to the list this year.
Avera is the only healthcare organization in South
Dakota to achieve either ranking and one of only seven
organizations in the nation to achieve “Most Wired”
for eight consecutive years.
“These awards really affirm our commitment to
Avera HealtheCARE and the dedicated work of
the 18 teams that are helping reshape Avera’s
technology infrastructure towards implementation
of the electronic medical record,” noted Avera Senior
Vice President of Information Systems Jim Veline.
By investing in technology to streamline business and
clinical practices, the nation’s 100 “Most Wired” use
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VOLUME 28 NUMBER 3
NATION’S ONLY HEALTH NETWORK
TO EARN 8 CONSECUTIVE “MOST WIRED” AND 3 CONSECUTIVE “MOST WIRELESS”
T A K E
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER LEADS WITH PASSION FOR QUALITY
Amid all of the quality buzz and chatter, Avera Health Senior
Vice President and Chief Medical Officer David Erickson, M.D.,
brings purpose and clarity.
David Erickson, M.D.
Senior Vice President and Chief
Medical Officer, Avera Health
“We are positioning
ourselves as one of the
nation’s high-performing
providers that can deliver
high-quality results and
better care to the consumer.”
DR. ERICKSON, EVERYWHERE WE TURN TODAY,
THE QUALITY HEALTHCARE CONVERSATION IS
UNDERWAY. HOW CAN A PERSON KNOW WHAT
IS IMPORTANT?
“Historically, continuous quality
improvement came to health care later
than other industries. However, the
quality conversation has reached a
definite pitch and the volume is going
to continue to rise. With all of the
measuring and reporting going on, it
can be confusing to keep track of what is
measured, who measures it, who reports
information technology to improve clinical outcomes;
to reduce medical errors; and to improve quality,
satisfaction and patient care.
“This will become the new house call,” says Alden
Solovy, executive editor of H&HN, the journal of the
American Hospital Association (AHA). He is referring
to the way that the nation’s 100 “Most Wired”
hospitals and health systems are leading the field in
consumer-directed health care by providing the tools
that consumers need to become increasingly involved
in their healthcare decisions.
H&HN magazine conducts the Most Wired Survey
annually in a blind test and uses the results to name
the 100 “Most Wired” hospitals and health systems.
The survey focuses on how the nation’s hospitals use
information technologies for quality, customer service,
public health and safety, business processes and
workforce issues. Some 1,217 hospitals are represented
in the survey, or roughly 21 percent of U.S. hospitals.
The 2006 survey was conducted in cooperation with
Accenture (a global management consulting,
technology services and outsourcing company),
McKesson Corporation (the world’s largest healthcare
services, technology and automation company), and
the College of Healthcare Information Management
Executives (CHIME). The July H&HN cover story,
detailing results, is available at www.hhnmag.com.
the measurement and why. The most important thing to
remember is that Avera participates in quality initiatives
with the primary goals of improving health care for
consumers and helping physicians and other care providers
do what they do best – provide excellent care.
“Interestingly, a recent report on the CMS - Premier Hospital
Quality Initiative Demonstration Project (HQID) cites another
outcome of quality measurement – cost reduction. Results from
this first national pay-for-performance demonstration show that
adoption of best practices in the treatment of pneumonia or
cardiac bypass patients improves patient care and could trim hospital
spending by up to $1 billion, save up to 3,000 lives, result in 6,000
fewer medical complications and 500,000 fewer patient days spent
in the hospital. This is compelling proof that the process of care can
reduce costs and improve outcomes.”
(continued on pg2)
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P A G E P A G E P A G E P A G E 5
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P A G E 6
P A G E
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P A G E
LEAD STORY
Most Wired
TAKE NOTE
Quality
FULFILLING OUR
MISSION
Mission Leadership
Haiti Project Update
Thoughts on Mission
THIS ISSUE
IN THE COMMUNITY
Community Service Fund
Awards
Avera and CHA
Innovation Forums
Keya Program
AROUND THE SYSTEM
Calendar
“QUALITY MEANS DOING IT RIGHT
WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.”
PEOPLE NEWS
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
The Price is Right
Avera HealtheCARE
Update
-- HENRY FORD

TAKE
(continued from pg1)
EXPLAIN THE HQID PROJECT FOR US.
“Avera’s four South Dakota
regional centers are among
260 hospitals in 38 states
participating in this program
launched in October 2003.
Preliminary data for the second
year shows Avera St. Luke’s
ranking in the first decile of
participating hospitals in heart
failure and pneumonia. Avera
McKennan scored in the second
decile in pneumonia. Avera
Sacred Heart ranked in the first
decile in acute myocardial
infarction, heart failure and
pneumonia. All of our quality
numbers have continued to
steadily improve through
participation in the HQID project.
“The program is a partnership
between the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) and Premier (an alliance
of not-for-profit hospitals and
healthcare systems that helps
healthcare organizations achieve
high levels of clinical quality and
financial performance). The
program pays incentives to
hospitals based on measurable
improvements in 33 evidencebased
quality indicators in five
treatment areas: heart attack,
heart failure, coronary artery
bypass grafting, pneumonia,
and hip and knee replacement.
We have nine quarters of data
from the HQID project and we
are pleased with the results we
have achieved.”
ARE THE RESULTS BEING REPORTED?
“Yes, they are available on both
the CMS and Premier websites.
In addition, this past
month quality reporting
went live on the
websites of the four
participating regional
centers and on the
Avera Health website.
We believe that as a not-forprofit
healthcare system and
community resource, Avera
should let the public know how
we are performing. We have
found that public reporting has
helped us to document our care
more carefully, obtain data that
is more valid and give better care
than we might have without
public reporting. On Avera
websites, the reporting shows
how Avera hospitals measure
in quality compared to others
in the HQID study and those
not participating.”
THERE ARE NUMEROUS QUALITY
INITIATIVES UNDERWAY AT AVERA.
WHICH ARE SOME THAT YOU MOST
WANT US TO BE WATCHING?
“There is so much good work
going on throughout Avera in
terms of quality, some in big
ways, other in small ways, and all
of it very important. Quality guru
Brian Lee says, ‘Excellence
is not doing one thing 1,000
percent better, it is doing 1,000
things 1 percent better.’ Quality
improvement happens when
we take each step mindful of
We’re Caring for Life
Sponsored by the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters
OTE
producing the best outcome
possible.
