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Mar 22, 2012

(De Smet, S.D.) – The Good Samaritan Society and Avera are working together in De Smet, S.D., to pilot a new service called eLTC, which stands for electronic long-term care. 

eLTC allows residents with acute healthcare issues at the Good Samaritan Society’s rehabilitation and skilled care center in De Smet to be evaluated and diagnosed by healthcare providers 100 miles away, in Sioux Falls, using a system of cameras, microphones and a TV connected to a physician and nurse hub. 

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Mar 20, 2012

Amelia Hoeger (Billie) Wilcox, whose ties to the Good Samaritan Society go back to the organization’s founding, died on Tuesday, March 20, in Sioux Falls, where she had lived for the last several years.

Her funeral will be held on Thursday, March 22, at 2 p.m. at Good Samaritan Society – Sioux Falls Village.

Billie was the daughter of the Good Samaritan Society’s founder and first president, the Rev. August “Dad” Hoeger. She was the mother of the Rev. Greg Wilcox, the Good Samaritan Society’s vice president for mission effectiveness and senior pastor. Her brothers, the Rev. August Hoeger Jr. and the Rev. John Hoeger, were also presidents of the Good Samaritan Society.

Mar 17, 2012

Gerald “Rocky” Ryan, 85, died Saturday, March 17, in Key West, Fla. His wife, Dr. Judy Ryan, served as Good Samaritan Society president and CEO from 1998 to 2003, when she joined Rocky in retirement.

Melinda Larson, director of resource development for the Society and a friend of the Ryans, says Rocky loved being around people of all ages and that his firm belief in prayer and avid storytelling complemented Judy’s ambition and warmth.

“I think of him as a deeply spiritual person,” Larson says. “For 30 years, he operated on a prayer list he had every day. World vision was important to him.”

Mar 13, 2012

(Mount Carroll, Ill.) – The Good Samaritan Society is blessed with residents such as Ruth Lazio, who celebrated her 107th birthday in December at the Good Samaritan Society center in Mount Carroll.

“I keep on going! I am determined not to give up, to be happy, and to help others," Ruth said when asked to what she attributes her 107 years of life.

Mar 09, 2012

Ellen McGirt, senior writer for Fast Company Magazine, shared experiences ranging from interviewing Mark Zuckerberg to travels in Haiti at the Good Samaritan Society National Campus in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 1. She challenged the audience to think about how technology, innovation and creative thinking can be used to connect people in need throughout the world with others who can help meet those needs.

In an interview with the Society's Vivo: Innovation for Well-being team, McGirt shared her thoughts on innovation and aging.