The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds. Moderating the roundtable discussion included, Sen. Rounds, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli with the National Institutes of Health and Tim Rave, CEO, SDAHO. The event included representatives from the healthcare community:
- Dr. W. Chad Spanos, Avera Health
- Dr. David Pearce, Sanford Health
- Dr. Jose-Marie Griffiths, Dakota State University (DSU)
- Bryan Breitling, Avera Health
- Jamie Turgeon-Drake, University of South Dakota, Public Health & Health Sciences (USD)
- Mandy Bell, Avel eCare
Tim Rave, CEO, SDAHO “We are honored to be part of this event, organized by Sen. Rounds. We continue to participate in conversations with policymakers, our members, and stakeholders regarding the future of healthcare and what that may look like in South Dakota. This roundtable conversation allows us to share those details with key decision makers and now we can expand the conversation at the national level.”
The discussion also included a look at healthcare trends and initiatives across South Dakota, trends in tribal health, additional cancer research efforts and data collection and maintenance efforts.
“We had 4 specific areas that we focused on today, and I’m thankful to our member facilities that shared information with Sen. Rounds and Dir. Bertagnolli. It’s important South Dakota’s healthcare industry have a seat at the table for these discussions. We are thankful to Dir. Bertagnolli for coming to South Dakota to meet with all of us, and to Sen. Mike Rounds for his efforts regarding this meeting and his dedication to the future of healthcare for South Dakotans.”
After hearing from invited panelists, Sen. Rounds and Dr. Bertagnolli expressed their optimism about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the healthcare industry, specifically in cancer research. “This is a no brainer for me. This is the approach we should be taking. We can win these battles.” Rounds shared with those in attendance. The Senator also discussed how AI may be able to provide improved ways to identify, diagnose, and possibly treat certain types of cancer. “I am convinced we can fix a lot of this stuff, if we put our minds to it.” U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R) South Dakota
To learn more on Senator Mike Rounds AI Roadmap visit his website Driving US Innovation in Artificial Intelligence.
