Avera St. Luke's News
Find information here about Avera St. Luke's monthly classes and meetings in Aberdeen, SD, and in area towns we serve, as well as the latest wellness programs, screenings, educational seminars, news and other programs designed to help you “to be well." Go to Classes & Events for more details on all our classes.
‘Take Heart’ screening requires pre-registration
Are you at risk for heart disease? Avera St. Luke’s in Aberdeen is offering a screening for the “Take Heart” program on Thursday, March 25. For only $25, each participant will be screened for these risk factors: blood pressure, height/weight/body mass index, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and blood sugar. All of these risk factors can be altered by the individual through lifestyle changes.
Pre-registration is an absolute must, as screening times are limited to 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E. Participants must call (605) 622-5588 to pre-register. A 12-hour fast is required.
The screenings are designed to educate participants, as well as identify their risks. Participants are individually counseled by medical professionals who review results and encourage physician follow-up, if needed, after the screening. Results are sent to the patient’s physician. Those participants who do not have a physician will be referred to one. Participants may screen once every six months if they desire.
Avera St. Luke’s offers ways to ‘Discover Your Child’
Parents and caregivers can find special ways to “Discover Your Child” and learn about child development from birth to 3 years during free, monthly Avera St. Luke’s classes. The same is offered twice each month in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center , 709 Sixth Ave. S.E. The next Discover Your Child class, for 24-30 Months, is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, or 10:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 14.
Discover Your Child is designed to teach parents how to enhance their infant’s or toddler’s development, intellectual growth, social development and motor skills. A screening by a Birth to 3 service coordinator will be available to assess the child’s overall development, as well as health, hearing and vision.
A presentation featuring physical, occupational and speech therapists will provide developmental milestone information for specific ages, and suggestions for meeting these milestones. Nurses, dietary personnel and physicians may also be involved. There will be handouts and time for questions. Reservations are not required, and refreshments will be served.
‘Compassionate Parents’ support group
Compassionate Parents, a support group for parents who have experienced the death of a child, meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
The support group offers friendship and understanding, promotes positive resolution of grief experiences, and fosters physical and emotional health after the death of a child. Parents, grandparents, family members and friends are invited to attend and learn ways to cope with feelings associated with their loss.
For more information, call Marge Holland, RN, or Judy V. Toennies, RN, at (605) 622-5552 or contact Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Health Care Provider CPR classes
Avera St. Luke's offers Health Care Provider CPR classes for people who work in the health care field. The classes, which feature the American Heart Association standards, are offered the third Wednesday of each month in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke's Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
First-time participants may choose between two sessions, offered from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 5 to 10 p.m. The class covers the practice of CPR in the healthcare setting for one- and two-man adult, child and infant CPR, obstructed airways instruction, use of the bag mask and the automatic external defibrillator. A fee of $60 covers all materials.
Health care professionals seeking renewal of their CPR skills may choose from several two-hour sessions during the day: 8 to10 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. The fee for the two-hour renewal class is $30.
The deadline for registration is the second Wedneday of the month, one week prior to the class, since materials are mailed to participants in advance. To register, call Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Free blood pressure screenings
Avera St. Luke’s and Avera Mother Joseph Manor hold free blood pressure screenings in Aberdeen each month. Anyone needing transportation to any of these screening locations should call RIDE-LINE at (605) 626-3333 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at least one day prior to the screening.
The times and locations are:
First Tuesday: The Homestead, 9 to 10 a.m.
First Thursday: Fifth Avenue Apartments, 1 to 2 p.m.; Sherman Apartments, 2 to 3 p.m.
Second Wednesday: Bicentennial Apartments, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Third Tuesday: Aberdeen Area Senior Center , 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Fourth Wednesday: Avera Mother Joseph Manor, 1 to 2 p.m.
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Heartsaver/AED CPR classes
Avera St. Luke's offers HeartSaver/AED CPR classes for the general public, featuring the American Heart Association standards, on the first Wednesday of each month. These classes are available for new, first-time participants as well as people seeking to renew their CPR skills. HeartSaver/AED CPR are held in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke's Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
First-time participants may choose either the morning session from 8 a.m. to noon or the evening session from 6 to 10 p.m. The four-hour class covers adult, child and infant CPR, obstructed airways, and the use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). A fee of $60 covers all materials.
Those who wish to renew their CPR skills can choose from several two-hour sessions throughout the day: 8 to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. Renewal class fees are $30 for all materials.
The deadline for registration is one week prior to the class, since materials are mailed to participants in advance. To register, call Avera St. Luke’s Education Department at (605) 622-5588.
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Walk for Wellness
The March “Walk for Wellness” program will feature Ronald Rovang, MD, of Avera Internal Medicine Specialists in Aberdeen, talking about “Peripheral Vascular Disease.” The public is invited to this free presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, in Aberdeen's Lakewood Mall Community Room, located between Maurices and Little Professor Book Center. Blood pressures will be taken from 6:30 to 7 p.m.
The “Walk for Wellness” program invites participants to use the controlled environment of Lakewood Mall for a regular, year-round walking program. A one-mile course has been measured out at the mall. Avera St. Luke’s and Lakewood Mall are co-sponsors of this program. Free monthly educational programs by health care professionals from Avera St. Luke’s are offered the third Thursday evening of the month. For more information, call (605) 622-5533.
People interested in participating in “Walk for Wellness” may pick up a brochure at the Lakewood Mall office or the hospital. Those who participate will receive “starter packets” from the Cardiac Rehab Program at Avera St. Luke’s that contain information on the health benefits of walking, diet, stress, cardiac risk factors and stretching exercises. Packets are also available at Bur Mar’s Shoes at the mall. Before beginning a walking program, it is wise to consult your physician, especially when special medical problems exist.
Lakewood Mall is open to walkers from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Walkers are asked to log their miles, since special recognition will be given to participants when they reach their first 100 miles and each 100 miles after that.
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Free Hip & Knee Pain Seminar
Experiencing hip and knee pain? Discover the different causes of arthritis, knee and hip pain, soreness and morning stiffness at a free hip and knee pain seminar from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, April 8, in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
Seminars will also be offered at 10 a.m. June 3, Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.
Learn about the latest treatments, medications, nutrition and exercise that may offer dramatic relief of your pain. For more information, call Sharon at (605) 622-8639.
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Diabetes Support Group
Avera St. Luke’s Diabetes Support Group will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 1, in Aberdeen at Avera St. Luke’s Education Center, 709 Sixth Ave. S.E.
The speaker is Sheryl Aufenkamp, a registered pharmacist with Avera St. Luke’s Pharmacy Department. She will talk about vitamins and supplements that claim to cure diabetes or dramatically improve your quality of life. Do they really provide the benefits they claim? Aufenkamp provide some of these answers.
The Diabetes Support Group meets on the first Thursday of the month. The group’s goals are to develop educational methods designed to give those who have diabetes a better understanding of their condition, to disseminate accurate information about diabetes to the general public, to educate the public on the importance of early recognition of diabetes and medical supervision of its treatment, and to provide an opportunity for individuals with diabetes to interact with others and share learning experiences. For more information, call (605) 622-5161.
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Aberdeen Area Parkinson Support Group
Aberdeen Area Parkinson Support Group meets from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Avera Mother Joseph Manor in Aberdeen, led by Shauna Klipfel, director of Avera St. Luke’s Speech/Language Development.
This new support group is an informal, self-managed organization of people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers, whose purpose is to share information and offer mutual support in a spirit of self-acceptance. It is also a place where family members and friends can feel welcome and supported.
For more information, contact Klipfel at (605) 622-5772.
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