ISIS Hospitality wants to ease the financial burden of Rapid City Regional Hospital patients and their families by offering 500 free nights at five of its hotels. The average patient stay at Rapid City Regional Hospital is just over five days, and the hospital serves patients 250 miles in every direction of Rapid City, Nesbit said. Many patients and their families travel a long way for quality care and it is difficult to get that care when they cannot afford to pay for their stay.

Hospital officials will use their discretion to hand out free nights at Hotel Alex Johnson, La Quinta Inn & Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Country Inn & Suites, or AmericInn Lodge and Suites. The requirements for handing out free rooms is still being determined, but it will be based on crisis fund availability to patients who are in financial need.

Hotel Alex Johnson is the closest hotel to the Rapid City Regional Hospital. La Quinta Inn & Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites are connected to theWaTiki Indoor Waterpark and may appeal more to families.

The program will run from October 3, 2010 to May 26, 2011. Free nights can be used anytime before May 26th, when the tourism season kicks up again. Guests will be required to pay for incidental charges, such as long-distance telephone calls and any food and beverage other than the complimentary continental breakfasts served at four of the hotels.

“I just thought what a nice thing to do for people who can’t afford the lodging,” said Rich Dunkelberger, the chief executive officer of ISIS Hospitality. “We want to give back to the community. This is a great place to live, and we just feel obligated to do that.”

Click Here to read the featuring article in the Rapid City Journal, written by Holly Meyer.