Avera Queen Of Peace

PROMOTION OF HEALTH

AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF THE SURROUNDING AREA. AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION AFFILIATED WITH AVERA HEALTH. AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE CONSISTS OF 42 ACUTE BEDS, 8 ICU BEDS AND A 84-BED NURSING HOME IN MITCHELL, SD, A 16-BED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL IN WESSINGTON SPRINGS, SD, A 6-BED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL IN DE SMET, SD AND 12 PHYSICIAN CLINICS. THE PHYSICIAN CLINICS INCLUDE PRIMARY CARE, OB/GYN, PEDIATRICS, ORTHOPEDICS, GENERAL SURGERY, INTERNAL MEDICINE, RADIATION, RADIOLOGY, ONCOLOGY, DERMATOLOGY, THERAPY, OPHTHALMOLOGY AND OPTOMETRY. THEY PROVIDE ACUTE CARE AND LONG-TERM HEALTHCARE SERVICES. FOLLOWING IS A BREAKDOWN OF THESE STATISTICS BY FACILITY:AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE HOSPITAL1,635 ACUTE PATIENT DISCHARGES462 NEWBORN PATIENT DISCHARGES88 SWING BED PATIENT DISCHARGES104,867 OUTPATIENT VISITS779 SWING-BED PATIENT DAYS886 NEWBORN PATIENT DAYS40,203 CLINIC VISITSAVERA BRADY HEALTH AND REHABILITATION80 LONG TERM CARE PATIENT DISCHARGES25,752 LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENT DAYSAVERA WESTKOTA MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER (CAH)73 ACUTE PATIENT DISCHARGES29 SWING BED DISCHARGES4,083 OUTPATIENT VISITS312 SWING-BED PATIENT DAYSAVERA DE SMET MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (CAH)75 ACUTE PATIENT DISCHARGES18 SWING BED PATIENT DISCHARGES12,400 OUTPATIENT VISITS111 SWING-BED PATIENT DAYS3,088 CLINIC VISITSAVERA QUEEN OF PEACE 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 $2,183,802.AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE ALSO PROVIDES COMMUNITY BENEFIT HEALTH ACTIVITIES AT LESS THAN OR AT NO COST TO SUPPORT THOSE IN THE AREA SERVICED, SEE SCHEDULE H. AS A MEMBER OF THE AVERA HEALTH NETWORK, AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE 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 QUEEN OF PEACE 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 PROTEIN PLANT 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.