Tenth Annual Aiming to Inspire Health Fundraiser to Support ENT Services at Brookings Health System

  • June 24, 2019

Participants from last year’s Aiming to Inspire Health sporting clays fundraiser compete at Medary Creek Hunt Club’s eighth station. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 15. Proceeds raised from the 2019 event will help purchase new Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical equipment and instrumentation for Brookings Hospital, including an image guidance system to safely provide sinus surgery. Interested participants can register online at www.brookingshealth.org/AIH.
Participants from last year’s Aiming to Inspire Health sporting clays fundraiser compete at Medary Creek Hunt Club’s eighth station. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 15. Proceeds raised from the 2019 event will help purchase new Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical equipment and instrumentation for Brookings Hospital, including an image guidance system to safely provide sinus surgery. Interested participants can register online at www.brookingshealth.org/AIH.

Brookings Health System Foundation will hold the tenth annual Aiming to Inspire Health sporting clays fundraiser, presented by First Bank & Trust, on Thursday, Aug. 15 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Medary Creek Hunt Club, rural Aurora, S.D.

To support the recent additions of Otolaryngologists Dr. Thomas Tamura of Midwest ENT and Dr. Jonathan Mellema of Avera Medical Group, proceeds from the 2019 event will help purchase new Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical equipment and instrumentation for Brookings Hospital.

Otolaryngology, the surgical expertise that deals with conditions of the ear, nose and throat, requires specialized equipment and instruments designed for the delicate areas of the head and neck. The equipment and instruments will enable otolaryngologists to perform minimally invasive procedures for patients, including pediatric procedures like PE tube insertion and tonsil and adenoid removal for kids.

The equipment will also include a surgical platform and navigation system for image-guided sinus surgery.

“Image guidance is becoming the standard of care for ENT procedures,” said OR Director Candace Johnson. “To avoid scars, sinus procedures are typically performed through the patient’s nasal cavity, a very fragile area. The ENT surgical platform will increase sinus procedure accuracy and safety which will result in shorter recovery, less pain and better outcomes for patients.”

The surgical platform creates 3D images using pre-operative CT scans of the patient’s sinus cavities. ENT surgeons use the 3D images to help guide and track instruments in real-time through the patient’s sinuses.

The Foundation encourages families, businesses, youths and adults to participate in the sporting clays event and help support ENT surgical services. Participants will receive a meal plus ammunition provided by Runnings. Over $2,000 in prizes will be awarded. Registration costs $250 per five-person team or $65 per individual. To register, please go online to www.brookingshealth.org/AIH; deadline is Friday, Aug. 2.

For more information on event sponsorships, please contact Foundation Director Sara Schneider at (605) 696-8855 or foundation@brookingshealth.org.

About Brookings Health System

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, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.

About Brookings Health System Foundation

The mission of Brookings Health System Foundation is “Inspiring people to support Brookings Health System through philanthropy, recognizing the vital role of local healthcare in sustaining quality of life in our community.” Gifts to the Foundation support charity health care for those less fortunate, health and wellness education, facility, equipment, and technology upgrades and other needs as they arise at Brookings Health System. For more information about Brookings Health System Foundation or how you may contribute, please contact Foundation Director Sara Schneider at (605) 696-8855 or foundation@brookingshealth.org.