“That said, there are two
initiatives that I am most excited
about. We are looking at three
quarters of data with Avera
eICU ® CARE. Our mortality
compared to APACHE III
predicted ICU mortality is
outstanding. The life-saving
impact of this project is
consistently demonstrated, with
mortality around 75 percent less
than predicted. We also know
that Avera eICU ® CARE shortens
length-of stay-in the ICU by as
much as 33 percent. Besides
implementing Avera eICU ® CARE
in additional sites throughout the
region, we are testing the first
Avera e ® CARE Mobile Unit. The
mobile unit links directly from
the patient room to the
Avera eICU ® CARE center,
enabling rapid response in
critical care situations. We
believe that this Avera
innovation is soon going to
be the national standard.
“The Quality at the Point of
Service (QPS) Program is
another exciting piece of the
quality infrastructure we are
building through Avera Health
Plans. This quality-improvement
system facilitates successful
practice for physicians
participating in the Avera Health
Plans network. We are helping
physicians keep up with the
issues affecting the healthcare
delivery environment and
improve the care delivered to
patients. The QPS Program is an
integral step for physician
practices wishing to adopt
Avera HealtheCARE.”
DR. ERICKSON, HOW DID YOU COME TO
YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
“South Dakota born-and-bred,
I completed undergraduate work
and medical school at the
University of South Dakota in
Vermillion, and a three-year
family medicine residency at the
University of Colorado. From
1986 to 2000, I practiced in Dell
Rapids and still see patients once
a month in Flandreau. It was
through the Primary Care
Network Council that I
discovered my interest in
administration and quality
projects. So, in 2000, I became
vice president of medical affairs
for Avera Health and medical
director for Avera Health Plans. In
2003, I assumed my current role.
“Today’s health care needs
physician leadership to bring
other physicians to the table.
Physician engagement in our
quality projects is essential.
When they are involved, they
own the process and the product
and give their full support. It is
my passion to bring programs
to physicians that help them get
through their days, as well as
provide good care to patients
and a good work environment
for employees.”
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6
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F U L F I L L I N G O U R ISSION
IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY AVERA. ITS
PURPOSE IS TO COMMUNICATE ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES
PERTINENT TO AVERA, TO SHARE IDEAS AND INFORMATION
USEFUL IN MANAGING OR DELIVERING HEALTH CARE, TO
ASSIST IN FOSTERING A COMMON AVERA CULTURE, AND TO
REINFORCE THE MISSION AND CORE VALUES OF AVERA.
BOOK SELECTED FOR 2006-2007 MISSION LEADERSHIP GROUPS
Beginning this fall, Avera Mission Leadership groups will delve into David K. Shipler’s
The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Preconceived notions are challenged by Shipler’s
profiles of some of the forgotten millions of Americans described in the book. These
individuals live between poverty and well-being, work hard but find the American Dream
entirely out of reach. For these working poor, a minor obstacle such as a car breakdown
or illness drives them deeper into financial quagmire.
Shipler describes lives trapped in a cycle of dead-end jobs without benefits or chances
to move up the ladder. He speaks to a welfare system that does not work for many, is
proudly refused by some and completely unknown by others. “As a culture, the United
States is not quite sure about the causes of poverty, and is therefore uncertain about the
solutions,” he writes. He proposes a combination of approaches to address the problem.
David K. Shipler worked for the New York Times from 1966 to 1988, reporting from New
York, Saigon, Moscow and Jerusalem before serving as chief diplomatic correspondent in
Washington, D.C. He has also written for the New Yorker, the Washington Post and the
Los Angeles Times. He is the author of three other books—Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn
Dreams; Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land (which won the Pulitzer Prize);
and A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America. Mr. Shipler has also taught at
Princeton University, American University in Washington, D.C., and Dartmouth College.
comments,
Q U E S T I O N S ?
EDITOR: CLARE VANBRANDWIJK
Send comments and questions to:
Avera Health
3900 West Avera Drive
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
or allofus@avera.org
For additional information
about Avera, its affiliates
and physicians, or to view
this newsletter online,
please visit our website at
www.avera.org

A team of volunteers made a working visit to Haiti on June 3, 2006.
Pictured (left to right) are Sella Borgum, RN, Avera McKennan; Denise
Blomberg, Avera McKennan; Amanda St. Aubin, RN, Avera Marshall
Regional Medical Center; Bob Spitz, M.D., Connecticut; Teri Hively, HME
technician, Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center; Linda Hanson, MS,
NCP, Avera Gutnik Clinic; Sue Houck, RN, North Central Heart;
and Bob Voglewede, Avera Health.
According to Voglewede, this was a calm trip. The weather
was cloudy, so the group was not drained by the typically
blazing Haitian sun. A container of supplies, some from Avera
facilities, was delivered the day before the group’s arrival, so
several people spent time working in the huge storage area
underneath the main clinic, sorting medical supplies, boxes
of clothing and shipments of food.
“At the Center of Hope’s lying-in facility it seemed there were
more women awaiting problematic deliveries than we had
seen on earlier visits,” notes Voglewede. He relates that there
were also a number of small children there recovering from
kwashiorkor malnutrition. One, a child who looked to be 3
years of age but was in fact 7, was abandoned at the Center
by his grandmother. She reported that both of his parents
were dead and she was trying to care for his six siblings back
in their village. She told the nurses that the boy, because his
complexion was lighter than that of the others in the family,
didn’t belong with them and she wouldn’t be coming back
to get him when he recovered. “Little wonder that many of
our group realized how they were making a contribution by
just holding him and several others on their laps for an hour
or so each day. Small actions, important contributions,”
concludes Voglewede.
Dates for 2007 visits to the clinic in Jeremie, Haiti are
February 24 to March 4 and October 13 to 21. Individuals
wishing to apply are encouraged to submit applications
to Bob Voglewede.
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6
Photography by Denise Blomberg, Communications Specialist, Avera McKennan Careflight.
TODAY’S
3
&Reflection
thoughts
THOUGHTS ON MISSION
HAITI PROJECTScripture
Something to think about! For Today’s Scripture and Reflection,
go to www.avera.org and e-subscribe today!
By Bob Voglewede
Avera Health senior vice president of Mission Services
The Avera Leaders in Ministry Program is a
nine-month program to assist leaders in
deepening their own 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. This month, Bob tells
us what people are saying about the Avera
Leaders in Ministry Program. For the full text
of this and past “Thoughts on Mission”
columns, go to
http://www.avera.org/avera/about/ministry/thoughts.aspx
“Byour service,we
strive to transform
hurt into hope.”
