The sculpture is sponsored by Dakota Hospital Foundation.

This initiative encourages employees to share innovative ideas that enhance patient care, resident experiences, safety, and our overall environment at Sanford Vermillion. We are proud to recognize the outstanding submissions received this year:

• Beth Zavala — Installation of a Midblock Pedestrian Crossing
• Craig Sorensen — Updated Bariatric Bed to Improve Patient Care & Safety
• Eva Schaap — for her project Seating Area in Front of the Care Center
• Tim Young — Care Center TV Stands with Fireplaces

Each submission reflected creativity, compassion, and a commitment to improving the experience for patients, residents, visitors, and staff.

Congratulations to this year’s $1,000 Employee Idea Challenge winner, Eva Schaap, for her project, Seating Area in Front of the Care Center!

Thank you to all participants for your dedication to making a positive difference in our community and organization. Your ideas truly help move our mission of community health and wellness forward!

Andy’s lifelong dedication to service, leadership and the Vermillion community has made a lasting impact on the well-being of countless individuals and families throughout our region. From his years of public service to his commitment to community organizations, Andy exemplifies the spirit of community health and wellness.

We were honored to celebrate Andy during the Dakota Hospital Foundation Leadership Dinner and share a special tribute video recognizing his many contributions.

Please join us in congratulating Andy Howe on this well-deserved honor!

We are pleased to report that over $23,400 was raised this year. Proceeds from this year’s event will specifically go towards equipment upgrades in the Sanford Vermillion infusion rooms. Your contribution, in memory of Sheri Ellis and Mary Merrigan has made an impact on many lives in our region. Thank you all so much for any and all support, time, talent and financial giving you provided. Please recognize the sponsors listed in the attachment.

Jill told me I needed to send her a typed bio – that turned out to be one of the hardest tasks I’ve ever been assigned. Why would anyone want to know that I was born lots of years ago in Minnesota and then when I was four, my family moved to rural Wisconsin. Life was lived pretty close to home, and I spent my life living close to lots of cousins. After finishing eighth grade at a country school named Bluff Siding School and high school at Winona Senior High School, I walked three blocks more each morning and, by paying $50 per quarter for tuition as an out-of-state student, finished college in Winona. A teaching job in the best little town in Minnesota – Mapleton – marrying in 1955 and moving to Minneapolis so that new husband could finish up graduate school while we added three littles to our life and shared some wonderful times with great friends also living in University Village in Army surplus metal barracks. During those 8 years we shared lots and lots with fellow students – childcare, concerns, big dreams, lots of coffee, and finally the culmination of those school years when the degrees were awarded. Well, in 1964, life had some big changes in store for the Johnson family.

We had big plans to go somewhere except we just didn’t know for sure where that somewhere was going to be. After some interviews and visits to various campuses, Allen was offered a year-long position in the Department of Biology here at USD while the chair was on sabbatical. The comments from everyone were absolutely priceless as so many times we were asked “now, where is Vermillion – are you sure you don’t mean Brookings?” My mom just solved all the location problems by telling everyone that we were moving to Dakota. She never gave us a direction and in her last years when she suffered from the dementia that haunted her family, she informed Allen on one of our visits that she ‘used to have this nice daughter but she moved to Dakota and married a Swede’. By the way, what a surprise when we got here, and Allen’s office was in an Army surplus metal barracks!

Anyway, in the fall of 1964, we packed up our U-Haul and hitched it to our 1956 Ford and came to this someplace safe with lots of good people for nine months – we thought. At the end of the year, bless his heart, the chair of the department didn’t return so we proceeded to dig our rut wide and deep and have called Vermillion home for all these years. This beautiful group of people has walked with us through our life’s journey – this town has shared sorrow, gratitude, and great joy and satisfaction with us. We have been fortunate to come to know so many good folks who are engaged in living a good life. We’ve lived in three neighborhoods since moving here and each time, I have been overwhelmed at those wonderful folks who live across the street, next door, down the road a little way or across the field – especially after one of our epic snowstorms blocks the driveway.

I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the things that I do – a very precious friend once told me that “man does not live by bread alone but deserves hyacinths for the soul’ and I hope that is what I have done – I like to think that I helped to provide some good times like fun events at the W.H. Over Museum for everyone, including our super fun Rhubarb Day as well as helping to keep the bread on the table at the Welcome Table every week. I am very humbled to be honored with this recognition because whatever I have done, I have had lots and lots of company while doing it and am so very blessed to have come to know so many folks as friends. My husband, who was always my most faithful cheerleader, always referred to ‘my causes’ and whatever I have done as a member of this community has been a pleasure and I thank you all for the opportunity.

Through the DHF Employee Idea Challenge project, employees are encouraged to propose a project that would identify and fulfill an unmet need at Sanford Vermillion or in the community. The goal is that the board selects a minimum of one project per year to fund through this challenge process by virtue of the amazing support of employee donations to Dakota Hospital Foundation.

To date (2024), 42 proposals have been funded; $24,700 awarded dollars to the winners; and over $336,300 total investments of those projects.

Cierra Van Essen, Clinic RN, (Winner)
– Spot Vision Screener

The 2024 winning project was submitted by Cierra Van Essen, Clinic RN, requesting a Spot Vision Screener. It demonstrates the mission of DHF through providing innovative and preventative screening equipment for patients of all ages, most prominently preschool age children.

Pictured (left to right): Jon Schemmel, USD Athletic Director, Veronica Schmidt, Sanford Vermillion Senior Director, Dr. Jacob Quail, Sanford Vermillion)

3D imaging detects cancer at its smallest, most treatable stage!

“3D Mammograms allow for earlier detection, fewer tests and reduced anxiety for patients,” said Veronica Schmidt, senior director of Sanford Vermillion. “We’re grateful for the Dakota Hospital Foundation and the local donors who played a significant part in bringing this technology to Vermillion, ensuring all patients will receive the latest in preventative care close to home.”

Funding for the new 3D mammogram technology was made possible by the Dakota Hospital Foundation. Since its beginning in 1930, the Dakota Hospital Foundation has been dedicated to community health and wellness in the Vermillion area, in partnership with Sanford Vermillion Medical Center.

“We are committed to improving access to care for everyone in our area, and over the years our donors have helped bring a number of significant projects to fruition,” said Andy Howe, president of Dakota Hospital Foundation. “We’re proud to help bring 3D mammography to Sanford Vermillion, where we continue to advocate for the importance of breast cancer screening.”

For more information or to schedule a 3D mammogram in Vermillion, call 605.677.3700, use MyChart or visit sanfordhealth.org.