Sanford Women’s Health Plaza patient appreciates ‘more natural approach’

This piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

The rolling plains of South Dakota are a stark contrast to Sonja Rauen’s hometown at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa.

Her parents moved to Tanzania before she was born. While her father was building a hospital, her mother was establishing an international school. It’s a unique childhood she looks back on fondly.

“We’re called third culture kids,” she said. “We’re people that grew up in a country that isn’t our parents’ passport country.”

Having spent the first 13 years of her life in Africa, Rauen looks at things a bit differently than most Americans – and that includes her health care.

Alternative perspective

“My whole family takes a more natural approach to everything,” Rauen said.

She receives much of her health care at Sanford Women’s Health Plaza, which is home to Sanford Integrative Health & Wellness. She was drawn immediately to the more holistic approach the providers offer.

Before discovering Sanford Integrative Health & Wellness, Rauen had seen a provider to address health concerns. She started taking medications that were causing fatigue and weight gain, and she didn’t feel like she was getting better.

She started looking for a provider who could get to the root of her concerns, not just continue to treat her symptoms with more medications.

That’s when she scheduled an appointment with Christen Duke, a certified nurse practitioner.

“The first things she wanted to check were my hormones and vitamin levels,” Rauen said. “And I said, ‘I love you already!’”

Duke is a nurse practitioner in women’s integrative health. This specialized branch of medicine links traditional Western medical practices with health care practices that help patients feel their very best. She also has experience in hormone balancing and enhancing overall well-being for her patients.

“She has a Southern accent and is really personable,” Rauen said. “She takes her job very seriously and caters to each patient.”

Addition to traditional medicine

 Rauen is not opposed to traditional medicine. She had a near-death experience related to her heart health and is grateful to have had access to surgery that saved her life.

But she doesn’t want to rely exclusively on more traditional treatment methods if an alternative approach can give her the same results.

“I know that some people really need their medications,” she said. “But I wanted try a few alternative options before settling on them exclusively.”

Now, Rauen relies on supplements, proper nutrition and holistic treatments to care for her health. Over time, she has dropped all but one medication.

“I was low on estrogen, progesterone and vitamin B12,” she said. “We boosted those up, and now I feel like a totally different person.”

One of her favorite treatments is a combination of acupuncture and guided imagery with acupuncture specialist Blake Blowers, doctor of acupuncture, and Karrie Heckman, a certified holistic nurse. The team works together to offer sessions tailored to certain needs like liver health, heart health or fatigue.

“Blake does acupuncture in that area,” Rauen said. “Then, Karrie leads us through a guided imagery exercise.”

Integrative medicine is just that – integrated. It’s meant to complement modern treatments and address overall wellness. It’s not the right path for everyone, but it’s exactly what some people are looking for.

“A lot of people don’t realize you have choices in health care,” Rauen said. “And that you don’t have to settle for just one way of thinking.”

Your go-to place for women’s health

The Women’s Health Plaza is home to more than just integrative health care. The space is designed to be a health care hub in a homelike atmosphere with services that can be tailored to a patient’s needs. The team works together to keep as much care on-site as they can.

“It’s a location for women looking for full support for her whole life,” said Margaret Kropuenske, the clinic director for women’s specialties at Sanford Health.

A team of family medicine physicians, nurse practitioners and a physician assistant provide primary care services. They take care of annual wellness exams, immunizations and minor illnesses or injuries.

If necessary, obstetrician/gynecologists help women transition to pregnancy care or more specialized women’s health care. There’s also an ultrasound machine on-site.

A few providers at the plaza are certified practitioners with the Menopause Society, making them experts in helping women manage the changes that come as they age.

A common concern with aging is bone loss. At the Women’s Health Plaza, patients can receive a DEXA scan, which measures bone density and can help inform providers about someone’s risk for osteoporosis or fractures, which typically increase with age.

The Women’s Health Plaza is even home to fitness classes. An exercise specialist and fitness instructor work together at Mutch Women’s Center for Health Enrichment to host yoga and Pilates classes, as well as sessions that help address heart health, bone health, overall strength and more.

The Women’s Health Plaza has mammography for breast cancer screening, physical therapy for pelvic health, services for behavioral health and a lab with direct access testing.

“When I say we’re a one-stop location for women’s care, I truly mean it,” Kropuenske said.

And while most people start at the Women’s Health Plaza as new patients establishing care with Sanford Health, anyone is welcome to schedule an appointment.

 “You have a family here to take care of you,” Kropuenske said.

Learn more about the Sanford Women’s Health Plaza at sanfordhealth.org.