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As a pharmacist and leader at Sanford for nearly 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the daily dedication and unwavering commitment of those who strive to make a difference in the lives of our patients.

While advanced medical technology and cutting-edge treatments are vital components of our health care system, the embodiment of our Sanford values by our more than 2,000 local staff members is the core of our organization.

These values serve as a compass guiding our collective efforts towards a common purpose. With ever-changing technology and a national health care workforce shortage, providing care is more complicated than ever.

The predicts a shortage of as many as 122,000 physicians by 2032. In that same time, the over-65 population is expected to grow by 48%. This increase in patient acuity is rippling throughout all health care professions and communities. Over the last decade, Sanford Bemidji’s number of clinicians increased by 48%, nurses increased 35% and total workforce increased 31%.

As caregivers, we are challenged daily to keep compassion, integrity and patient-centeredness at the core of what we do. Every kind word, compassionate touch and reassuring smile contribute to the healing process. Our values remind us of this vital component of care.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we all understood health care workers were on the front line — they were heroes. For those of us who work with them every day, we already knew they were (and still are) heroes.

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Karla Eischens Column: Fostering cultural change at Sanford Bemidji

By taking an active role in the community and investing resources to drive more opportunities, we can help ensure accessible, culturally competent care for Native American and tribal communities in and around Bemidji.

Dec 31, 1969

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By  Karla Eischens, Sanford Bemidji

This past year, we were reminded of this by Steve Engel and Andrea Kent, husband and close friend of Sue Engel. After starting her cancer journey in 2017, Sue spent her final days with her family, friends and our staff before passing away in December. Following her passing, Steve and Andrea asked if they could thank the staff who were involved in Sue’s care:

ICU nurses Nicole Anderson, Caleb Kruger, Jenna Smith, Michelle Cudmore, Na Zhao and Angela Dombkowski; CCU nurses Rochelle Boyd, Jenny Schultz, Brekah Baker, Aaron Barthorpe, Anna Olson, Desi Overacre, Jenna Schafer and Linnea Gustafson; medical-surgical nurses Annalie Marinucci and Haley Voss; hospitalists Dr. Dimitriy Yezhikov and Donna Shorter, PA-C; palliative care physician Dr. Kirsten LeSage; and chaplain Erin Kossivi.

From providing attentive and informative care in the ICU and Telemetry Unit to helping Sue and her loved ones find comfort while in the hospice suite, these staff members wholeheartedly embraced our Sanford value of Community — providing care in a diverse range of settings while focusing on the wellness of Sue and her loved ones.

Stories, like Sue’s, are why we created quarterly HERO Awards — an opportunity for anyone, including staff, clinicians, patients and their families, to recognize and nominate an employee or team that embraces one or more of our through the work they do.

Whether they provide care at the bedside, surgery in the operating room, treatment at the clinic, assistance out in the community or non-clinical support from behind the scenes, all our employees are eligible to be nominated.

Since offering this opportunity, nominations have ranged from saving a patient’s life in the parking lot to supporting colleagues from the mail room to a small act of kindness when a patient’s family needed it the most.

Recognizing and rewarding those who embody the Sanford values of calling, courage to take action, family-like connection with one another, compassionate service of others, resolve to align actions to excellence and purpose, pursuit of organizational advancement and growth, and dedication to the care and wellness of our community, reinforces a culture of recognition and meaningful work that improves both the patient and employee experience for everyone within our organization.

I am so proud of those who have been recognized, so far, and am sincerely grateful to everyone in the community who has shared their stories and experiences with us. If you would like to nominate someone, please email me your nomination any time of the year.

Karla Eischens, RPh, is the President and CEO of Sanford Health’s Bemidji region located in northern Minnesota. She can be reached at (218) 333-5264 or  karla.eischens@sanfordhealth.org.