South Dakota health care providers’ inspection reports made publicly available

South Dakota Searchlight recently published an article focusing on the South Dakota Department of Heath’s decision to post all inspection reports. The article featured SDAHO’s VP of Post-Acute Care Justin Hinker. The full article can be viewed here. South Dakota health care providers’ inspection reports made publicly available • South Dakota Searchlight.

(Full Article, published August 20, 2024)

Inspection reports for all South Dakota health care providers are now publicly accessible online, the state Department of Health announced recently.

“This effort is to ensure transparency and help families and consumers make informed decisions regarding the care and placement of their loved ones,” the department said in an email.

The newly available inspection reports, covering July 2023 to the present, are available on the state Health Department’s website. The reports come from rural clinics, long-term care facilities, hospitals and other types of facilities. Not including nursing home reports, which were already publicly available online, the website hosted 114 licensure survey reports as of earlier this month, of which 65 included one or more instances of non-compliance.

Justin Hinker is the vice president of post-acute care for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. He said that by the time instances of non-compliance are reported on the website, they have most likely been reinspected and are in compliance.

The reports show a variety of non-compliance, such as a rural clinic not servicing fire extinguishers annually and having some expired vaccines, and a hospice facility failing to review patients’ medication regimens, which could lead to severe drug interactions.

Hinker said South Dakotans should treat the reports as a resource.

“I always encourage people to go and visit,” he said. “This is just one tool people can use. It does not necessarily reflect the exact level or quality of care people are receiving.”