Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) is proud to announce the Specialty Clinic is enhancing services for the care of patients with pain conditions. Patients can now make appointments with the Pain Science Center at Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic located within Rehabilitation Services.

Eric Fjeldheim, DPT, Pain SpecialistThe Pain Science Center is an option for those suffering from pain they are struggling to live with and manage day to day. Pain Specialist and Physical Therapist, Eric Fjeldheim, specializes in pain and is dedicated to expanding pain services to help treat and provide better outcomes for people with complex or chronic pain conditions. There are many different types of pain, so custom treatment plans are tailored to each patient’s unique pain experience.

Fjeldheim has completed 3 years of additional training in pain science leading to achievements as a Therapeutic Pain Specialist and Fellow of Pain Science. He has a passion for understanding the science behind pain and focusing on the whole person.

“Pain is a very complex, individualized experience. My goal is to listen to patients and listen to their story,” said Fjeldheim. “The Pain Science Center creates a path for patients to move forward with a team-based approach between providers and patients.”

Once an initial evaluation is completed and a better understanding of a patient’s pain is established, the Pain Science Center works together with the patient to find the right course of treatment. This may include other departments of Prairie Lakes and resources within the community. Treatment is personalized to each patient’s needs because pain is personal.

To schedule an appointment with the Pain Science Center at Prairie Lakes, please call the Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic at 605-882-7700. No referral is necessary.

Learn more about the Pain Science Center

The Pain Science Center at Prairie Lakes is an option for those suffering from complex, chronic or widespread pain they are struggling to live with and manage day to day. There are many different types of pain, and we are here to listen, evaluate, and help you gain control of the unique symptoms related to your individual pain.

Our focus is multidisciplinary, whole person care. 

Pain Science Center

Pain conditions are very common in the U.S. and many people don't know where to turn to find the right relief. If you suffer from symptoms of pain, you may benefit from treatment from the Pain Science Center at Prairie Lakes. 

Treatment

Once an evaluation is completed and a better understanding of a patient’s pain is established, the Pain Science Center works together with the patient to find the right course of treatment. This may include resources within the community along with Prairie Lakes:

• Services
• Specialties
• Therapies
• Procedures

Treatment is personalized to each patient’s individual needs because there are many different types of pain.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment or personalized consultation with Pain Specialist, Eric Fjeldheim, DPT, call the Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic at 605-882-7700.

No physician referral is necessary.

The Pain Science Center is located within Rehabilitation Services in the lower level of the Specialty Clinic.

Prairie Lakes Maternal Child Health strongly encourages all new moms to breastfeed their newborns. The focus of our staff, which includes Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC), is to provide education and support to new moms, fathers, and support people. We offer a continuum of breastfeeding education. Our desire is to reach moms before baby is born, while in the hospital, and to continue support after discharge.

Encouragement, education, and support are all vital to breastfeeding success. We encourage you to participate in as many of our breastfeeding opportunities as possibleto help you with your decision to breastfeed. All of these opportunities are offered free of charge as a service of Prairie Lakes Healthcare System.

After Delivery

Follow-up calls are made by our lactation educators to breastfeeding moms at home within the first few weeks after delivery. Moms are encouraged to call the OB Education Office or the OB Department with any breastfeeding questions, concerns, or help.

OB Education Office: 882-7628

OB Department: 882-7735

Breastfeeding Class

This class introduces breastfeeding basics and is an overview of the elements of successful breastfeeding. It is designed for parents who plan to breastfeed and for parents who have not yet decided whether to breast or formula feed.This class is open to anyone interested in breastfeeding information and is offered the 3rd night of the Childbirth Series.

Advantages of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides many advantages to both babies and mothers; including, colostrum, the first milk, which is rich in nutrients and antibodies that protect against infection and provide actual living cells as food. Breastfeeding encourages the development of immunities, significantly decreasing illnesses, allergies, asthma and other potentially serious health issues. It also reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), insulin dependent diabetes in childhood and adult obesity. It has also been found that breastfeeding increases brain and nervous system development.

Glacial Lakes Orthopedics is now Prairie Lakes Orthopedics.

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Procedure Videos

Patient Education

OrthoInfo AAOS Health Library

OrthoInfo offers a wide range of patient education topics — from detailed information about orthopedic conditions and surgical procedures to more general topics like exercise and injury prevention. All articles are developed and peer-reviewed by orthopedic surgeons.

Conditions 

• Shoulder, Arm and Elbow
• Hand and Wrist
• Spine and Neck
• Hip
• Knee and Leg
• Foot and Ankle

Categories

• Diseases, Arthritis, Tumors and Syndromes
• Broken Bones and Injury
• Treatment and Rehabilitation
• Sports and Exercise
• Prevention and Safety 

Patient Groups

• Children
• Seniors

Overview

• What is Orthopedics?
• Glossary of Orthopedic Terms
• About Orthopedics 

  is now    effective August 1, 2022.

Prairie Lakes Orthopedics provides personalized surgical and nonsurgical care for patients with a variety of conditions related to joints, bones, ligaments, nerves and tendons. Our team of experts work together to not only get you back to your normal self, but we also work to prevent injuries and improve performance. Our team-based approach ensures proper diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Treatments

Prairie Lakes Orthopedics treats conditions that result from trauma, sports injuries, disease, tumors, or congenital disorders including:

• ACL injury
• Carpal tunnel
• Foot and ankle disorders
• Pediatrics
• Fractures
• Ganglion cysts
• Gout
• Hand disorders
• Joint pain
• Knee, hip, and shoulder issues
• Overuse injuries
• Sprains and strains
• Rotator Cuff injuries
• Tendonitis
• Tennis elbow

Our Orthopedic Specialists

Casey Johnston, MD

Orthopedics

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Gerald Rieber, MD

Orthopedics

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Michael Vener, MD

Orthopedics

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Tim Larson, PA-C

Orthopedics

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Lisa Lee, CNP

Orthopedics

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Patient Education

 Orthopedic Procedure Videos and Patient Education 

Sports Medicine

Our expert team of orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers, physical and occupational therapists work together to provide prevention, recognition, evaluation, education and immediate care of athletic injuries to area athletes.

Athletic Trainers, Jeff Haufschild and Michelle Leitheiser, serve Watertown Arrow student-athletes on a full-time basis treating and preventing athletic injuries.They also provide education, support, and first aid when needed. The Prairie Lakes Sports Medicine team can be seen supporting athletes at local sporting events.

Schedule an Appointment

Please call Prairie Lakes Orthopedics at 605-882-2630 with any concerns you might have. No referrals necessary.  

Located in the lower level of the Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic with Rehabilitation Services, Orthopedic patients have convenient access to therapy and rehab services as our teams work closely together to provide an individualized treatment plan to restore your mobility.

Your Rights & Protections Against Medical Bills

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a co-payment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

You are protected from balance billing for:

Emergency services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgery center there may be providers who are out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.

When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:

If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost.

You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.

Your health plan generally must:

• Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
• Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
• Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
• Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact 1-800-985-3059.
Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under federal law.