Hometown Healthcare Heroes: Monument Health Spearfish

Congratulations to Monument Health Spearfish in Spearfish, South Dakota for being selected as the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) January Hometown Healthcare Hero member facility and community.

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.

Monument Health Spearfish is located in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota.  The hospital and clinics are able to provide healthcare to not only the residents of Spearfish but surrounding communities in addition to bordering states, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska. Monument Health Spearfish Hospital is a 35-bed acute care hospital. It offers a broad scope of services, including inpatient, labor and delivery care, intensive care, and 24-hour emergency department and surgical services for orthopedic, OB/GYN, General Surgery and Ear, Nose and Throat. Rachel Hawkins, RN grew up in eastern South Dakota. When choosing where to begin her healthcare career, she chose Spearfish as it was a place she visited as a child. “My grandparents live here, and I use to love coming out here to visit. It feels like you are on a vacation at all times, because there is so much to do. I love working in Spearfish, it feels like one big family.” Rachel Hawkins, RN, Monument Health Spearfish Rachel says the dynamic of the team she works with includes healthcare professionals who have worked there for 30 plus years to those that have only been there a few years. “Being here at Monument Health Spearfish is really unique because our doctors and hospitalists are always with us. They sit at the nurse’s station with us, and if you need something they treat you like family also.” Rachel Hawkins, RN, Monument Health Spearfish

Skyler Langer, RN, grew up in Spearfish and he too chose Monument Health Spearfish to begin his healthcare career. “The people that work here are close nit. There is always someone willing to help, whether it’s the doctors, your colleagues, anyone. I work with a physician in the ER. He will check people into the ER, he will play clerk if we are busy in a patient room. It’s something I haven’t seen in healthcare before, everyone helps out.” Skyler Langer, RN, Monument Health Spearfish

The community of Spearfish is known as the Queen City because it sits in a valley surrounded by three peaks: Lookout Mountain, Crow Peak, and Spearfish Mountain. This offers residents a variety of outdoor recreational activities year-round. “I am always trying to be outside and be active. We also have a lot of locally owned businesses here, which is awesome. I think we have some of the best restaurants in South Dakota here. Our main street has tons of boutiques, places to eat, it’s nice” Rachel Hawkins, RN, Monument Health Spearfish

Spearfish has several elementary schools, a high school, and a middle school. It’s also home to Black Hills State University, which offers residents D2 collegiate activities, that residents can attend. “Spearfish has a good school system and Monument Health gets involved with a lot of the athletics, both high school and collegiate sports which is great.” Skyler Langer, RN, Monument Health Spearfish

The community is booming with new construction taking place in and around the Spearfish area. Building lots are available for purchase, giving new homeowners lots of housing choices. “Monument Health gave me an incentive to support my move here. They helped me get comfortable right away and they helped me find housing. They are helpful with the whole process.” Rachel Hawkins, RN, Monument Health Spearfish  Monument Health also keeps an updated list of available homes for sale in Spearfish and the surrounding communities, to assist caregivers in finding their home.

Sarah Blenner is the Director of Talent Resourcing for Monument Health. “We are always looking for bedside caregivers, especially nurses, RN’s, LPN’s, and support roles. We have a variety of open positions throughout the Black Hills.” Sarah Blenner, Director of Talent Resourcing, Monument Health Spearfish

Also available to assist new employees is a robust benefits package, paid time-off, tuition reimbursement, student loan forgiveness, and scholarship opportunities.

Career opportunities within Monument Health Spearfish:

• RNs
• LPN’s
• Support Staff

To learn more about Monument Health Spearfish or apply visit: monument.health/careers

To learn more about the SDAHO Hometown Healthcare Heroes Campaign visit our website at sdaho.org/hometown-healthcare-heroes.