Governor Larry Rhoden recently announced approximately $7.2 million in Rural Health Transformation funding for 25 projects aimed at strengthening Emergency Medical Services across South Dakota.
The awards are part of the state’s Enhancing Sustainable Emergency Medical Services initiative and will support EMS workforce recruitment and training, leadership development, regional collaboration, communications and dispatch improvements, technology and data integration, telemedicine, clinical quality improvement, and other efforts to strengthen the long-term sustainability of EMS across the state. South Dakota’s broader EMS initiative focuses on building a modern, connected, and sustainable system that improves emergency care in rural, Tribal, and frontier communities.
The EMS investments are part of South Dakota’s RHT initiative, a five-year effort focused on improving access to care, strengthening the healthcare workforce, modernizing technology, and supporting sustainable rural health systems.