Doc Talk with Monument Health

Welcome to Doc Talk, I'm your host, Mark Houston. This month, we’re celebrating the Best of 2025 and revisiting some of our most informative and popular episodes from the past year. This week it's Episode 151 with Dr. Leslie Van Dyne.As a Trauma Surgeon and Critical Care Specialist at Rapid City Hospital, Leslie Van Dyne, M.D. shares her unique perspective on caring for patients in a rural area known for outdoor adventure and seasonal risks. Dr. Van Dyne explains the differences between trauma surgery and emergency medicine, discusses caring for critical patients in the ICU and relates how activities like ATV riding, horseback riding and summer tourism impact the trauma cases she sees.

Welcome to Doc Talk, I'm your host, Mark Houston. This month, we’re celebrating the Best of 2025 and revisiting some of our most informative and popular episodes from the past year. This week it’s Episode 152: Finding Talent with Sarah Blenner and Joanna Wiseman of the Monument Health Talent Acquisition TeamSarah and Joanna are responsible for filling all of the non-Physician jobs at Monument Health. Let’s find out how they approach the tall task of keeping over 1,200 spots filled while still remaining selective in an extremely competitive industry.Are you looking for a new career at a great place to work? Visit monument.health/careers to find a health care role that’s right for you.

Many people go into the holiday season feeling a heaviness they can't quite explain. Lead-Deadwood Hospital and Clinic’s Erin Adkins, CSW, QMHP-PIP, Mental Health Counselor, and Mandi Leiti, PMHNP-BC, a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in psychiatric and mental health, return to discuss winter mental health. They explain why January often brings the biggest wave of people seeking help, how to navigate holiday gatherings when you're already struggling and the difference between winter blues and seasonal affective disorder. The duo offer practical advice on managing financial stress during the holidays, dealing with grief when facing the first season without a loved one and recognizing when it's time to seek professional help. They also discuss how simple steps like getting morning sunlight can make a real difference. If you're feeling the weight of the season, this conversation offers valuable guidance.

Non-Invasive Cardiologist Stephen Wasemiller, M.D., at the Heart and Vascular Institute in Rapid City defines the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and the roles they play in keeping your heart healthy. He also explores the connection between mental health, social isolation and the role of spiritual well-being and advocates for compassionate care and open communication to improve heart health and quality of life.

Joining host Mark Houston is Chad Storch, M.D., MPH, Occupational Medicine at Rapid City Clinic, Mount Rushmore Road. Dr. Storch shares his experiences of caring for sailors and marines aboard the USS Oak Hill and overseeing the health of over 1,500 aviators and air traffic controllers as Aviation Medicine Department Head at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. He also breaks down the importance of FAA physicals, what it takes to keep airmen safe to fly and discusses his work as a Civil Surgeon performing immigration medical examinations.

When you've spent years caring for the men and women who serve our country, you learn a thing or two about trust and community. Joshua Larson, M.D., Family Medicine Physician at Box Elder Clinic, joins host Mark Houston to discuss life as a military doctor, what drew him to Family Medicine and how his journey from the military to Monument Health has helped shape care in Box Elder and the surrounding communities. Dr. Larson dives into his time serving as a doctor in the Air Force, his time serving in Türkiye and how he landed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. He shares what he loves most about working in family medicine and the importance of building a trusting relationship with your primary care doctor.