– A Shared Statement of Identity for the Catholic
Health Ministry
NEXT AVERA LEADERS IN MINISTRY
PROGRAM COHORT NAMED
The 2006-2007 Avera Leaders in Ministry cohort
includes: from Avera Health: David Erickson, M.D.,
senior vice president and chief medical officer, Jean Reed,
senior vice president of Governance and Strategic
Planning, Jim Breckenridge, senior vice president of
Finance, John Porter, president and CEO, and Steve
Statz, senior vice president of Business Development;
from Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health
Center: Dale Gillogly, regional administrator and
Richard Molseed, senior vice president of Environmental
Services; from Avera Queen of Peace: Jason Merkley,
vice president of Professional Services, Geri Beck, director,
Avera Queen of Peace Foundation, and Brian Phinney,
director of Health Information/Admitting; from Avera
Sacred Heart: Anthony Erickson, executive director of
Senior Services; from Avera Mother Joseph Retirement
Community: Tom Snyder, vice president of Long Term
Care; from Avera Holy Family Health: Tina Natterstad,
manager, Radiology; from Avera St. Anthony’s: Brenda
Halstead, director of Social Services; and from Avera
Weskota Memorial Medical Center and Weskota Manor
Avera: Kayleen Lee, CEO.

IN THE
Wellness for workplaces program through Floyd Valley
Hospital Avera, Le Mars, Iowa, $1,795.
Educational brochures on the importance of proper nutrition,
physical activity and stress management will be provided to
employees of area businesses, leading to healthier choices and
thus healthier lifestyles.
First aid education for Freeman Ambulance Service,
Freeman, S.D., $1,945.
Certification of three American Heart Association First Aid
Instructors will permit at least two First Aid classes annually,
as well as introduction of the 40-Hour First Responder Course.
Health and wellness educational library for Prairie Freedom
Center, Sioux Falls, S.D., $2,500.
Purchase and set up of audiovisual equipment and health and
wellness DVDs will promote self-advocacy and healthy living skills
for persons with disabilities.
Pediatric home infusion education for Avera Home Health
Nursing, Sioux Falls, S.D., $2,250.
Education and training on pediatric home infusion will help
strengthen technique and competency of nurses providing
the service.
Handicap-accessible perennial garden for Avera Yankton
Care Center, Yankton, S.D., $3,000.
Elders and guests will be able to enjoy the beauty and healing
nature of a backyard garden space.
Project Life Saver tracking bracelets for wander-prone
individuals in Mitchell, S.D., $6,310.
A tiny transmitter in these bracelets, worn on the wrist or ankle,
will help track individuals with certain medical conditions who
might wander from their homes and become lost.
Equipment for the Estherville Clinic, Estherville, Iowa,
$6,535.
New direct-care equipment, such as exam tables, blood-pressure
cuffs, eye charts and more, and a computer for physician
documentation, will help provide patient services at the clinic
that serves uninsured and underinsured patients.
g r o w
The following projects were awarded:
OMMUNITY
Eleven-passenger golf cart for Avera Sacred Heart Majestic
Bluffs, Yankton, S.D., $6,000.
Residents who currently are unable to access the lake area and
pathways because of difficulty ambulating will be able to ride
outdoors.
Annual donor drive for Avera McKennan Bone Marrow
Transplant Program, Sioux Falls, S.D., $6,000.
The funds will supplement the cost of tissue typing needed to sign
individuals to the bone marrow/adult stem cell donor registry,
while the drive itself will raise awareness of the gap between the
number of persons needing transplant and the number of suitable
donors available.
Lightweight portable tables for community events for Tyler,
Minn., $4,000.
New tables will reduce the risk of injury and cut liability claims.
Sharing the tables between businesses, schools, churches and
civic organizations will further community collaboration.
Playground equipment and outdoor seating for Floyd Valley
Hospital Avera/Park Place Estates, Le Mars, Iowa, $5,000.
An outdoor environment that promotes intergenerational activities
will create an appropriate visitation place for families with young
children, affording more frequent and longer visits with elderly
residents.
Pre-diabetes education program for Avera McKennan
Diabetes Center, Sioux Falls, S.D., $6,000.
The program will identify people with pre-diabetes in nine
communities and provide education, support and follow-up
monitoring.
Equipment for Tyndall Ambulance Service, Tyndall, S.D.,
$18,889.17.
New equipment will ensure safe emergency and non-emergency
treatment for the service’s new ambulance.
New ambulance for Hurley Fire & Ambulance, Hurley, S.D.,
$20,000.
The funds will go towards the purchase of a new ambulance for
the Hurley community.
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 4
Avera Funds
Community Health
and Wellness Initiatives
Some 28 projects will receive 2006 grants
from the Avera Community
Service Fund, Sr. Mildred Busch,
chair of the Avera Health Board
of Directors and System Member,
announced on June 14, 2006.
Awards totaled $316,724.17 this year.
Courtyard greenhouse for Sioux Center Community
Hospital and Health Center Avera, Sioux Center, Iowa,
$5,000.
A wheelchair-accessible greenhouse will allow residents the
enjoyment of gardening.
Video conferencing equipment for Avera St. Anthony’s
Hospital and telemedicine equipment for Avera Holt County
Medical Clinic, O’Neill, Neb., $10,000.
The additional equipment will provide alternative sites for video
conferencing and telemedicine, increase staff educational
opportunities, improve meeting scheduling and provide privacy
for telemedicine visits.
Residential pets for Avera Brady Health and Rehab/
Avera Brady Assisted Living, Mitchell, S.D., $5,000.
The addition of resident pets is a key concept in battling the
loneliness, helplessness and boredom often experienced by
nursing home residents.
Bus for Avera Eureka Health Care Center, Eureka, S.D.,
$22,000.
A new, reliable, ten-to-twelve passenger van with a wheelchair lift
will transport residents to community functions and out-of-town
appointments, and take daycare children and nearby hospital
residents on outings.
Distance-learning room and equipment for the Rural
Learning Center, Mitchell, S.D., $20,000.
Through training and community teams, the Rural Learning
Center will develop individual, organizational and community
competencies for technology use.
Health literacy materials and education for Communication
Services for the Deaf, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D., $10,000.
In order to increase the health literacy of deaf and hard-of-hearing
individuals, the Deaf Health Education and Advocacy Project
will develop highly visual education materials, conduct
community-wide health assessments, assist individuals to connect
with appropriate services and provide health information
workshops.

