The 2024 Arrow Strength and Cyclone Strength Summer Programs were a tremendous success!

Strength and Conditioning Coach, Aaron Jung, created Arrow Strength in 2023 with the goal of helping to develop the speed, agility, and strength of local student-athletes in a positive, supportive, and non-competitive environment. Aaron shares, “The main reason the program was developed was to offer a well thought out and progressive strength and conditioning program specifically designed with the athlete in mind. The program is designed for all athletes, whether the athlete is new to training or has spent numerous years following a strength and conditioning program. The program focuses on preventing injuries in the weight room, reducing sport-related injuries, helping enhance athletic performance, and promoting confidence not only physically, but mentally as well.” 

In 2024, Athletic Trainer Jodi DeVaal created Cyclone Strength based on Aaron's philosophy. The Cyclone Strength 2024 Summer Program served student-athletes from both Clark and Willow Lake High Schools. 

Creating such a comprehensive training program right in here Watertown and surrounding areas is important to student athletes from all sports teams and every experience level. The program helps to build a student’s confidence, in all areas of life, so they are more prepared to hit the field, court, or arena and reach their full potential in the 2024-2025 season.

To summarize the success of each program, we pulled a variety of metrics to gauge athletic improvement over the course of the 8-week program.

 Arrow Strength

Total Athletes: 212

• 88% overall improvement in the 20-yard Sprint Grades 7-12
• 75% overall improvement in the Vertical/Non-Approach Jump Grades 7-12
• 87% overall improvement in the Broad/Standing Long Jump Grades 7-12
• 86% overall improvement in Pro-Agility/5-10-5 Drill Grades 7-12
• 82% overall improvement in Bench Press (Upper Body Strength) Grades 9-12 only
• 94% overall improvement in Trap Bar Deadlift (Lower Body Strength) Grades 9-12 only
• 85% overall improvement compared to 73% overall improvement for the summer program 2023.

Cyclone Strength

Total Athletes: 50

• 100% felt that they had improved over the summer
• 50% overall improvement in Vertical Jump
• 64% overall improvement in Broad Jump
• 41% overall improvement in agility
• 59% overall improvement with speed

 Additional Comments from Student-Athlete Participants

• It was fun and much needed in Watertown
• I really liked being able to train and test our abilities, will definitely do it next year
• Coach Jung is by far the best strength training coach I've had in a while. He has been very supportive to everyone in the weightroom. He's very talkative and likes to have conversations about strength and strength training. He’s very good at his job and I would definitely love if I could come back next year but unfortunately, I'm a senior
• Great program! helped me gain strength and speed at a fast and healthy rate!
• I had fun
• I can lift more and run better
• I feel stronger

Stay tuned for information about our 2025 Arrow and Cyclone Strength Summer Programs offered by the Prairie Lakes Healthcare System Sports Medicine Team.  

WATERTOWN, S.D. – August 12, 2024 – Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) recently received an overall five out of five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) based on data evaluating outcomes, patient experience, and processes.  This marks the second consecutive year PLHS has received this rating.

PLHS is one of only 381 hospitals out of approximately 3,000, representing the top 8% of hospitals across the United States, to receive the highest possible rating from CMS. PLHS is one of six hospitals in South Dakota to receive a five-star designation for 2024.

“Receiving the highest quality rating from CMS two years in a row is a testament to the culture of excellence, compassion, and quality care at Prairie Lakes,” said Shelly Turbak, Chief Nursing Officer at PLHS.

The overall star rating for hospitals nationwide is based on how well a hospital performs across five critical quality measures: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. Compared to 2023, CMS awarded 102 fewer hospitals in its five-star quality rating. 

John Allen, PLHS Chief Executive Officer added, “Achieving five-star recognition reflects the tremendous teamwork and commitment to excellence by every member of our healthcare team. It’s validation of the passion and genuine care our staff provide to patients every day.”

About CMS

CMS is the federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. CMS works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality, equity, and outcomes in the health care system. Learn More about CMS at https://www.cms.gov/about-cms.

About Prairie Lakes Healthcare System

Located in Watertown, S.D., Prairie Lakes Healthcare System is an independent healthcare organization that provides care for 90,000 people in a ten-county region of northeast South Dakota and western Minnesota. The system is focused on meeting the needs of the region with a mission to make a positive difference in the health of the patients and communities they serve. Prairie Lakes Healthcare System offers exceptional care every day in close to 30 medical specialties/services with over 800 physicians, caregivers, and professionals on staff to serve their communities.

View Other Recent Achievements

Starting in mid-August, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System patient billing will be sent through email and text message to increase convenience, reduce paper waste, and provider personalized messages. This new digital billing applies to all services at Prairie Lakes except primary care services with Prairie Lakes Brown Clinic.

Patients will be able to update delivery methods in the portal at any time. This allows us to prioritize patient communication preferences while optimizing billing processes to:

• Deliver statements faster
• Increase patient engagement and self-service
• Improve speed to pay
• Reduce printing costs and carbon footprint

How It Works:

• Patients will receive a text and/or email with a link to the payment portal. The link will automatically populate their account number so they will only have to enter their date of birth to authenticate into the portal.
• The patient will be able to make payments, set up a payment plan, view/print their statement, and set their delivery preferences.
• If the patient does not engage with the digital communication within a week, a statement will be mailed to the patient.

By embracing modern communication methods, we are aligning our services with patient expectations, providing more convenience, and contributing to a greener environment.

Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) was notified that its business associate and third-party radiology vendor, Consulting Radiologists LTD. (CRL), experienced a data incident that may have resulted in the inadvertent exposure of personal and medical information of current and former PLHS patients. Although this incident did not occur within PLHS data systems, PLHS has worked diligently with CRL to determine exactly what happened and what information was involved because of this incident.

On or around July 16, 2024, CRL sent notification letters to affected Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) patients. Unfortunately, some letters incorrectly indicated they were sent on behalf of other healthcare organizations (e.g., North Shore Health, Northfield Hospital). Please be assured that if you received a letter from CRL regarding a data incident, it is legitimate. A corrected letter will be sent to those affected by this error. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

The letters included additional information about what occurred, outlined the specific personal information that could have been exposed for that individual, and provided a toll-free number that individuals can call to learn more about the incident. The call center can be reached at 1-833-566-7922 and is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time.

PLHS is committed to ensuring the security and protection of patient information within its control and is working with CRL to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future. PLHS understands the inconvenience or concern that this matter may cause and encourages affected individuals to remain vigilant, monitor accounts, and immediately report any suspicious activity or suspected misuse of personal information.