May 17, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

One year ago, the Sanford USD Medical Center was named a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. It remains the only hospital to have earned this top certification in South Dakota.

Dr. Divyajot Sandhu is a neuroendovascular physician at Sanford Health. He has seen firsthand the certification’s impact on the community.

“Comprehensive Stroke Centers can handle any and all levels of complexity with stroke cases. You really can’t have any higher level of care than this,” Sandhu said.

To earn the designation, the Sanford USD Medical Center had to meet a long list of eligibility requirements.

“This certification isn’t just a plaque to hang on the wall. It has real results,” Sandhu said.

At a Comprehensive Stroke Center, patients are more likely to survive their stroke and get discharged back home instead of to a nursing home.

The Sanford USD Medical Center has seen these results in the past year.

“Because of the designation, we’ve had more patients do better than a year or two ago,” Sandhu said.

Sanford Health is the only location in the region to offer stroke care of this caliber.

“Even if you were to travel, the closest Comprehensive Stroke Center would be Sanford Fargo. And then Minneapolis to the east and Omaha to the south. For the west, I think you’d have to hit Denver,” Sandhu said. “As far as stroke care is concerned, you can’t go anywhere better than here.”