Congratulations to this month’s Hometown Healthcare Heroes recipient, Brookings Health System in Brookings, South Dakota.
To help member facilities with workforce needs, SDAHO launched the Hometown Healthcare Heroes campaign. This storytelling campaign is designed to recognize career opportunities at member facilities and celebrate the people that work there and the communities they live.
Brookings is South Dakota’s fourth largest town, home to the state’s largest higher-education institution, and its healthcare system has received the Top 20 Rural Community Hospital in the United States award from the National Rural Health Association, 5 out of the past 6 years. Jaclyn Rauen, RN, is the Inpatient Care Director and Case Manager Director with Brookings Health System,” That is a significant award, and it really speaks to our team’s ability to provide quality care and it’s based on several different pillars including quality pillars and patient satisfaction pillars.” Jaclyn Rauen, RN, Inpatient Care Director & Case Manager Director, Brookings Health System
Brookings Health System has a 49-bed hospital, 79-bed skilled nursing home, congregate living facility, 3 rural clinics and an eye clinic. It is a city-owned health system that offers a full range of inpatient, outpatient, surgery, home health and extended care services. Sara Marroquin, MD, is a general surgeon serving patients from Brookings Health System. Dr. Marroquin is originally from Oregon but did all her surgical training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Her husband is originally from South Dakota, so when it was time to pick a home, they chose Brookings. “I was very impressed when coming here with all the new technology and how nice and clean everything is. Robotics surgery essentially will be the new standard of care and we have the most up to date robot, which is extremely beneficial, because there are a lot of different specialties that can use the robot. For a small community I do think that we have a lot of access to things that other towns do not have such as the da Vinci Robot and the Mako Robot.” Sara Marroquin, MD – General Surgeon, Avera Medical Group, Brookings, SD
Former Mayor of Brookings and current State Lawmaker Tim Reed serves as the CEO for the Brookings Economic Development Corporation. He was born in the Brookings Hospital and continues to call Brookings his home today. “I really appreciate that our local hospital participates in a lot of community activities. You are finding that community members also want to be active, and they appreciate having a great hospital and other healthcare amenities right here in Brookings that they don’t have to travel for.” Tim Reed, CEO Brookings Economic Development Corporation
Community members have a wide variety of activities to take part in, including Division 1 college athletics, the Fine Arts and museums, a robust downtown, and nature trails. “When we are not working, we like to enjoy the many activities that Brookings has to offer. That might be a Jacks football game on a Saturday afternoon. It might be taking my kids to the children’s museum or enjoying the many nature trails around the area.” Jaclyn Rauen, RN, Inpatient Care Director & Case Manager Director, Brookings Health System
Brookings is known for being a small community that offers a lot of bigger city amenities for recreation and workforce. “I think a lot of that has to do with the University. There are a lot of different jobs you can do, whether you are in education or student services or research. A lot of companies around here need technical workforce. They need people that can do lab work and such.” Tim Reed, CEO Brookings Economic Development Corporation According
According to Reed, Brookings is also known to have a lower cost of living compared to bigger communities. “A lot of times people find that our gas is a little cheaper, our groceries are a little cheaper and people find that it is a very reasonable place to live.” Brookings also has in place a robust housing program. A recent housing study suggested that Brookings needed to provide 170 new housing units per year for the next 10-years. Last year Brookings built 271 units.
Interested in building a new healthcare career? Consider applying with Brookings Health System. They offer outstanding benefits and a wide variety of positions to choose from.
Job Opportunities:
- Food Services
- Housekeeping
- Laboratory
- Dermatologist
- Urologist
- Orthopedic Surgeon
- Respiratory Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Nurses
- Radiology
- Hospitalists
Benefits may include:
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Health Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Flexible Reimbursement Plan
- Short Term Disability
- Gym Membership Reimbursement
- On-site Fitness Center
- On-call Compensation
- Employee Discount on Services
- South Dakota Retirement System Plan
- Public Loan Forgiveness Program
To learn more about Brookings Health System or apply visit: www.brookingshealth.org/jobs
To learn more about the SDAHO Hometown Healthcare Heroes Campaign visit our website.