In keeping with the Avera mission, the fund targets
start-up projects that promote community health and
wellness. “People have excellent plans for improving the
health of their communities. Avera is pleased to use the
funds from this Avera Foundation endowment to help
them get started. We are especially pleased to be able
to impact the health and vitality of rural communities,”
explained Sr. Mildred.
Since the fund’s inception in 1999, Avera has awarded
$3,481,045.17 in funding for health and wellness
initiatives throughout the region. The fund entertains
grant requests from facilities and communities for
programs or projects that might otherwise be lost
due to a lack of initial development dollars.
Projects must be community-focused, integrate health
and wellness, involve Avera or a community partner and
represent a new approach. Grant recipients allow Avera
to glean practical applications, disseminate information
and replicate successful programs. Grant requests must
have a letter of support from an Avera facility, but the
projects do not need to be in communities where an
Avera hospital or clinic is located.
Medical advocacy for drug-affected children and unborn children
through CASA of Aberdeen 5th Judicial Circuit, Aberdeen, S.D.,
$10,000.
CASA of Aberdeen will establish outreach by medical service providers
and education for parents and area professionals to address the
problems of drug-affected children and unborn children.
DriveAble Program for Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton,
S.D., $24,500.
The DriveAble program evaluates and treats individuals with decreased
ability to drive and addresses deficits or educates about alternatives.
Community bike path for Flandreau, S.D., $10,000.
A lighted bike path for the Flandreau community will promote safe,
healthy, physical exercise.
Surface and paint a new track for Sanborn Central School District,
Forestburg, S.D., $15,000.
School athletes and residents of the Sanborn Central School District and
surrounding community will be able to access a safe, smooth track for
walking, jogging and running.
Pool Improvement Project for Emery, S.D., $15,000.
The Emery Pool is the only public swimming pool serving four
communities in a twenty-mile radius. Funds will help to maintain the pool
at state requirements, build a bathhouse, replace damaged concrete
decking and offer handicap-accessible restrooms.
Fitness center renovation for C.A.R.E Center Addition,
Canova, S.D., $10,000.
The renovation will provide additional space, exercise options and
year-round opportunities for baseball/softball skills practice.
Pilot study of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for Black Hills State
University, Spearfish, S.D., $50,000.
The project will design a framework for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
diagnosis, chemical dependency diagnosis and services provided
within the state or tribal juvenile justice system.
New ambulance for Ellendale, N.D., $20,000.
The Ellendale Community Ambulance needs to replace an aged,
unreliable and unrepairable ambulance in order to provide safe,
effective transport for the community and surrounding areas.
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 5
AVERA eICU ® CARE, AVERA MCKENNAN LEAN PROJECTS, FEATURED AT CATHOLIC HEALTH ASSEMBLY
Pat Herr takes the podium at the CHA Innovation Forum featuring Avera eICU ® CARE. Edward
Zawada, Jr., M.D. is “live” on the screen. Photo courtesy of The Catholic Health Association.
Two Avera projects
were chosen from
120 proposals to
be among 28
“Innovation Forums”
featured at the 91st
Catholic Health
Assembly in Orlando,
Fla. Pat Herr, director
of Avera eICU ® CARE,
Avera McKennan physician Kelly Burdge, M.D., and Denise Muntefering, RN, vice president of Patient Care
Services at Avera St. Benedict Health Center in Parkston, S.D., presented Avera
eICU ® CARE. In a demonstration of the system, participants in Orlando could see
and talk to Edward Zawada, Jr., M.D., stationed in front of five computer screens
in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Lori Kalda, RN, in the ICU in Parkston, S.D.
Another presentation titled “Putting the Patient First – What Toyota Would Do if
They Ran Your Hospital,” described the LEAN implementation at Avera McKennan.
A panel of presenters discussed improvements in patient safety and customer
satisfaction, and cost reductions. Speaking on the topic were Fred Slunecka,
Avera McKennan regional president and CEO, Kathy Maass, director of Process
Excellence, and Leo Serrano, FACHE, Certified LEAN/6 Sigma Black Belt and
director of Laboratories and LEAN Initiatives.
GRANT TO FUND KEYA PROJECT FOR SOUTH DAKOTA
URBAN INDIAN HEALTH, INC. AND AVERA
The Department of Health and Human Services announced May 3, 2006,
that South Dakota Urban Indian Health, Inc. (SDUIH) will receive $150,000
in the first year of a grant for continued health services to rural Native
Americans at its clinics in Aberdeen and Pierre/Fort Pierre. The grant is
renewable for three years for a total of $374,996.00, based on availability
of funding and the program’s success.
Kathy Maass shares results
of Avera McKennan LEAN
Projects with enthusiasm.
Photo courtesy of The
Catholic Health Association.
“The Keya Project can have a huge impact on providing diabetes prevention services to many
Native American patients in our Aberdeen and Pierre clinic locations,” explains Donna Keeler,
executive director of SDUIH. The grant gives SDUIH the ability to implement an exercise
component in its diabetes program and to help patients gain access to case-management services
through a new individualized computer program. “Bottom line,” adds Keeler, “patients will have
direct services from this grant that will have a direct impact on their health and lives. For all of us,
that is a good thing!”
The grant, written collaboratively by SDUIH, the Avera Rural Health Institute and Avera
McKennan Health and Disease Management, will be used for the KEYA Project. “Keya” is Lakota
for turtle, a symbol of good health and long life. The project uses health coaching to address
weight and obesity issues and metabolic syndrome in the Native American population. Metabolic
syndrome is a cluster of disorders including high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess body
weight and abnormal cholesterol levels, which combine to increase risks for developing diabetes,
heart disease or stroke.
“South Dakota Urban Indian Health is very excited about receiving this grant and honored to
have Avera Health, Avera McKennan Health and Disease Management and Avera St. Luke’s as
our consortium partners,” notes Keeler. The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data
Center of the United States Geological Survey is providing desktops and laptops for the program.
The project aims to increase the quality and years of healthy life and to eliminate health
disparities among an estimated 873 rural South Dakota Urban Indian Health clients at risk of,
or diagnosed with, diabetes. Part of the grant allows for the sustainability of the program by
training health and disease management coaches at the SDUIH sites.
