Prairie Lakes invited to participate in national project.
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System is one of 13 hospitals nationwide that participated in a national demonstration project to improve inpatient processes of care in American hospitals. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement lead the project. Prairie Lakes received the exclusive invitation after being recognized for innovation and quality of care during a previous Institute for Healthcare project.

Prairie Lakes first in state to offer 8-channel MRI technology.
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System was the first hospital in the state to deploy GE Excite 8-channel MRI technology with the purchase of a 8-channel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The unit is located in the Radiology Department at Prairie Lakes Hospital and replaced the mobile unit located outside the hospital building.

First minimally invasive knee surgery in tri-state area performed at Prairie Lakes.
An innovative knee replacement surgery available in Watertown gives patients a less invasive alternative. The technique, called mini-incision total knee arthroplasty, utilizes a 4- to 5-inch incision to access the damaged portion of the knee, which is then replaced with an artificial device. A smaller incision generally means patients may experience less pain, less disruption of tissue in the knee, and may be able to exercise the knee sooner and more effectively. The surgery was the first of its kind in North and South Dakota and Minnesota.

Prairie Lakes first in state to install 16-slice CT technology. 
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System was the first hospital in South Dakota to install an advanced computed tomography (CT) scanner that provides detailed images of the body. This advanced technology not only means more diagnostic information for doctors in routine situations, but its speed can also save precious exam time in the emergency room.

Prairie Lakes first in state to offer IMRT. 
Prairie Lakes Cancer Center was the first Cancer Center in South Dakota to offer its patients a sophisticated radiation therapy called IMRT – Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy. The goal at the Cancer Center is to continue to stay abreast of the latest oncology treatments and technology and bring advanced therapies – like IMRT – here to Watertown.