Avera Bulletin - May 2009
Avera Marketing Collateral Garners Aster Awards
Both Avera Health and Avera McKennan recently received notice from the Aster Awards Program that their marketing collateral is being recognized for excellence in health care marketing. The Aster Awards, one of the largest competitions of its kind, is hosted by Marketing Healthcare Today and Creative Images, Inc.
All of Us, the quarterly publication for Avera colleagues, garnered its third Aster-and first gold (top 5 percent in the nation) in the category newsletter series. We Are Ministry, the physician recruitment brochure and DVD created by Avera Health, received Aster gold in the category professional recruitment. The displays created to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Avera name were recognized with a bronze award in the category poster/display.
The Avera McKennan Marketing Department received a gold, a silver and two bronze awards. The New Physician Marketing Toolkit took gold in the category professional recruitment. The Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle ad in Sioux Center received silver in the category newspaper advertising. The Avera Women's Center displays took bronze in the category poster/display. The Avera McKennan Strategic Plan 2009 also received bronze (category internal publication).
Avera Queen of Peace and Avera Sacred Heart Achieve QUEST Recognition for Excellence
Congratulations to Avera Queen of Peace and Avera Sacred Heart for achieving QUEST "Top Performer" status in care provided to heart failure patients. As top performers, the facilities are asked to share best practices and proven strategies with other QUEST facilities. The focus of the shared information is discharge information given to heart failure patients.
QUEST is the collaborative improvement project developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Premier. The program builds on the success of the CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration, which focused on four clinical areas. QUEST (QUality, Efficiency, Safety and Transparency) adds a broader framework and more focus areas to drive evidence-based care, efficiency and safety to even higher levels.
Avera Telehealth Wins Award
Avera Telehealth was recently presented with the American Telemedicine Association's 2009 Presidential Institutional Award at the association's national conference in Las Vegas. The President's Awards for the Advancement of Telemedicine are provided annually to recognize substantial contributions toward the advancement of telemedicine. The Institutional
Award recognizes institutional leadership, breadth, depth and effectiveness of programs and services, and serving as a model for implementation of telemedicine/telehealth or e-health.
Yankton Ear, Nose & Throat Joins Avera Medical Group
Dr. Jeff Liudahl recently announced that Yankton Ear, Nose & Throat reached an agreement to join the Avera Sacred Heart family of health care providers - part of Avera Medical Group. The Avera Medical Group relationship will be through Avera Sacred Heart Rural Health Clinics, Inc., a subsidiary of Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton. Effective May 1, 2009, Yankton Ear, Nose & Throat officially changed its name to Avera Yankton Ear, Nose & Throat.
This agreement combines the expertise of Dr. Liudahl and Dr. Matt Rumsey with the resources and support of Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and Avera. Dr. Liudahl specializes in sinus problems and endoscopic sinus surgery, chronic ear infection and ventilation tubes, throat infections and tonsillectomies, ear pain and dizziness, snoring and sleep apnea problems, facial plastic surgery and problems of the head and neck region.
Dr. Rumsey specializes in comprehensive hearing evaluations for children and adults, tinnitus evaluation and treatment, hearing aid selection and service, ear protection devices and other issues involving the ear and its function.
"We are pleased to have Yankton Ear, Nose & Throat join the Avera Sacred Heart family of providers," said Pamela J. Rezac, Ed.D., president and CEO of Avera Sacred Heart. "Dr. Liudahl's practice has been a fantastic benefit to the community of Yankton and the surrounding area for more than 20 years. We look forward to working together to provide the best patient care possible."
Avera Sacred Heart Receives HRSA Grant
Avera Sacred Heart was recently awarded a Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The $362,081 grant, spread over three years, will help Avera build and pilot the Avera eCARE™ service eStroke, an innovative technology solution linking rural hospitals to neurology stroke support 24 hours a day. The grant project, a partnership of Avera Sacred Heart, St. Michael's Hospital Avera, Wagner Community Memorial Hospital Avera, Avera McKennan, Neurology Associates and the American Heart Association, will also provide professional and community education on the prevention and treatment of stroke.
Avera St. Luke's Opens FastCare Clinic
Avera St. Luke's is teaming up with Shopko this July to open Avera St. Luke's FastCare Clinic located inside the Aberdeen Shopko store. Avera St. Luke's FastCare will be operated as a service of Avera St. Luke's in partnership with Aberdeen Family Physicians.
"This new clinic will address a specific need in our community," said Todd Forkel, vice president of Clinic and Network Operations at Avera St. Luke's. "For people without a family doctor, or during weekends or after hours, this type of service is more efficient and less expensive than using the hospital's Emergency Department."
The clinic will have a well-defined and limited scope of clinical services with evidence-based treatment plans and a system for referring patients to physicians when symptoms exceed the clinic's scope of services. To ensure continuity of care for patients, Avera St. Luke's FastCare will be linked to Avera HealtheCARE™.
"The opportunity to bring FastCare to Aberdeen fits perfectly with Avera St. Luke's commitment to provide convenient access to quality health care in our community," said Forkel