DIVINE PROVIDENCE HEALTH CENTER AVERA HOSTS SENATOR NORM COLEMAN
United States Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) paid
a visit to Divine Providence Health Center Avera on
March 22, 2006. Pictured in front of the chapel doors,
obtained through grant funding from the Avera
Community Service Fund, are (left to right) Board
Members Kevin Leibfried and Sr. Candace Fier, Senator
Coleman, CEO Greg Wilson and Board President Frank
Swedzinski. Senator Coleman is a member of the
Homeland Security and Government Affairs
Committee, serves as the chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), is a member
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

AVERA UPDATES STRATEGIC PLAN
Avera regional presidents and
system members gathered with
selected board members, physician
leaders, marketing and mission
and strategic development
committee members to work
on the Avera Strategic Plan for
2007-2011. Marian C. Jennings
facilitated the gathering. She is
a nationally recognized expert in
healthcare strategy, process
facilitation and integrated delivery
system development. The day-anda-half
session took place in
Sioux Falls, June 12-13, 2006. Development and refinement of the plan continues
over the coming months.
AVERA ST. LUKE’S HOSTS 4TH ANNUAL HEALTH ACADEMY
Some 30 area high school students attending the
fourth annual Health Academy at Avera St. Luke’s in
Aberdeen experienced hospital life first-hand and
saw what they might do someday in a healthcare
profession. They worked alongside therapists and
nurses and visited Radiology, Laboratory, Surgery and
the Emergency Department. Health Academy provides
opportunities to ask questions and do hands-on work.
A mock accident in the Avera St. Luke’s Emergency Department and a close look at
Careflight were just part of the two separate three-day sessions.
AVERA RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND
AVERA MCKENNAN REHABILITATION SERVICES RECEIVE BRAIN INJURY GRANT
Avera McKennan Rehabilitation Services and Thomas Ripperda, M.D., working with
the Avera Research Institute, were awarded a grant from the South Dakota Advocacy
Board for Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury. The $24,000 grant will provide
funding to purchase special partial-weight-bearing equipment to evaluate an
innovative approach to the rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain injuries.
AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS WITH GIFT OF TREES, HISTORY BOOK
On May 8, 2006, Tom Rasmusson, president and CEO of Avera Queen of Peace,
announced the donation of 100 trees by the hospital to the city of Mitchell, one for
each year in a century of care. The gift was a reminder of the original gift of 12
city lots given by the city of Mitchell to the Presentation Sisters along with
the invitation to build and operate a hospital.
A new book, A Century of Care. . . a Journey of Faith,
written by Kathy McGreevy, tells the history of health
care in Mitchell and includes many historical photos.
Books are available for $15 from the Avera Queen of
Peace Gift Shop.
MCGREEVY CLINIC AVERA OFFERS ON-LINE APPOINTMENT REQUESTS
Beginning Monday, May 8, 2006, techno-savvy new and current
patients began to “Click for Care” to schedule appointments
at any of the five McGreevy Clinic Avera locations in Sioux Falls,
Brandon or Salem, S.D. Consumers go to www.mcgreevyclinicavera.org
and select “Appointments,” location or physician, date and time. A clinic representative
contacts the individual by phone within 24 hours to confirm the appointment time.
McGreevy Clinic Avera joins Avera Spencer Family Care in Spencer, Iowa, as the
region’s only providers of this service.
LATEST IMAGING AND DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE
ON AVERA MCKENNAN CAMPUS
The new, 17,000-square-foot Avera McKennan Imaging
Center opened May 8, 2006, on the main floor of Avera
Doctors Plaza 2 on the Avera McKennan Campus. The
Imaging Center includes the Avera McKennan Breast Care
Center, a women-only area dedicated to women’s breast VCT 64-Slice CT Scanner
and bone health. The Imaging Center features the first
and only full-field digital mammography unit in the region; .7 Tesla superconductive
open MRI; the VCT 64-slice CT scanner; 3.0 Tesla MRI; Dexascan; 3D/4D ultrasound;
computer radiography for plain film imaging; computer-aided diagnosis for digital
and conventional breast imaging; and the stereotactic breast biopsy system.
2006
AROUND THE
Dr. Patricia Peters, Family Medicine, McGreevy Clinic Avera Main,
with Marian C. Jennings, reviewing physician feedback.
C A L E N D A R
YSTEM
Jul 19-20 Avera Administrators Meeting, Okoboji
Aug 19 12th Annual Caring for Kids Golf Tournament benefit for
Avera Queen of Peace
Aug 30 Avera Quality Congress, Ramkota Hotel, Sioux Falls
Sept 10 12th Annual Shoot for Shells Charity Trap Shoot benefit
for Avera Queen of Peace
Oct 12 Avera Rural Health Conference, Ramkota Hotel, Sioux Falls
Nov 17-19 Centennial events at Avera Queen of Peace including Gala
Benefit, Nov. 18, Corn Palace
2007
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 6
kudos
AVERA EMPLOYEES HONORED FOR EFFORTS AT WEATHERING WINTER STORM
The employees of both Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center and Weskota
Manor Avera were honored at the May Wessington Springs Chamber of Commerce &
Development Corporation Banquet. The “Employee of the Year” Award went to
both organizations for their extra efforts during the disastrous snow and ice storm
last November.
The nomination letter received by the Chamber said, “The extra work that they did
during the four-day electrical blackout and the ice and snow storm was extraordinary.
Every department, including Administration, Dietary, Social Activities, Nursing,
Housekeeping and Laundry stepped forward to provide emergency shelter to elderly
people whose homes were cold and dark.”
The storm-time efforts by Avera colleagues in Wessington Springs, Parkston, Miller and
Yankton were featured in both Catholic Health World (the semimonthly newspaper of
the Catholic Health Association) and Rural Roads (the quarterly magazine of the
National Rural Health Association).
AVERA NURSING EXCELLENCE AWARDS GIVEN
Eleven Avera nurses are recipients of Avera
Nursing Service Excellence Awards. Pictured
are (back row, left to right) Naomi Bach,
RN, Sioux Center Community Hospital &
Health Center Avera, Avera Novice to
Expert Award; Peggy Schuelke, CNP, Avera
Milbank Area Hospital, Avera Commitment
to Caring Award; Kim Griffith, RN, Avera
Queen of Peace Health Services, Avera
Commitment to Caring Award; Linda Harden, RN, BSN, Floyd Valley Hospital Avera,
Avera Clinical Quality Initiatives Award; Darcy Sherman Justice, MS, RN, CNA, BC,
Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Avera Nursing Innovation Award;
Margi Culhane, RN, Avera Sister James Care Center, Avera Distinguished Service Leader
Award; (front row) Teresa Jansen, RN, Pipestone County Medical Center Avera, Avera
Friend of Education Award; Monica Karpinski, RN, MA, Avera St. Luke’s Hospital, Avera
Visionary Award; Jean Weber, RN, Avera St. Luke’s Hospital, Avera Distinguished
Service Care Provider Award; Sister Vincent Fuller, RN, Presentation Sisters, Avera
Distinguished Service Leader Award; (not pictured) Shari Platek, RN, Avera McKennan
Hospital & University Health Center, Avera Commitment to Caring Award. The awards
were presented at the April 19, 2006 Avera Nursing Conference.
