BEMIDJI — In a record-setting year, 40 posters created by
Sanford Health
employees — clinical and non-clinical alike — displayed their commitment to improvement on Thursday.
As part of the 2025 Bemidji Sanford Improvement Symposium, professionals representing a wide swath of departments featured posters focused on various aspects of care from safety to cost and quality of life to evidence-based practice.
Sanford Improvement’s overarching purpose is to enhance quality and safety by improving clinical outcomes, increasing patient/staff satisfaction, making processes more efficient and increasing cost-effectiveness. The symposium aims to encourage the sharing of improvement ideas across the health system and celebrate successes.
“This really captures every facet of what it takes to provide health care for the community,” Chief Medical Officer Dan Hoody said. “The diversity of projects reflects the team effort it takes to put quality and safe care in front of our community members every day.”
Dan Hoody, chief medical officer at Sanford Health Bemidji, presents on solving unsolvable problems in health care during an improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Following a welcome and keynote speech by Hoody, presenters dispersed to their respective posters to highlight their research and findings to judges and other passersby.
Among the crowd was Housing Case Manager Catie LeMay, who presented “Outreach to Permanent Housing.” The project evolved out of the need to meet clients that are experiencing homelessness where they are at.
“Within our housing department, we help individuals that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to navigate the housing system because it’s a complicated system to navigate,” LeMay said.
Housing Case Manager Catie LeMay presents on Sanford’s Stable Housing Program during an improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
In July 2023, Sanford Stable Housing received $100,000 in Emergency Services Program funding to expand housing navigation services and direct service into the community. During its award period of July 2023 to June 2025, the group hired a behavioral health counselor in February 2024 to offer services at Bemidji’s New Day Center Tuesdays through Fridays.
From May to December 2024, staff reviewed 39 program referrals, processed 21 admissions, ensured 49 clients received basic survival needs and successfully housed five individuals.
Though Thursday’s event marked LeMay’s third time presenting, other exhibitors were a bit more green. For her first time presenting, Registered Nurse Katie Korhonen presented “Toss Out Tumbles with Telesitters,” a project aimed at reducing inpatient falls by increasing the use of telesitters — remote video monitoring systems used to observe patients.
Korhonen’s project noted that fall rates have been higher at Sanford Bemidji compared to the Minnesota State average.
“Falls in a hospital are a huge dissatisfier with patient safety and good outcomes in the hospital,” Korhonen said. “By implementing these, we were able to decrease fall rates and gain back some staff trust.”
Attendees discuss a project with Sanford Bemidji President and CEO Karla Eischens, center, during a Sanford Health improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Standing amongst a bevy of other Sanford Health departments allowed Korhonen her own opportunity to learn while teaching others.
“It’s been really cool to see everybody’s projects and the different things they’re working on,” Korhonen added. “You think you kind of know everything that’s going on (at Sanford), then you walk around here and you find out there’s a lot more to it.”
Attendees listen to Chief Medical Officer Daniel Hoody, with Sanford Health Bemidji, give a keynote presentation during an improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
After the judges confer, awards are given out to first, second and third place winners. Additional awards include the Equity Award and Board’s Choice Award chosen by the Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota Board of Directors among others.
“We have multiple different awards based on different domains of quality, safety and patient experience excellence,” Hoody said. “It’s a nice little memento for the wonderful work they’ve put together, then the teams go back the next day and keep up the excellent care that they’re providing.”
As the grand prize, winning presenters attend a health conference of their choice which is appropriate to their department, all expenses covered by Sanford. Last year’s winners attended the World Hospital Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ethan Pilger, BSN RN, presents his project to a judge during a Sanford Health improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Such an opportunity to meet with other health care professionals on the world stage underscores the purpose of the symposium: improving health care in Bemidji’s back yard.
“We’re very fortunate to have a lot of great professionals here that are keeping us on the forefront, making sure we can offer the best care we can close to home,” Chief Nursing Officer Renee Axtman said. “Our community should know that we’re always looking to be better.”
“We have a tremendous workforce here in Bemidji. It’s an asset to the health of the community,” Hoody left off. “We’re just excited to be able to shine a spotlight on some of the teams that don’t otherwise get it, because they deserve it.”
Heather Tverstol presents a project on fostering the professional growth of improvement advisors during an improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Award winners include:
- 1st Place: Hail Mary! Touching Down on Patient Safety and Satisfaction Through Timely Pain Reassessment (Emergency Department)
- 2nd Place: Building a HAPI Culture (MSO)
- 3rd Place: Implementation of Depression Screening in Urgent Care (Walk-In Clinic)
- Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota Board Award: Screen Early/Treat Early — The Recipe in Preventing Illness (Primary Care)
- Equity and Experience Award: Rebuilding, Restarting, Renewing — The New Beginnings Program (Behavioral Health)
- Excellence in Patient Experience Award: The 5 P’s (Critical Care)
- Commitment to Quality and Safety Excellence Award: Sharing is Caring (Medical Oncology)
Danielle Kleszyk, RN Trauma Program Specialist with Sanford Health Bemidji, presents on improving paging efficiencies for trauma patients during an improvement symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Attendees of a Sanford Health improvement symposium discuss a project on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
The First Place Award was given to the project “Hail Mary! Touching Down on Patient Safety and Satisfaction Through Timely Pain Reassessment” presented by the Emergency Department following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Second Place Award was given to the project “Building a HAPI Culture” presented by the MSO Department following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Third Place Award was given to the project “Implementation of Depression Screening in Urgent Care” presented by the Walk-in Clinic following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota Board Award was given to the project “Screen Early/Treat Early — The Recipe in Preventing Illness” presented by Primary Care following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Equity and Experience Award was given to the project “Rebuilding, Restarting, Renewing: The New Beginnings Program” presented by Behavioral Health following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Excellence in Patient Experience Award was given to the project “The 5 P’s” presented by Critical Care following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed
The Commitment to Quality and Safety Excellence Award was given to the project “Sharing is Caring” presented by Medical Oncology following the Sanford Bemidji Improvement Symposium on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Contributed