SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Health is expanding virtual care services to 27 Good Samaritan skilled nursing and assisted living locations in 14 South Dakota communities as part of the integrated health system’s landmark $350 million virtual care initiative. My Care Line virtually connects Good Samaritan caregivers with Sanford Health registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice providers (APPs) who are fully dedicated to the locations during evenings, weekends and overnights.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for our virtual care initiative as we bring care closer to seniors and families at our Good Samaritan long-term care locations across the state of South Dakota,” said Susan Berry, vice president for virtual care operations at Sanford Health. “By harnessing our expertise and resources as an integrated health system, this program strengthens our capacity to quickly assess and respond to residents’ needs – empowering our caregivers to deliver the highest quality care when and where it’s needed the most — in their own homes.”
My Care Line will be available 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 24 hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays. It is designed to enhance the existing care residents receive, reduce after-hours disruptions for residents and support caregivers around the clock. The RNs and APPs will triage health care concerns such as fall assessments, changes in condition, medication administration and more.
Half of the communities participating in the program are home to 1,000 residents or fewer. Four of these communities lack a hospital, requiring residents to travel up to 40 miles for care, and eight of these communities are at least an hour away from a major medical center. The program bridges these gaps by bringing care directly to residents, reducing travel burdens and ensuring that even the most remote communities have timely access to health services.
“Our teams are the heart of everything we do,” said Nate Schema, president and CEO of Good Samaritan. “With My Care Line, we’re not just giving residents a way to connect with clinicians from home — we’re giving our nurses and Directors of Nursing peace of mind and a powerful extension of their team. They now have real-time clinical support at their fingertips, which means fewer middle-of-the-night calls and more resources to deliver timely, expert care. This is about supporting our teams, keeping care local and driving better outcomes for those we serve.”
My Care Line services may be provided over the phone or through a video visit in the resident’s room. In some locations, TytoCare devices will be used for video visits. The devices have an otoscope, stethoscope and exam camera to allow for a more comprehensive assessment of the resident’s needs by the provider.
While the new program is launching in South Dakota, Sanford Health plans to expand it across all Good Samaritan skilled nursing and assisted living locations.
For more information about Sanford Health, visit sanfordhealth.org.
