News Briefs - July 29, 2026

Local blood drives planned
BROOKINGS — As local blood supplies falls into a critical shortage, Brookings Health System, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, and Community Blood Bank will host an urgently needed community blood drives.

Brookings Health System will host a blood drive on Tuesday, August 11 from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Donors may schedule a donation time by calling the hospital at 605-696-8048. As a thank you gift for supporting the summer blood supply, all who donate will receive a $20 Hy-Vee gift card.
St. Thomas More Catholic Church will host a blood drive on Wednesday, August 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and Noon. to 3 p.m. Donors can schedule a donation by logging into www.cbblifeblood.org, selecting “Donate Now”, “Blood Drive Calendar”, and select Wednesday, August 12 or call Community Blood Bank at 605-331-3222. All who donate blood will receive a $15 Hy-Vee gift card as a thank you gift.

“Right now, patients in our community are depending on the generosity of their neighbors,” said Ken Versteeg, Executive Director of Community Blood Bank. “Blood demand doesn’t take a vacation, and our local hospital patients need it now. Cancer patients, accident victims, new mothers, and children in surgery all rely on blood to survive. Without enough supply, we can’t provide the care they desperately need. Blood can’t be manufactured, it only comes from caring people in our community.”

The need is urgent and constant: someone in America requires blood every two seconds, and local hospitals are currently running on critically low reserves, putting vulnerable patients at risk.

Can you donate? Here’s what’s required:
— At least 17 years old (16 with signed parental consent)
— Weigh 110 lbs. or more
— Be in good general health
— Bring a valid ID
— Eat well and stay hydrated beforehand

This is your community. These are your neighbors. The need is immediate — please act today.
Community Blood Bank is the exclusive blood provider for Brookings Health System, meaning every donation stays local, directly supporting patients’ right here at home.

For more information, visit www.cbblifeblood.org.

Rotary hears about Vietnam trip
BROOKINGS — Jim Gilkerson encouraged Brookings Rotary Club members to visit Vietnam someday when he discussed his recent trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. SDSU South Dakota Ag and Rural Area Alumni Program organized the trip with the help of SDSU’s Bob Toller.

Gilkerson described Vietnam as a small country roughly one and a half times the size of South Dakota, but home to over 100 million people, with three-quarters of the land covered by mountains, trees, and rivers. He provided historical context, noting that Vietnam was divided into North and South in 1954, leading to the Vietnam War, which ended with the United States withdrawal and the North’s takeover, unifying the country under communism.

Gilkerson expressed surprise at how modern and prosperous Vietnam appeared, with new freeways, skyscrapers, and a thriving economy.

He noted that northern Vietnam tends toward fruits and vegetables while the southern area, with its wetter climate, focuses more on fishing, poultry, and intensive farming. The group traveled from Hanoi in the north, made a side trip to Cambodia to visit the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex, then journeyed south along the Mekong River to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).

During questions and answers, Gilkerson fielded questions about Vietnam’s political economy, describing it as functionally capitalist despite being officially communist, similar to China’s model. He noted that Vietnamese people showed no resentment toward Americans, and in fact welcomed them warmly.

Gilkerson concluded by passing around souvenirs including Vietnamese dong currency, a traditional conical farming hat, and samples of weasel coffee, a unique Vietnamese specialty made from coffee beans collected from weasel droppings.

The Brookings Rotary Club is part of Rotary International, a global network of volunteers dedicated to service above self. The club meets weekly, supporting community projects that advance education, environmental beautification, and humanitarian aid locally and abroad.

Sleep lab gets accreditation
BROOKINGS — Brookings Health System’s Sleep Diagnostics Facility was recently reaccredited through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for polysomnography services both at the hospital-based testing facility and the home sleep testing setting.

“Our sleep diagnostics facility had no deficiencies cited during the reaccreditation process, signaling our team meets the established regulatory requirements and standards,” said Director of Imaging and Respiratory Services Nicole Winseman. “Our polysomnography team’s goal is to provide patients the best possible outcomes whether their sleep study is performed in our state-of-the-art sleep lab or at-home.”

Accreditation is a process through which healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. To meet the accreditation guidelines, Brookings Health verified it had the policies and procedures in place to meet patient safety protocols. It also demonstrated compliance with national regulations and industry best practices. Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.

Brookings Health System offers both in-lab and at-home sleep studies to help diagnose patients with sleep conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. Individuals interested in either an in-home or an in-lab sleep study should ask their primary care provider to refer them to Brookings Health System. More information about sleep studies can be found at brookingshealth.org/sleep.

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, municipal health system that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic surgery and Mako robotic-arm procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, call 696-9000 or brookingshealth.org.

Stroke care award
BROOKINGS — People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts, have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality, according to an American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. Brookings Health System’s emergency team is committed to changing that.

For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, Brookings Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guideline — Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award. The Bronze award is given to rural hospitals who meet recognition criteria in one calendar quarter and have greater than one stroke or transient ischemic attack patient record per quarter.

Stroke is the fourth cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.

The American Heart Association recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines - Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.

“Brookings Health’s emergency team is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people who are affected by stroke in the Brookings region, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Emergency Department Director Ashley Baszler, RN.

“As a rural community hospital, we face challenges such as extended interfacility transportation times. Even with our challenges, we have made it a priority to ensure the standard of care for our stroke patients is never compromised. Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I’m proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”