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Brookings Health System Board of Trustees
Minutes of Meeting
Monday, September 29, 2025
The Brookings Health System Board of Trustees held a meeting at the Brookings Hospital in the Board
Room with the following members present: David Meyer, Mary Anne Krogh (ph.), Sheila Anderson, Jenn
Barlund, Shelby Eischens, Tracy Greene (ph.), Don Greiner, and David Jones
Ex-officio: Lisa Hager
Absent: Lynn Darnall
Guest: Brookings City Clerk, Bonnie Foster
Management Present: Jason Merkley, CEO; Tammy Hillestad, CNO; Melissa Wagner, CFO and Sheri
Wiig, recorder
Vice President Meyer called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
OPEN MEETING LAWS
City Clerk, Bonnie Foster, presented a review of South Dakota Open Meeting Laws. Senate Bill 74 went
into effect July 1, 2025, which is a new law requiring all governing bodies and their local boards to
conduct an annual review of Open Meeting Laws. Going forward, the Brookings Health System Board of
Trustees plans to review the SD Open Meeting Laws annually in September. Foster was thanked for
providing an informative overview and exited at 5:13 p.m.
AGENDA
A motion was made by Anderson, seconded by Barlund to approve the agenda. All present voted in favor;
motion carried.
CONSENT AGENDA
A motion was made by Greiner, seconded by Jones to approve the following consent agenda items. The
motion carried unanimously.
A. August 25, 2025, Board of Trustees meeting minutes
B. August 2025 financials (total payables in August were $2,574,750.85)
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
Articles of interest included: “Intelligent Care: How AI is Driving Healthcare Transformation”,
Healthcare Executive; “Unsung and Under Siege”, Managed Healthcare; “SD Rural Transformation
Plan”, SD Department of Social Services.
Merkley shared information on the SD Rural Transformation Plan created under the One Big Beautiful
Bill Act which established a $50 billion fund to help transform healthcare in rural communities across the
country. The state of South Dakota is hoping to receive between $100 and $200 million through this
program. The SD Department of Social Services and Department of Health requested input from rural
providers and communities across the state. Merkley submitted input on behalf of Brookings Health
System which included all-encompassing transformational concepts based on the programs strategic
goals. The final application will be submitted by the Office of the Governor early November and CMS
will announce awardees by December 31, 2025. Merkley also offered to represent independents within
SD and volunteer his time if State leadership creates a taskforce to administer/work on the plan.
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REPORTS
Executive Reports
CEO Report
Merkley noted he attended a session at the SDAHO Annual Convention last week presented by Rebecca
Vandekop, MD. Vandekop spoke about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it transforms and enhances
healthcare today through diagnostics, workflows, and patient care. Merkley will inquire if Dr. Vandekop
would present some of the AI information at a future Board meeting. Merkley also noted data from the
updated Brookings Health System economic impact analysis and community benefit report is impressive
in overall contributions to the region. Discussion was also held on potential implications for hospitals and
healthcare in the event of the looming government shutdown on September 30, 2025.
CFO Report
Wagner highlighted improvements since 2023 in key metrics i.e., Net Days in AR, and reductions of prior
authorization denials due to denial recovery outsourcing. Denial recovery processes will be brought in
house once Brookings Health goes live with Epic. Wagner noted there have been no corporate compliance
concerns thus far in 2025. Discussion was also held on Medicare Advantage plans and how other health
systems are terminating MA plans due to ongoing challenges and concerns that negatively affect patients,
operations, hospital resources and finances.
CNO Report
Hillestad shared OB Director, Michelle Sand, and State Rep. Mellissa Heermann, R-Brookings, have been
asked to present information at the Iowa Chapter of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and
Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) conference in October. Together they will share information regarding the
success and advantages of Brookings Health’s Doula Program and legislative efforts taken in obtaining
South Dakota Medicaid coverage for doula services.
Board Committee Reports
Administrative Committee Meeting
Vice President Meyer provided a report; the Administrative Committee met on September 23rd. Topics of
discussion included Yorkshire Medical Building Open House/Ribbon Cutting, Workday/Epic,
City/County Board Member Application Timeline/Board Nominee, Community Development, OBBB/SD
Rural Health Transformation Plan, Workforce Development Initiatives, Budgets/Market Analysis, Open
Meeting Laws, and October Committee Meeting Dates.
Finance Committee
Committee Chair Greiner provided a report; the Finance Committee met on September 23rd. The
committee reviewed and approved the August 2025 payables, financials, and adjustments. Total salaries
and wages in August were $2,392,095. Other topics included Market/Wage Analysis and FY26 Budgets.
Quality Committee
Committee Chair Krogh provided a report; the Quality Committee met on September 23rd. Invited guest,
Michelle Sand, Obstetrics Director, presented information on OB Patient Safety Bundles (PSB) which
focus on improving the process of care and patient outcomes in unexpected complications from delivery.
Sand also shared information regarding benefits of having a professionally trained doula for support
before, during, and after childbirth. Other topics of discussion included Q1 and Q2 2025 falls and
medication errors, Q1 and Q2 2025 Patient Satisfaction, and the Hospital Readmission Reduction
Program.
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Upon motion by Anderson, second by Eischens, the meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Motion
carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
_____________________________________
Mary Anne Krogh, Secretary