Business Briefs 10-08-19

Posted

Discovery Benefits hires one and promotes three

BROOKINGS – Due to growth, Discovery Benefits has hired an employee and promoted three to new roles with the company.

Melissa Wiskur was hired as a solution specialist.

April Anderson was promoted to readiness manager of client services. She started at Discovery Benefits in 2016 as a participant services specialist and most recently worked as a service and workflow analyst. Anderson earned her bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University.

Katie Hertel and Natasha Lovro were promoted to participant services service experts.

Hertel started at Discovery Benefits in 2018 as a participant services specialist. 

Lovro joined Discovery Benefits in 2017 as a participant services specialist. 

Discovery Benefits is a national leader in employee benefits, providing administration of health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), commuter benefits, COBRA and direct bill. 

Merkley, Ruesch get statwide honors

BROOKINGS –  Brookings Health System CEO  and president Jason Merkley and Quality Director Sandra Ruesch, RN, were recognized at the 2019 South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) Annual Convention, held Sept. 18-20 in Sioux Falls. 

Merkley received the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award. The award recognizes ACHE members who are experienced in the field and have made significant contributions to the advancement of healthcare management excellence and the achievement of AHCE’s goals. 

Merkley has over 23 years of healthcare leadership experience and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He currently serves as SDAHO’s board treasurer and has also served on the board of directors for the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care, the American Hospital Association’s Section for Small or Rural Governing Council and numerous other local, regional and national boards.

Ruesch received the South Dakota Association for Healthcare Quality’s (SDAHQ) Quality Professional of the Year award. The award recognizes an active SDAHQ member who provides leadership, promotes professional ethics, communicates knowledge in areas of quality improvement and mentors others in the quality/risk profession. 

Ruesch has been a registered nurse for over 12 years and is a board-certified emergency nurse, pediatric emergency nurse and sexual assault nurse examiner. Throughout her career she has taught other health care professionals to implement best practices in areas such as workplace violence, sexual assault medical forensic exams and opioid use disorder. She has also advocated for sexual assault victims, revising the South Dakota Board of Nursing advisory position for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners scope of practice in 2016 and in 2018 bringing forth legislation alongside state Rep. Tim Reed to ensure no victim of a sexual offense receives a bill for a forensic exam. Ruesch currently serves as SDAHQ’s media chairperson and has also volunteered for numerous other local, regional and national organizations.