AVERA SACRED HEART CELEBRATES AWARDS
Avera Sacred Heart is celebrating three winners
of the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan People’s
Choice Awards for 2006: Marcia LaBounty –
Best Masseuse; Mary Grandi, RN – Best Nurse;
and Avera Sacred Heart Majestic Bluffs (Sister
James Care Center) – Best Nursing Home.
Congratulations!
Mary Grandi, RN
Marcia LaBounty
AVERA BIG STONE CITY CLINIC OPENS
On June 26, 2006, Avera Milbank Medical Center and Avera Milbank Area Hospital
opened Avera Big Stone City Clinic in Big Stone City, S.D. The clinic will provide a
variety of services to the growing Big Stone City area. Physician Assistant Patrick Dreis,
a native of Aberdeen, S.D., serves as the clinic’s primary health care provider. “We have
a long history of working with surrounding communities to help meet their healthcare
needs, and now, we will be there for Big Stone, as well,” said Natalie Gauer, clinic
manager of Avera Mibank Medical Center.
AVERA MCKENNAN AND AVERA ST LUKE’S RECOGNIZED AS HEART AND STROKE HEROES
This May, The American Heart Association named Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center and Avera St. Luke’s 2006 Heart and Stroke Heroes.
The awards honor individuals and organizations that have contributed to
heart-safe and stroke-safe communities.
Jan 19-20 Avera Informatics Conference, Sioux Falls
Mar 14-16 Avera Health Board Retreat
Apr 11 Avera Nursing Conference
Apr 19 Avera Ethics Conference, Holiday Inn City Centre, Sioux Falls
Apr 20 Avera Parish Nurse Conference, Sioux Falls
May 7-10 Avera Management Conference, Ramkota Hotel, Sioux Falls
May 9 Avera PACE Conference
Aug 30 Avera Quality Congress, Ramkota Hotel, Sioux Falls

PEOPLE
notes
TRUSTEE
EWS
Dr. Kishore Elaprolu has joined the staff of Avera Brookings Medical Clinic.
A graduate of Rangaraya Medical College Kakinada, India, he completed a
residency in internal medicine at the University of South Dakota School of
Medicine Residency Program, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Dr. Sean Halligan has joined the staff of Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center. A graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical
Center, Omaha, he completed a residency in internal medicine and fellowships
in cardiology and interventional cardiology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
Minn. Dr. Halligan joins North Central Heart Institute, Sioux Falls.
Dr. Donna Rae Hartfiel has joined the staff of Avera Marshall Regional
Medical Center. A graduate of the University of South Dakota School of
Medicine, Vermillion, she completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology
at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Hartfiel practiced in Olympia,
Wash., prior to joining Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center.
Dr. Matthew Malone has joined the staff of Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center. A graduate of Des Moines University, Des Moines,
Iowa, he completed a residency in psychiatry at Hennepin-Regions Hospitals in
Minneapolis, Minn. and a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Yale University,
New Haven, Conn. Dr. Malone joins Avera University Psychiatry Associates,
Sioux Falls.
Dr. Christine Napolitano has joined the staff of Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center. A graduate of New York College of Osteopathic
Medicine, Old Westbury, N.Y., she completed a residency in internal medicine
at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y. and a fellowship in
pulmonary and critical care at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset,
N.Y. Dr. Napolitano joins Avera Pulmonary Associates, Sioux Falls.
Dr. Marc Schecter has joined the staff of University Physicians Clinics in
Sioux Falls. A graduate of the University of Medicine of New Jersey, Newark,
he completed a residency there. He also completed a cardiothoracic surgery
residency at Boston University, Boston City Hospital and a cardiothoracic
surgery fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, N.J.
Dr. Jay Strittholt has joined the staff of Floyd Valley Hospital Avera. A
graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, Tenn., he
completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Vanderbilt Medical Center,
Nashville. Dr. Strittholt will also see patients at Sioux Center Hospital &
Health Center Avera.
Debb Webb, PA-C has joined the Avera Community Clinic, Chamberlain.
A graduate of South Dakota State University, Brookings, she has provided
nurse practitioner emergency room services to patients in Huron, S.D. and
Indian Health Service Clinics in Lower Brule and Wagner, S.D., Winnebago,
Neb., and Ft. Yates, N.D.
Sr. Mary Jaeger has been
appointed to her first
four-year term on the Avera
Health Board of Directors,
effective July 1, 2006. She
replaces Sr. Mary Denis
Collins, who completes her
term June 30, 2006. Sr. Aidan
Bourke and Stephan D.
Schroeder, M.D. have been
reappointed to second terms.
Sue Nelson of Forest Ridge
Youth Services in Estherville,
Iowa, and Delaine Hiney,
employed at Iowa Lakes
Community College, have
been appointed to their first
four-year terms on the Avera
Holy Family Board of
MEDICAL STAFF NOTES
Dr. Joann Bennett is board certified
in Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine.
She joins Dr. Michael Robinson, director
of Avera McKennan Hospice and
Palliative Care, as one of three physicians
in the state of South Dakota and 2,200
nationally who are certified in Hospice
and Palliative Care Medicine.
Directors. Norma Beaver
and Connie Thackery, both
completing partial terms,
have been appointed to serve
their first four-year terms.
Sr. Candyce Chrystal has
been appointed to the Avera
McKennan Board of Trustees,
replacing Sr. Mary Jane
Gaspar who completes her
second term on June 30,
2006. Kim Pederson, M.D.,
completing a partial term,
has been appointed to serve
his first four-year term.
Sr. Janet Horstman has
been appointed to a second
four-year term on the Avera
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6 7
Queen of Peace Board of
Directors. Mr. Roger Musick,
CEO of Innovative Systems,
LLC, has been appointed to
his first four-year term. Don
Peterson, Mark Graham and
Jerome Howe, M.D., all completing
their first four-year
terms, have been appointed
to second four-year terms.
