Sanford Health

Physicians, pharmacists, nurses, research scientists, genetic counselors, residents and students are invited to learn about incorporating advances in genetics and genomics into patient care. This full-day in person and virtual event presented by Sanford Imagenetics features national experts speaking on a range of topics.

Dr. Heather Spies, MD, MBA, clinician well-being officer at Sanford Health, recently joined the American Medical Association Steps Forward Podcast to discuss how Sanford's relationship-centered, data-driven approach has helped transform clinician satisfaction across the organization, sharing insights into how we have made clinician well-being a core organizational strategy. From leadership development and structured listening programs to AI ambient documentation tools that are giving physicians valuable time back, Dr. Spies highlighted the intentional strategies driving higher intent to stay and lower rates of burnout. Listen to the full conversation: https://san.fo/49S7S0v

“It was a pilot trial, and it was so popular that it moved from one specialty with one resident and now has expanded to five specialties.” A program based on a partnership between Hennepin Healthcare and Sanford Health allows medical residents to train in both urban and rural settings. Learn more about the benefits of the partnership in this podcast: https://san.fo/4vuDpxP

HealthTech Magazine's recent cover story highlighted how Sanford Health is advancing tech-enabled transformation while maintaining a positive operating margin during a period when many rural hospitals are struggling to stay afloat. The piece features insights from Dr. Dave Newman, chief medical officer of virtual care at Sanford Health, who shared patient stories that illustrate the impact of bringing care closer to patients through technology, including one from a routine endocrinology appointment in fall 2025 where his patient, a farmer, never left the cab of his combine thanks to the option of a virtual visit. "It was the middle of harvest season and he was in the field sunup to sundown," Dr. Newman said. "We went over his conditions, I refilled his medications, and it saved him from the stress of worrying about how he was going to get care." Read more: https://san.fo/432IIbD

A recent Modern Healthcare story points to a promising step forward in prior authorizations – a new collaboration between providers, health technology companies, and CMS to accelerate adoption of electronic prior authorizations. By bringing together key stakeholders, this effort aims to improve response times for patients while reducing inefficiencies for clinicians. Sanford Health is proud to be an early adopter of the Electronic Prior Authorization Acceleration initiative. The initiative builds on previous agreements by insurers to ease off prior authorizations and improve its efficiency and could help the healthcare industry prepare for impending interoperability deadlines in January 2027. Read more from Modern Healthcare: https://san.fo/4o4rgNx

Chief Healthcare Executive recently published a story featuring insights from Dr. Brian Hoerneman, president and CEO of Sanford Marshfield. Dr. Hoernerman shared how Sanford Health is taking a proactive, solutions-focused approach to navigating evolving headwinds and reinforced how we are well-positioned as an integrated system to improve health outcomes and reduce overall costs. "How can we work to keep our communities and patients healthier and really shift from that reactive care to caring for patients only when they're sick, to keeping the population healthy?" Read more: https://san.fo/3RrVmOS

Erica DeBoer, chief nursing officer at Sanford Health, recently shared insights with HealthLeaders during a webinar discussion where a panel of chief nursing officers discussed the financial impact of virtual nursing on labor costs and retention, and how to scale programs across sites without increasing complexity or cost. The panel included three key takeaways: - CNOs need to partner with innovative leaders to set goals and clear expectations for virtual nursing programs - Standardize workflows and technology as much as possible - Clearly define ROI to make a business case for expansion beyond pilot programs Listen to the full webinar: https://san.fo/4dDMkXK

Sanford Health is among one of nine health systems in the country that signed on to the Electronic Prior Authorization Acceleration initiative launched by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week. "Prior authorization won't be fixed by technology alone. It requires the entire healthcare system to work together to solve real-world challenges," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "CMS continues to bring organizations together to do just that, and these early adopters are choosing to lead. This work will help reduce administrative burden, giving clinicians more time to focus on patients and helping people get care faster." In total, 30 healthcare organizations, including health systems, electronic health record developers, physician practices, networks and digital health developers, have joined payers in working with CMS to identify and address workflow, technical and operational barriers that have slowed adoption of electronic prior authorization. Read more from Healthcare Finance News: https://san.fo/4nY6D5A

When a group of volunteers making Veterans Day rounds at Sanford USD Medical Center visited Dick Steckley's room to present him with a red, white and blue prayer shawl in recognition of his military service, they didn't know the impact it would have. Learn more: https://san.fo/3P54qYv

A recent NBC News story highlights how tools like OpenEvidence are becoming a go-to resource for physicians across the United States with nearly two-thirds of doctors already using it. What stands out isn't just the adoption but how seamlessly it integrates into daily clinical workflows. As Dr. Jeremy Cauwels, chief medical officer at Sanford Health, shared, tools like OpenEvidence function as an "AI-era equivalent of consulting a colleague," assisting physicians in expert opinion, writing discharge notes, and providing custom study tools for doctors' medical exams. Read more from NBC News: https://san.fo/3PGsgL3