Sanford Health releases COVID-19 impact report
March 23, 2022
Contact:
Paul Heinert
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / Paul.Heinert@sanfordhealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Sanford Health is marking the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic by reflecting on the dedication of its nearly 50,000 employees as well as the extraordinary care its team of health care workers and staff have provided to the patients, residents and communities it serves.
Through a COVID-19 Impact Report released today, Sanford Health leaders describe how the organization and its caregivers responded to the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
Sanford’s commitment to its people included new programs to support employee well-being, and early mission-critical investments enabled the organization to expand testing and hospital bed capacity for COVID-19 patients across the region. At the height of the pandemic, Sanford administered life-saving monoclonal antibodies and offered an innovative home-monitoring program. The health system also delivered the vaccine to hundreds of thousands of people across a vast, geographic footprint and advanced research to bring new treatments – and hope – to its patients.
“The last two years have proven the power of our teams’ perseverance and commitment to meet the needs of our people, patients and communities no matter where the need was,” said Erica DeBoer, Sanford Health chief nursing officer. “As I reflect on this time, I do so with gratitude, pride and hold close to my heart the ones we have lost.”
Over the course of 2020 and 2021, Sanford Health’s providers
- Cared for 10,000 COVID-19 hospitalized patients
- Administered 13,000 monoclonal antibody infusions, preventing more than 900 hospitalizations and as many as 130 deaths
- Cared for 3,200 patients in Sanford Health’s COVID-19 home-monitoring program
- Delivered 377,000 telehealth visits
- Administered 540,000 COVID-19 vaccinations
“After two years of constant vigilance against this horrible new disease, I am continually humbled by the resilience, caring and compassion of every member of the Sanford Family,” said Jeremy Cauwels, M.D., chief physician at Sanford Health. “It continues to be an honor to work beside a group that doesn’t lose focus on our patients, people and communities despite the challenges that mount inside and outside of our walls.”
Sanford Health continues to support and collaborate with state and city leaders, businesses, schools and other health systems across the upper Midwest on vaccine advocacy, outreach and care delivery.
“This pandemic is not over, but hope is on the horizon, and it’s because of the tremendous efforts of our entire Sanford Family,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “We remain resolute in our commitment to keep our patients and residents, people and communities healthy and safe, now and for generations to come.”
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 46 hospitals, 1,500 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and 10 countries. Learn more about Sanford Health’s transformative work to improve the human condition at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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