New board member
appointed to a four-year
term at Avera Sacred Heart
is D. J. Nagengast, M.D., a
physician at the Bloomfield
Medical Clinic. Jim Means has
been appointed to a second
four-year term.
PERSONNEL NOTES
Rob Bates joins Avera on July 1, 2006, as senior
vice president of Managed Care Services. He will
have accountability for Managed Care Services,
Avera Health Plans, Avera Select and Provider
Relations. Most recently, Rob was vice president of
Network Management at United Healthcare where
he developed and managed the physician network
in support of the commercial Medicare and Medicaid products
offered through United. Prior to this, Rob served as chief operating
officer for Midlands Choice, a large provider-owned preferred
provider organization.
Fr. Gregg Frankman, previously assigned in
Kranzburg, Castlewood and Waverly, S.D., is the
new chaplain at Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center. He will also serve
in residence at St. Mary’s Parish in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Angela Heeren is the new administrative fellow at
Avera St. Luke’s in Aberdeen, effective July 1, 2006.
Angela is currently completing a master’s in Health
Administration at the University of Missouri in
Columbia, Mo. A 2004 graduate of the University
of South Dakota, she is from Akron, Iowa. Last
summer, she completed an administrative internship
at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Network
Hospital Operations. Angela also umpires baseball in her free time.
David Kuper, executive director of the Avera Research Institute, is
the recipient of the South Dakota Pharmacists Association’s “2006
Innovative Practice Award.” He was selected for innovative
pharmacy practices resulting in improved patient care.
Sr. Vicky Larson professed her final vows as a Presentation Sister
on June 10, 2006, at Presentation Convent in Aberdeen, S.D.
Sr. Vicky is a registered nurse who, until recently, worked at Avera
McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. She is currently a
nurse educator at Presentation College.
Kayleen Lee, CEO of Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center,
is the Mount Marty College 2006 Distinguished Professional
Achievement Award recipient.
Kathy Maass is the new director of Process Excellence for Avera
McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. Kathy has 27 years
experience on the Laboratory Management Team and was an
integral part of the first LEAN project.
Steve Statz, Avera McKennan senior vice
president, Hospital Operations joins the Avera
Health Central Office as senior vice president of
Business Development, effective July 1, 2006.
Steve will have oversight of Business and Network
Development, Business Relations, Avera Foundation,
Avera PACE and Avera’s Service Excellence Program.
At Avera McKennan, Steve impacted many areas within the patient
care and operational setting. He worked to expand the home
medical equipment division as well as other service lines. Steve has
served on many local, regional and national boards and committees
and is currently the president of the South Dakota Board of
Pharmacy.
Sr. Mary Thomas joins Avera McKennan Hospital & University
Health Center as senior vice president of Mission Services. A
Presentation Sister, she has served as vocation director, grant writer,
residence hall director, campus minister and Native American
advocate/youth minister. She has bachelor’s degrees in Theology
and Sociology and a master’s in Christian Spirituality from
Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. She completed a master’s
in Organizational Leadership at the College of St. Catherine in
St. Paul, Minn.
Richard Thompson, PhD, FACHE, senior vice president of Avera
Health, was recently presented with the National Rural Health
Association (NRHA) Volunteer of the Year Award, during the NRHA’s
29th Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada. The award is presented
annually to an Association member who best exemplifies the
spirit of the organization and excels in promoting the NRHA
mission through time and effort spent developing and assisting
staff and fellow Association members. Thompson currently serves
as treasurer of the NRHA.
Ryan Williams has accepted the position of administrator at Avera
Gregory Healthcare Center, effective May 1, 2006. Prior to now,
Ryan was system consultant with Franciscan Health System in
Tacoma, Wash.
Sr. Denette Leifeld has been
appointed to the
Avera St. Anthony’s Board
of Directors, replacing Sr.
Marcine Quintus who
completes her terms on
June 30, 2006. Sr. Bonita
Gacnik, completing her
second term, has been
appointed to a one-year
term. Dian K. Edwards,
accountant at Sacred Heart
Monastery, has been appointed
to her first four-year term.
Bob Berg and Jack Hurley,
both completing second
terms, have been reappointed
for a period of one year.
Sr. Mary Jaeger has been
appointed system member on
the Avera St. Benedict Board
of Directors. Glenn Harnisch
has been appointed to a
second four-year term.
Sr. Kathleen Bierne has
been appointed to her first
four-year term on the Avera
St. Luke’s Board of Directors,
replacing Sr. Marie Celeste
Sabers, who completes her
term June 30, 2006. Sr.
Barbara McTague, James L.
Bain, DVM, Kim Jundt, M.D.,
and Cyndy K. Larson have
been appointed to second
four-year terms.

3900 W. Avera Drive
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
John Porter
President & CEO
Avera Health
The 13-member team responsible for Admissions,
Medical Records and Abstracting (ADM/MRI/ABS) tackled
dictionary training on the client server Meditech system
the week of June 19, 2006. The group is just one of 18
teams responsible for building dictionaries with standard
content data and making decisions that will impact the
structure of Avera HealtheCARE for all users. Teams
determine if the standard data created within Meditech
will be shared by all users of the
Meditech system from the highest
level, or if the data will be editable at
each regional level. Whenever possible,
the team looks to standardize.
John Walsh, a Meditech staff trainer,
led the three-and-a-half-day training,
which included instruction on use of
the dictionaries and hands-on
application. Though it was not child’s
play, the team learned how to access
the “sandbox” client server
application, which is the platform that will be used prior
to the test application. Members pulled data from their
various dictionaries in order to make comparisons. Once
the “sandbox” has some rough data dictionaries in
place, the team will start to test the application.
Somewhat like inviting an imaginary friend to play, the
teams created “fake” patients to test the system in the
“sandbox” environment.
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SIOUX FALLS, SD
PERMIT NO. 7010
RESIDENT’S
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
The average American is morethan-likely
familiar with the popular
television game show, The Price is
Right, where contestants guess the
retail prices of featured prizes. The
current version premiered on
September 4, 1972, and still airs
today. Of note, not just one game,
but actually 100 different games
have been played throughout the
history of the show, with 74 in the
current rotation. Consumers,
though they enjoy these kinds of
guessing games about prices, are
not amused about the guesswork
that can go into understanding
their hospital bills.
Consumer frustration is understandable.
