The Dell Rapids Community Hospital Foundation is buying new physical therapy equipment for Avera Dells Area Hospital.

The foundation recently approved the purchase of a Biodex Balance System.

The Biodex Balance System SD is a balance testing and training tool that helps a wide range of patients, from athletes to older adults. Using the system, therapists are able to assess fall risk and then recommend exercises to help improve balance, agility and muscle tone. Other applications include screening athletes for single-leg injuries, concussion management and wellness or fitness activities.

The new cardiac stress test unit is now being used in the diagnosis and ongoing management of heart disease and related conditions. The system, used to measure the heart’s ability to respond to external stress in a controlled clinical environment, includes a treadmill, electrodes, monitor and software.

The hospital also recently purchased a new cardiac stress test unit, thanks to foundation funds donated in 2013.

Since the Foundation was established in 1997, approximately $220,000 has gone toward purchasing medical technology for Avera Dells Area Hospital.
“The mission of the Foundation is to help purchase equipment to provide our local hospital with the latest technology in order to benefit patients,” said Elouise Skatvold, President of the Dell Rapids Community Hospital Foundation. “The new balance system will improve quality of life for patients from various walks of life, from young athletes to the elderly. We’re pleased to be able to help our hospital provide this state-of-the-art technology.”

Foundation funds are raised in various ways, including memorial gifts, the annual “Roses Just Because” fundraiser, and holiday campaign in which donors can honor loved ones on the Angel Tree.

“We thank all those who support our programs throughout the year, so that we can in turn use these monies to benefit local patients,” Skatvold said.

Lindsay Flannery, administrator of Avera Dells Area Hospital, said the foundation’s efforts go a long way in keeping the Dell Rapids medical facility state-of-the-art and on the cutting edge of new technology.

“We are grateful to the Foundation and the donors who make these gifts possible. The Foundation places top priority on helping us stay technologically up to date. Thanks to these gifts, our patients benefit greatly, as do our physicians and staff,” she said.