Avera on Louise Health Campus Ready to Open

The first buildings at the Avera on Louise Health Campus at 69th and Louise in Sioux Falls are ready to open, and the first patients will be seen Oct. 29.

A community open house is planned on Sunday, Oct.13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited.

Two connected buildings, including the five-story Avera Specialty Hospital and three-story Avera Medical Group building, comprise 260,000 square feet.

The building is designed in Avera's signature Prairie Wind theme, with 1.5 acres of glass along the exterior. Outdoor and indoor waterfalls and a rooftop garden contribute to a beautiful, serene atmosphere for patients and visitors.

"Over two years ago, Avera announced this bold project that would transform how we're delivering healthcare in our city," said David Flicek, President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. "This beautiful structure has changed the landscape of southwest Sioux Falls."

"This campus is in response to the growth of Sioux Falls - especially on the southwest side - and greater demand for specialties such as orthopedics and gastroenterology," Flicek said. Population growth in the Sioux Falls metropolitan service area (MSA) by 2025 is projected to increase by 54,000 to a total of 321,000.

The first floor is home to patient-and visitor-friendly features such as the Our Daily Bread Café, meditation room, retail pharmacy and private registration areas. Clinical space includes offices for the specialties of internal medicine, urogynecology and rheumatology, as well as an imaging center, full laboratory and infusion bays.

Second floor clinic is dedicated to the specialty of orthopedics, with ample exam rooms, a concussion room and casting room. There are eight state-of-the-art operating rooms on the hospital side. Surgery suites are equipped with the latest technology, including a robotic arm and GPS guidance for greater precision and accuracy. ORs also have 4K video for precision views during minimally invasive procedures, as well as video conferencing capabilities.

"In response to growing demand for orthopedic services, Avera has built what is now the region's largest team of orthopedic physicians. We have the full range of care available, from orthopedic surgeons, hand surgeons, sports medicine physicians, trauma specialists, podiatrists and more," said Matthew Blake, MD, orthopedic surgeon with Avera Orthopedics.

Third floor is dedicated to gastroenterology. The clinic side features exam rooms while the hospital side has eight procedure rooms, two of which are specially equipped for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a specialized procedure used to diagnose conditions of the pancreas and bile ducts.

Numerous pre- and post-op rooms on both second and third floor of the Specialty Hospital provide a comfortable place where patients will be prepared for procedures and recover afterward.

"The practice of gastroenterology is growing in our region in response to greater need of this specialty, as baby boomers age and need this level of care to remain healthy and active," said Christopher Hurley, MD, Avera Medical Group gastroenterologist.

The fourth floor is home to hospital space with 24 private inpatient rooms, each with a beautiful window view of southern Sioux Falls. A physical therapy gym is on the same floor for patients as they recover.

This floor is equipped with Avera eCARE® Hospitalist for immediate access to Avera McKennan hospitalists to backup and support the medical care of on-site staff.

Fifth floor is open to expansion, and the lower level provides space for food prep, sterilization of instruments, pharmacy support and underground parking.

Other buildings that will open soon on the Avera on Louise Health Campus include the Avera Addiction Care Center, opening in December, and the Avera Human Performance Center, opening in January 2020.

Avera Medical Group Urogynecology will be moving to the Avera Specialty Hospital in January.

"Avera teams, in partnership with architects and contractors, poured themselves into making this the most patient-friendly environment they could for the delivery of convenient, specialized care that today's health care customers are looking for," Flicek said. "We are extremely proud to open this facility that will improve access to quality care in our city and region."