The bill for a hospital stay
includes a basic daily rate, as well as
charges for special services, items
and some tests. In addition, when
patients have certain tests and
treatments in the hospital, they
may receive bills from physicians or
specialists not seen in person.
These bills are for professional
services rendered in diagnosing and
interpreting test results. Pathologist,
radiologists, anesthesiologists and
other specialists perform these
Early on, the team faced the challenge of deciding
whether to use upper or lower case, and dots/dashes for
the mnemonics. For one set of users, all upper case is
best for ease of accuracy and speed in data entry. For
others, the caps lock option means sacrificing readability
in modules with correspondence and progress notes.
Another challenge is the process issues that occur when
dictionaries cross modules shared with other groups.
“We are only at the beginning stages, but
I could never have imagined the work that
would be involved with a project of this
magnitude,” notes Kathy Dorale,
ADM/MRI/ABS team leader and director
of Health Information Management, Avera
Health. Kathy says the volunteer support
of employees outside the team has been
outstanding. “Without the Information
Technology staff from all regions meeting
our every need in a timely fashion, we
could not stay on schedule the way we
have so far,” applauds Kathy.
Scott Hampton and Gilbert Hoelscher, from Navin,
Haffety & Associates, consultants on the Avera
HealtheCARE initiative, serve as project managers for
the ADM/MRI/ABS team, as well as Pharmacy, Laboratory
and others. The two have expressed their amazement at
the level of commitment Avera colleagues have shown
to the project, not only in their responsiveness in
conducting meetings, but in attendance, participation
and knowledge.
VOLUME 28 NUMBER 3
All Of Us is a publication for the
employees of Avera and colleagues
like CHERYL RUDE, registered dietitian
at Avera Marshall Regional Medical
Center, recognized for writing over
900 nutrition education newspaper
columns, managing the recent
cafeteria and kitchen move and
creating new ways of providing
nutrition for patients, residents and visitors.
services and are required to submit
separate bills.
Further, pricing hospital services is
very complex and includes many
factors. A wide range of products
and services (medications, supplies,
etc.), are bundled into the price of
a particular service. The price or
quality of supplies from vendors
varies from one hospital to the
next. In addition, each case and
each patient is unique, some
requiring more or different care for
the same procedure. Quality health
care responds to those individual
needs. At Avera, we continue to
work to make our hospital bills easy
to read. In addition, this month
we published a new brochure
“Understanding Your Hospital
Bills and Insurance Claims,”
which we are making available to
consumers on our websites and in
our hospitals.
Also on the “price-is-right” front,
this June, the South Dakota
Department of Health began
publishing hospital pricing
information for consumers at
http://hospitalpricing.sd.gov/.
UPDATE
S U M M E R 2 0 0 6
L E T T E R
WHEREFORE ART THOU,
NOAH WEBSTER?
In 1828, Noah Webster finished
a 27-year project: the first
American dictionary. He was
motivated to the work because
Americans in different parts of
the country spelled, pronounced
and used words differently.
He knew that a common
understanding of terms improves
communication. That basic insight
is behind current work on Avera
HealtheCARE.
The heart of any electronic
medical record (EMR) system
is the data dictionary, the
descriptive list of names,
definitions and attributes of
data elements to be collected
in an information system or
database. Standardizing
definitions and ensuring
consistency of use enhances
interoperability across systems.
Dictionaries are the common road
map for navigating the EMR.
Unlike Noah Webster, the teams
have only a few short months to
create their dictionaries.
For each hospital, this report
provides the median charge for the
top 25 most common procedures
where there were more than 10
occurrences. The report contains
hospital charge data from January
1, 2005, to December 31, 2005.
Additional information about the
reports and how information is
displayed for various circumstances
is on the website. Avera is
pleased to note that
our value is very strong
when compared to other
South Dakota hospitals.
Avera is taking the call to
transparency in pricing a step
further with the hope that awareness
of hospital pricing will empower
consumers to make informed decisions
about health care. This past May,
Avera began reporting prices on our
websites for our 25 most common
procedures, calculated to include an
even more current 12-month period
ending March 31, 2006. Prices will
be updated quarterly reflecting the
prior 12 months.
Value is about more than price. Few
of us would drive a vehicle without
PROBLEMS?
WE’D LIKE TO MAKE IT RIGHT!
CHANGE LABEL AND MAIL BACK TO US.
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Wrong address
Received more than one
Remove my name from
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8
Kathy Dorale, Team Leader
Director of Health
Information Management,
Avera Health
Patti Brooks, MBA, RHIA,
IT Representative
Chief Information Officer,
Avera Queen of Peace
Health Services
Pam Fristad, RHIA
Assistant Director of Health
Information/Admitting,
Avera Queen of Peace
Tricia Ann Gall,
IT Manager,
Avera Sacred Heart
Josie Hornaman
Director of Medical Records,
Avera St. Luke’s
Scott Jansen
Manager Special Projects,
Avera McKennan
taking it for a spin or purchase a
home without having it inspected.
Consumer Reports does box-office
business reporting on product
quality. In this issue, David Erickson,
M.D., senior vice president and
chief medical officer for Avera
Health, talks about some of the
quality initiatives in which Avera is
involved. Many of these initiatives
target efficiency and thereby lower
the cost of care to consumers. They
also help us consistently increase
the quality of care we provide.
There is nothing more valuable than
good health care, so it is important
to consider quality along with price
when selecting a healthcare
provider. For this reason, when our
websites went live with pricing last
month, we posted information
from the CMS-Premier Hospital
Quality Incentive Demonstration
project that Dr. Erickson describes.
We encourage consumers to use
both quality and price information
to make informed decisions and
determine if “the price is right.”
AVERA HEALTHeCARE
ADM/MRI/ABS TEAM ROSTER
Contact these winning players with your ideas and
concerns about Admissions, Medical Records and
Abstracting for Avera HealtheCARE:
Cynda Jones
Admitting Manager,
Avera McKennan
Madelyn Kirby
Medical Billing Coordinator,
Avera McKennan
Diane Nissen
Patient Registration
Coordinator,
Avera St. Luke’s
Brian Phinney, RHIA
Director of Health
Information/Admitting,
Avera Queen of Peace
Jean Prater, RHIA
Director of Medical Records,
Avera Sacred Heart
Mary Rosenburg
Inpatient Coding Manager,
Avera McKennan
Connie Stuen
Help Desk MIS,
Avera Sacred Heart