Rural Medical Clinics News

Happenings

At Your Clinic

MEET DIGNA MILLER!

Freeman Regional Health Services welcomes new clinic manager Digna Miller!

Digna, whose home country is the Dominican Republic, obtained a 2-year business degree at Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas. Following her college years in the U.S., she returned to Santo Domingo where she received her accounting degree. While in the Dominican she married her husband, Matt, a Freeman native.

Digna and Matt are raising 4-year old tripletts: Arianna, Alea and Armando. While at home raising their children, Digna worked to obtain her Masters in Business Administration degree through the University of South Dakota .

“I look forward to this new chapter in my life,” Digna said. “I love new experiences and new challenges, and I am enjoying getting to know the clinic staff. I think they will be a great bunch to work with!”

Digna’s hobbies include cooking, cake decorating, baking and biking. She is fluent in Spanish and English. She proudly obtained her U.S. citizenship in 2008, which, she said, was a high point in her life.

We welcome you, Digna, to our FRHS Family!!

Freeman's Rural Medical Clinic clinic has recently undergone some much needed renovations. The patient exam rooms have been soundproofed, with new flooring, carpeting and paint throughout the clinic.

As of May 1^st, 2011 Rural Medical Clinics was purchased by Freeman Regional Health Services in a joint venture with Avera Medical Group.

Things will not change:

1. You will continue to see the same Medical Staff that has served your community for years.

2. Our goal is to continue to work with you and your community to maintain and build a strong lasting relationship.

To improve the healthcare services we can offer, our Freeman Clinic will become a Provider Based clinic. Essentially the Freeman Clinic will operate and see patients in the same manner as before. As a Provider Based Clinic they are considered a department of the hospital. There are some improved payments from Medicare for being a Provider Based Clinic. These dollars are intended to help keep access to healthcare strong in rural communities. Marion, Menno and Bridgewater clinics will continue to serve patients and operate with the same hours they have always had.

To better serve patients and keep your healthcare costs down we have centralized some of our scheduling and billing processes. Instead of seeing a receptionist in our Menno and Bridgewater clinics our nurse and provider are available to serve you. To assure the nurse is able to give you the attention you deserve the phones have been forwarded to Freeman.

Our receptionists in Freeman are happy to:

Schedule your appointments for any RMC clinic location.

Assist with prescription refills.

Notify your provider when you need to speak with them.

Address billing concerns and issues.

We are committed to investing in rural healthcare to expand services to our patients.

Currently we are working with an Electronic Medical Record to ensure that your health history is available to our providers at any time and at any FRHS location. This will allow our providers to have your most current medical history and be able to offer the highest quality of healthcare.

605-925-4219 605-925-4000

Rural Medical Clinics a Department of Freeman Regional Health Services in Partnership with Avera Medical Group

The Freeman Regional Health Services Campus Includes:

Freeman Medical Center

Rural Medical Clinics ~ Freeman, Marion, Menno and Bridgewater

Oakview Terrace Medicare Skilled Nursing Home

Walnut Street Village and Dewald Street Village Apartments

Medical Staff:

Ken Kirton, MD

Dennis Ries, MD

Eloise Schrag, MD

Terri Behl, PA-C

Doug Schafer, PA-C

Brian Miller, CNP

Dustin, Randall, CNP

We want to hear from you!

Submit comments or questions to

email@freemanregional.com

The following Article is Courtesy of the Freeman Courier

Freeman Regional, Avera Medical assume ownership of Rural Medical Clinics; expanded support will help alleviate financial pressures and offer long-term stability

People using the services of Rural Medical Clinics in Freeman, Marion, Menno and Bridgewater won't see anything different from what they are used to.

But May 1 marked a major transition for the health care facility. The medical practice, established in 1956 and owned and operated by local physicians for the past half century, is now owned and operated through a joint operating agreement between Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS) and Avera Medical Group. While the ownership and management of the practice has changed, the medical staff, three physicians and three midlevel practitioners, the hours of operation, services in the four communities and the name, Rural Medical Clinics, remain unchanged.

Dr. Dennis Ries of Rural Medical Clinics and Dan Gran, CEO of FRHS, announced the May 1 change of ownership last month. In that announcement Ries said "The joint venture between FRHS and Avera Medical Group is the best plan to insure long-term clinic operations...."

Last week Ries reiterated his belief that the change is in the best interest of continued health care in the community. The transition, Ries said, reflects the financial pressures and increasing complexity of health care regulations and of managing the practice. The joint agreement....provides both the local control and the broader resources that Ries believes will provide stability that will continue primary care services to residents of the larger Freeman Community well into the future.

About Avera

Avera, the health ministry of the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters, is a network of 235 care locations in 87 communities in 5 states: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. It includes hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, retirement communities, home medical equipment outlets and research centers.

The Avera Medical Group is part of that network. David Flicek is chief administrative officer of the Avera Medical Group and said Avera is looking forward to being a part of the Rural Medical Clinics. Flicek noted the good working relationship already in place with Dr. Ries and FRHS. "it's a win-win relationship."

Flicek schoed the importance of the role Avera will be playing in physician recruitment which he acknowledged is a growing challenge in rural communities.

In a press release issued by Avera on Monday May 2, Flicek said Rural Medical Clinics is a strong practice with experienced physicians and staff who serve the communities of Freeman, Marion, menno and Bridgewater very well. We are happy to welcome them to the Avera Family. Freeman Regional Health Services has a tremendous reach to this part of South Dakota," Flicek continued, "and Avera is proud to partner with them in this venture."

Staff Remains Intact

The transition will be an evolving process. Gran notes a management council of two representatives each from Avera and FRHS will meet regularly to oversee the clinic operation. As a practical matter, Gran will assume responsibility for the day-to-day business aspects of the clinic. Kathy Waltner will serve as clinic manager.

Drs. Ken Kirton, Ries and Eloise Schrag and mid-level practitioners Teri Behl, Mary Manson and Doug Schafer are now employed by Avera. The rest of the clinic staff are now FRHS employees.

The loss of autonomy inherent in the change of ownership needs to be seen in the context of the national health care scene, Ries said. "We like to do things our own way, but our hands are tied in so many cases."

Still, while Ries sees the transition that's played out in the last half year as in the best interest of continued health care for this rural community, there's a part of him that cringes at the notion that it was a business decision that prompted it.

"I hate to refer to medicine as a business," he said. "I always wanted to believe that it's a service. I guess that's my naivete."

Like Ries and Gran, Flicek said he believes people will see very little change in the transition of ownership and is looking forward to being part of efforts to continue the strong tradition of health care here.

"We have the experience of bringing people together," he said. "We are looking forward to help recruit, assist, grow and maintain health care in the Freeman Community."

Read the article in its entirety in the May 4 issue of the Freeman Courier.