Sanford Health

Sanford Health Fargo has launched one of the first hospital-at-home programs focused on serving rural patients. “Programs like this are the future of healthcare,” said Susan Jarvis, Chief Operating Officer for Sanford Health Fargo and Health Network – North. "One of the next evolutions in healthcare is: How do we provide these services in the home equal to what we're providing in the hospital?" she added. "And I'm excited about that. This program is going to change the way we do business and healthcare." Read more about the program via Becker's Healthcare: https://san.fo/4gKXCYE

Across the Midwest, many people live in rural areas where health care may be limited. But, thanks to advancements in technology, virtual health care has become more mainstream in small communities. To date, Sanford Health has had over 850,000 virtual visits within a 250,000-square-mile radius. With the growth of virtual care needs, a hub was needed. On November 19, the Sanford Health Virtual Care Center opened. "This is an area where we have a maker lab that we can bring our employees into to test out new ideas, make modifications to existing devices, bring in industry partners to co-develop with us," said Katie Pohlson, vice president of innovation and commercialization at Sanford, about the VCC's Innovation Center. "It really is a place to explore what is the best technology for delivering care to our patients and especially our rural population." Read more from The Globe: https://san.fo/4gIphcR

During a panel discussion at the 3rd Annual Summit on the Future of Rural Health Care focused on Politics, Policy and Advocacy in a Dynamic Health Care Environment, American Medical Association President Dr. Bruce Scott highlighted the need for long-term Medicare payment reform and the importance of making telehealth flexibilities permanent to help rural practices improve access to care. Thank you to Dr. Scott for joining us at the Summit this fall! Read a recap from the session: https://san.fo/4frvKYw

Talk about the holiday spirit! Sanford Chamberlain employees generously contribute funds towards creating holiday meal kits for surrounding rural communities. Employees packed and distributed 100 meal kits on Dec. 18 to those in need.

Dr. Dave Newman recently spoke with HealthLeaders about the strategy behind Sanford Health's new Virtual Care Center. Roughly one-quarter of all Sanford behavioral health visits are virtual today, and the new center will help streamline that process. "With the click of a button on your phone, just like ordering a pizza or talking to your grandkids on FaceTime, you can see a behavioral health provider," he said. Dr. Newman shared insights on our plans to use the latest in digital and telehealth technology to address key pain points in rural health. He also discussed how our new Education Institute will focus on training the provider of the future, offer guidance on virtual nursing, robotics, AR and VR technology, remote patient monitoring (RPM) and "webside manner." Read more from HealthLeaders: https://san.fo/3ZCICFo

Sanford Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Fargo and Sanford Bemidji Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center were recently named to Becker's Healthcare "100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Orthopedic Programs" list. Becker's Healthcare selected hospitals and health systems that are devoted to delivering comprehensive, compassionate care for patients experiencing musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. Treating thousands of patients annually, the expert providers staffing these programs also run cutting-edge clinical trials and employ the latest innovations in orthopedic technology. Read the full list: https://san.fo/4iJ0JCo

Army veteran and former Sanford Wellness Center director Cal Hanson recently got to partake in Midwest Honor Flight's 22nd mission for an all-expenses-paid tour of our nation's military memorials. Cal Hanson, who worked at Sanford from 1985 to 2015, has long been proud of his service to the military and the health care organization. "He raised a lot of us to be the leaders we are today, confident and not afraid to tackle things," said Denise McGraw, Sanford Wellness Center's current manager, who accompanied Hanson on the Honor Flight. "We learned the importance of relationships from Cal and how to treat people." Watch the full story: https://san.fo/4geMGCN

"In terms of consumer protection, I have a lot of confidence in how the agency's looking at these new technologies, the kinds of safeguards that they're building in the rigor of the process." In a recent episode of the Reimagining Rural Health podcast, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA Commissioner, joined Courtney Collen of Sanford Health News to discuss innovation, consumer protection, trust and AI in health care. Listen to the full conversation here: https://san.fo/3P07Icn

"Two-thirds of our patients that utilize virtual care in the last year live more than 30 miles from a major medical center," said Susan Berry, vice president of operations for virtual care at Sanford Health. "This initiative allows us to continue to enhance and expand those virtual offerings to serve those communities." The new Sanford Virtual Care Center will serve as a flagship command center to support virtual health care in rural communities. The 60,000-square-foot facility is now home to Sanford Health teams that will focus on developing new health care strategies, and will support virtual care initiatives with three core pillars – education, innovation and clinical care. Learn more: https://san.fo/4gbIS5g

"I think it helps them be able to realize that I come from a similar situation to them. We have that common bond." Dr. Elizabeth Brown is one of only three OB/GYN physicians at Sanford Dickinson, a physician whose connection with her patients goes beyond the clinical setting. Living on a 650-acre working hay farm in Glendive, Montana, with her husband and their three children, Dr. Brown embodies the rural lifestyle shared by many of her patients. Her 92-mile commute from Montana to Dickinson, North Dakota, echoes the journey that many of her patients navigate to receive care. Listen to the latest Reimagining Rural Health podcast episode: https://san.fo/3VKI92L