Avera St Lukes

PROMOTION OF HEALTH

AVERA ST. LUKE'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF THE SURROUNDING AREA. AVERA ST. LUKE'S IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION AFFILIATED WITH AVERA HEALTH. AVERA ST. LUKE'S CONSISTS OF 50 ACUTE BEDS, 10 INPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BEDS, AN 81 BED NURSING HOME IN ABERDEEN, SD AND A 56 BED NURSING HOME IN EUREKA, SD, A 2-BED SURGICAL CENTER IN ABERDEEN, SD, AND 18 PHYSICIAN CLINICS. THE PHYSICIAN CLINICS INCLUDE PRIMARY CARE, OB/GYN, PEDIATRICS, ORTHOPEDICS, GENERAL SURGERY, RADIATION, RADIOLOGY, ONCOLOGY, THERAPY, NEUROLOGY, UROLOGY, HEMATOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, NEONATOLOGY, GASTROENTEROLOGY, AND CARDIOLOGY. AVERA ST. LUKE'S PROVIDES ACUTE CARE AND LONG-TERM HEALTHCARE SERVICES. AVERA ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL3,745 ACUTE PATIENT DISCHARGES379 NEWBORN PATIENT DISCHARGES97 SWING BED PATIENT DISCHARGES117,494 OUTPATIENT VISITS1,051 SWING-BED PATIENT DAYS604 NEWBORN PATIENT DAYS138,285 CLINIC VISITS44,944 NURSING HOME RESIDENT DAYS92 LONG TERM CARE PATIENT DISCHARGESAVERA ST. LUKE'S MAINTAINS RECORDS TO IDENTIFY AND MONITOR THE LEVEL OF CHARITY CARE IT PROVIDES. THESE RECORDS INCLUDE THE AMOUNT OF CHARGES FORGONE FOR SERVICES AND SUPPLIES FURNISHED UNDER ITS CHARITY CARE POLICY AND EQUIVALENT SERVICE STATISTICS. THE AMOUNT OF CHARGES FOREGONE, BASED ON ESTABLISHED RATES, WERE $1,809,827.AVERA ST. LUKE'S ALSO PROVIDES COMMUNITY BENEFIT HEALTH ACTIVITIES AT LESS THAN OR AT NO COST TO SUPPORT THOSE IN THE AREA SERVED, SEE SCHEDULE H. AS A MEMBER OF THE AVERA HEALTH NETWORK, AVERA ST. LUKE'S UPHOLDS THE VISION OF THE PRESENTATION AND BENEDICTINE SISTERS TO WORK THROUGH COLLABORATION TO PROVIDE QUALITY, EFFECTIVE HEALTH MINISTRY AND TO IMPROVE THE HEALTHCARE OF INDIVIDUALS AND OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH A REGIONALLY INTEGRATED NETWORK OF PERSONS AND INSTITUTIONS. AVERA ST. LUKE'S ENGAGES IN ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES IN RESPONSE TO A CALLING TO HEAL THE SICK, THE ELDERLY, AND THE OPPRESSED.DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AVERA HEALTH AND ITS AFFILIATED ENTITIES HAVE STEWARDED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TOWARD COMMUNITY BENEFIT, FROM OUR OWN RESOURCES AND FROM STATE AND FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AND RELIEF FUNDS. WHEN THE FIRST CASES WERE IDENTIFIED IN 2020, WE CREATED A 24/7 HOTLINE PEOPLE COULD CALL TO INQUIRE ABOUT TESTING, TREATMENT, AND LATER VACCINATION. THIS HOTLINE MINIMIZED THE BURDEN OF CLINICS AND HELPED PROTECT PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC BY KEEPING PATIENTS FROM PRESENTING TO HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN PERSON. ALONG WITH THE HOTLINE, AVERA LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVE AND SPECIALIZED PROGRAM FOR CARING FOR COVID PATIENTS AT HOME, INCLUDING DAILY CHECKINS, VIRTUAL VISITS (IF NEEDED) AND AT-HOME OXYGEN THERAPY. THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC THIS PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTED PATIENTS AND KEPT HOSPITALS FROM BECOMING OVERWHELMED.ADDITIONALLY WE LAUNCHED PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS FOR MASKING AND VACCINATION THAT INCLUDED EARNED MEDIA, PAID ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL PRESENCE. WE SET UP TESTING SITES AND EVENTS, INCLUDING A MASS TESTING EVENT FOR WORKERS AT THE LOCAL PROTEIN PLANT. THE STATE DELEGATED VACCINATION EFFORTS TO SOUTH DAKOTA'S HEALTH SYSTEMS, AND OUR STATE WAS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR OUR "SHOTS IN ARMS" EFFICIENCY. AVERA LED EFFORTS TO PRIORITIZE THOSE AT HIGHEST RISK, INCLUDING NOT ONLY ELDERLY AND INFIRM BUT HOMELESS, CONGREGATE LIVING RESIDENTS AND PROTEINPLANT WORKERS WHICH INCLUDED A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF IMMIGRANTS. WE PARTICIPATED IN NATIONAL RESEARCH FOR COVID THERAPIES INCLUDING CONVALESCENT PLASMA, MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS. WE WORKED WITH LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AT REGULAR PRESS CONFERENCES AND EXPANDED BED CAPACITY BY REALLOCATING RESOURCES ACROSS ALL HOSPITALS IN OUR SYSTEM. AVERA PARTNERED WITH OTHER HEALTH FACILITIES AND SYSTEMS TO ENSURE CAPACITY FOR THE SICKEST PATIENTS, AND THOSE IN NEED OF ICU CARE AND VENTILATORS. AVERA ALSO LAUNCHED EFFORTS TO SUPPORT AND RETAIN HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE, INCLUDING SUCH THINGS AS PAYING HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS, PROVIDING SUPPORT PAYMENTS, $2 ACROSS-THE-BOARD PAY INCREASES, INCREASED ON-CALL PAY AND SHIFT DIFFERENTIALS, AND MORE.