March is National Athletic Training Month which raises awareness for the important work that Athletic Trainers provide to athletes of all ages and abilities.

Athletic trainers, also known as ATs, specialize in the management, prevention, and recovery of injured athletes. Many times, athletic trainers are the first medical professionals on the scene after an injury.

At Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, we are happy to have fantastic Athletic Trainers working within our Sports Medicine team that provide assistance to our area athletes. Faith Tyler serves as athletic trainer full-time for the Watertown Arrows while Jodi DeVaal works with student athletes from Clark, Willow Lake, Hamlin, and Castlewood schools.

In addition, Sam Cappadora provides full-time Athletic Training services to the Watertown Shamrocks ensuring our hockey players are safe and healthy when they hit the ice. She travels with the team as well to provide assistance on the road. 

For more information, visit our website.

The Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Grief Support Group will begin a new six-week session on Tuesday, April 8th.

Our support group offers an opportunity for those that have lost a loved one to find comfort, support, and hope. We provide a safe environment to learn about the process of grief, meet others who are dealing with losses, and share stories of your loved one. Grieving is always less painful when you know you aren’t alone. 

Informal presentations from 'Understanding Your Grief' by Alan Wolfelt are used to support those grieving and offer hope as we journey forward.

The Spring session will be offered from April 8th through May 13th. An additional session will be offered in the fall running from October 7th to November 11th. Each group meeting will run from 4:30 - 6:00 pm in the Specialty Clinic Conference Room.

The grief support group meetings are open to the community and are free of charge, but registration is required. Please RSVP here or by calling 605-882-7714.

Register Today

March is National Nutrition Month and our PLHS Registered Dietitians have a full month of exciting, and educational, events planned to celebrate! 

National Nutrition Month is held annually in March as a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. In addition, the organization uses this annual celebration to showcase professionals working as Registered Dietitians to ensure that their patients are educated about why eating healthy is important to their recovery, how to make recipes that are nutritious and delicious, and much more. 

What Does a Registered Dietitian Do?

Registered Dietitians are food and nutrition experts, translating the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living. We offer a full range of nutritional services and programs, ranging from one-on-one counseling to group programs.

Services Provided Include:

• One-on-One Counseling: clients are guided through personalized lifestyle plans to help them meet their needs
• Body Composition Analysis: determine if an individual's health metrics like percentage of fat, muscle, water, and bone mass may be due to an underlying health concern
• Weight Management: a 12-week Core4 lifestyle program that teaches participants how to improve eating, activity, and lifestyle choices to live healthier
• Meeting Your Needs: Clients may need help in a variety of ways in response to health conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and obesity

For information on these or other nutrition issues, please call our office today at 605-882-7874.

Nutrition Month Events

• Registered Dietitian (RD) Day in the Café

  • March 4th from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

  • Participants can play the "Nutrition Fact or Fiction" game and get a healthy treat!

  • Check out the popular "Sugar Demo" that was just highlighted at our Health & Wellness Expo and a recent Health & Wellness Blog post

• Mindful Food Sampling in the Café

  • Thursday, March 13th from 8 am - 9 am

  • Tuesday, March 18th from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Weekly Nutrition Tips

• Week 1: Eat Right: 20 Heath Tips
• Week 2: Eat Right: Health Eating on the Run
• Week 3: Eat Right: Smart Tips for Successful Meals
• Week 4: Eat Right: Smart Snacking Tips for Adults and Teens

We understand that helping to keep your employees healthy is the best way to ensure future productivity and achievements in the workplace by eliminating sick days or extended medical absences. 

In order to help you to do that, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System is now offering "Be Well" employee health programs to local employers. The primary goal of these events is to raise awareness of various health services and resources provided at PLHS, but to also provide benchmarks and screenings to discover any underlying medical issues as early as possible. By providing a professional, convenient, interactive, and impactful event for your employees to attend, we can increase the likelihood they are completing important annual screenings and taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Suggested PLHS Services to Include:

• Primary Care: Information on preventive screenings and convenient care, conducted blood pressure checks, monitored heart rates, and assessed oxygen levels.
• Nutritional Services: Registered Dietitians provide body composition analysis and nutrition tips to promote healthy eating habits.
• Rehabilitation and Therapy Services: Physical and Occupational Therapists perform grip strength tests, share ergonomic tips, and teach workplace stretches.
• Lab Services: Conduct blood glucose, cholesterol testing, or other Direct Lab tests available
• Dermatology: Teach the "ABC's of Moles" and other common skin conditions 
• Pulmonology: Teach smoking cessation classes

The "Be Well" Initiative

Healthy employees are valuable employees. Let PLHS help to ensure your workforce feels motivated, energetic, and inspired by living a healthy lifestyle. Packages will be customized for your company's specific needs - to bring information, resources, and tools to address your employees' most important health issues. Ideally, we would hold an on-site health fair for your employees and then visit again several times throughout the year to track progress against the benchmarks originally set and offer additional health information and education. You can even create internal health challenges to get coworkers to engage with the program and offer each other accountability. 

PLHS as a Keystone of the Community 

Events like health fairs and workplace educational sessions demonstrate how PLHS can make a difference in our neighbor's well-being and strengthen its presence in the community. By personally connecting our healthcare providers with the local workforce, we not only support businesses but also help break down the fear of visiting the doctor.

In addition, these activities offer the perfect opportunity to share all the services we provide. By bringing our resources directly to the community, we make it easier for people to access care. As a keystone of the community, it's crucial that we take time to educate and provide the best care possible for those we serve.

Takeaways from a recent "Be Well" event at Wurth Electronics Midcom

• Chelsea H., OT (Rehab Services) tested grip strength and made a competition out of it - WE employees really enjoyed it!
  • Some attendees returned to see if they could beat the high score
  • Top male score was 77 kg, and top female score was 54 kg
• Participants loved all the giveaways
• They appreciated the convenience of on-site lab draws
• Many attendees expressed excitement about the educational sessions and for looking forward to us coming back next year
• PLHS employees had a good time interacting and providing education to the WE employees. PLHS was impressed with the large turnout. 

We look forward to providing "Be Well" health education to additional local businesses throughout the community. If you know of an organization, business, or service group that would benefit from a similar experience, please contact Nicole Hansen at 605-882-7693 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss a customizable wellness program.