Avera President and CEO Bob Sutton has announced that Avera accepted a $5 million gift from an anonymous donor.

In a press release, Sutton says Avera worked with a donor who wanted to make a significant investment to improve patient care and safety through current projects, while also benefiting individuals and families for the long-term.

The generous donor requested that $1 million of the donation be designated as a matching gift to support Coordinated Care, which helps patients – including those employed by Avera – overcome barriers to better health. Avera’s Coordinated Care teams specialize in seeing trends and patterns that predict rising risk, and initiating or redirecting care.

Another priority project identified by this donor is security assessments and updates at facilities across the system. Enhancing security contributes to a more positive healing environment for patients and more positive work environment for employees.