CHI St. Alexius Health welcomes media professionals to work with the media relations team to arrange interviews and stories and to visit the facilities. If you are a member of the media and would like to speak to a member of our media relations team, please click here.
Bismarck Nurse Receives Daisy Award
Extraordinary Nurse Recognized at CHI St. Alexius Health
Diane Vetter, a nurse at CHI St. Alexius Health, was honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. DAISY Award recipient, Diane, was recognized for a situation with a patient where she knew something didn’t seem right and she ended up saving that patient’s life.
Cardiologists warn of iPhone 12 usage for people with defibrillators or pacemakers
Cardiologists are saying the new iPhone 12 and the charger can be dangerous for some patients. Heart Rhythm Society is saying people who have defibrillators or pacemakers should take precautions when using the new technology. The new latest phone and the wireless charger have magnetic rings to connect. But CHI St. Alexius’ Interventional Cardiologist says the magnet switches the tool into safety mode.
Experts explain impact of pandemic on the health care system, what we can expect for the future
From COVID-19 survivors to frontline workers to health care professionals, the pandemic has put stress on everyone. From the start, our nation relied on the people working behind the scenes to get us to the point we’re at now. Last year, the pandemic shocked us all and created an unexpected chain reaction. COVID patients relied on health care workers. The community relied on contact tracers. And now, we’re all relying on the Department of Health to help us get vaccines into as many arms as possible. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but those I spoke to say we’ve come a long way. At its onset, doctors and nurses snapped into action, turning their attention to COVID patients desperate for their care.
Bismarck adds new technology to help with knee replacement surgeries
Close to 800,000 knee replacement surgeries are done every year in the United States, according to CHI St. Alexius. The hospital is incorporating new technology for faster patient recovery, less pain and improved mobility. The ROSA robot scans the knee to create a virtual image with detailed information for the surgeons. The computer’s virtual image then helps doctors navigate to make more precise cuts of the bone. The precise cuts help ensure the alignment is as close to perfect as they can get.
Doctors are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19 even if you’ve already had the virus. However, experts say, be prepared for more intense side effects. In a study posted by medRxiv (med archive), researchers report many people who had previously been infected with the virus reported flu-like symptoms after their first dose. Although these findings could mean some discomfort, they also provide insight into how future vaccine doses are determined.
North Dakota middle of the pack for health emergency prep
North Dakota is middle of the pack when it comes to being prepared for public health emergencies, according to a new report from the Trust for America's Health. The nonpartisan nonprofit measured states' performance on 10 emergency preparedness indicators ranging from lab capacity to public health funding. It put states in three tiers: high, middle and low level of readiness for health emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic. The report, Ready or Not 2021: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, places North Dakota with 14 other states in the middle tier. Twenty states were higher; 15 were lower.
The effects of COVID-19 on North Dakota one year later
North Dakota is still feeling the effects of COVID-19 a year after the state’s first case was found. It’s been a roller coaster of year throughout the community. It was one year ago that North Dakotans were going about their day to day routines when the first confirmed COVID-19 case hit the state.
“It’s one of those things we didn’t even expect to come to America right? When it first started over in Asia, over in Asia,” said Barry Schneider, a Bismarck Resident.
“I thought it would be gone in six months, maybe seven. I really was not expecting this long,” said Marlette Pittman, a Bismarck Resident.
Garrison Among Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals
CHI St. Alexius Health Garrison has been recognized as a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 11th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®. “This distinction has been a goal of mine since becoming administrator,” said Tod Graeber, Garrison Administrator. “I am very proud of our providers, nurses, and all staff that works hard every day to make our healthcare facility one of the top rural hospitals in the country.”
