The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, most comprehensive long-term care conference, known as Post-Acute Partners in Care Conference. took place this past week, April 8-9, 2025 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
This year’s event also marked the association’s 25th anniversary hosting this annual event, with over 225 attendees taking part. The conference began as a way to help Post-Acute Care healthcare professionals network and earn needed continuing education contact hours. Today it has expanded to include two (half days) full of breakout sessions, an exhibitor social, art contest and award ceremony.
Justin Hinker is SDAHO’s VP of Post Acute Care, and has attended this annual event for many years as a long-term administrator. This is the first year he has attended as a SDAHO team member. “I have consistently been impressed by this annual event and have looked forward each year to the opportunity to engage with colleagues from across the state and benefit from the informative breakout sessions. This year’s conference was no exception. SDAHO successfully curated a robust agenda featuring distinguished experts at both the state and national levels. Our goal was to ensure that attendees left the conference feeling energized, well-informed, and more deeply connected with their professional peers throughout the state.”
Main topics this session:
- Working with the international workforce (panel of Sanford, Monument and Avera providers)
- SD Department of Health discussing surveyor process and other regulatory insights
- Changes and updates within the skilled nursing facility for medical directors and infection control and NHSN requirements
- Managing behaviors when working with individuals with dementia – VA Behavioral Health team
- Specific regulatory updates for assisted living, home health, hospice and nursing homes
- Employee wellness
- Medicare Advantage Strategies for Post-Acute Care panel
- Leadership and management topics including employee accountability and communication strategies
The 2nd Annual Facility Art Contest took place with 15 facilities submitting art project, centered around this year’s theme “Seasons of Change.”.
Michella Sybesma, VP of Education and Communication oversees the planning of the conference. “It was so great to see so many of our systems submitting creative and unique art projects. This contest provides three monetary prizes, but more importantly it gives activity directors, residents, family members and even the community the opportunity to work together to create something they all feel proud of. Even better, we get to show it off at the conference to a much bigger audience. It truly is a very moving part of the conference.”
This year’s Facility Art Contest Winners:
- First Place $2500 – Dow Rummel Village, Sioux Falls, SD
- Second Place $1500 – Sunset Manor, Avera in Irene, SD
- Third Place $750 – Avera Brady Health and Rehab, Mitchell, SD
Congratulations to all of this year’s facility art winners and thank you to all of the facilities that submitted art projects.
This year, SDAHO hosted their first annual Post-Acute Partners in Care Conference Award Celebration. During the ceremony four individuals and one facility was recognized that go above and beyond every day to demonstrate excellence in the workplace, foster a culture of safety and support within the facilities they work, and put their residents and those they serve first. Individuals were nominated by their peers with recipients decided upon by the Post-Acute Council. This year’s Award recipients:
- Clinical Excellence Award – Jason Johns
- Frontline Caregiver of the Year Award – Amy Preston
- Leadership Excellence Award- Dawn Rithmiller
- Outstanding Facility of the Year- Avera Brady Health and Rehab
- Lifetime Achievement Award- LaVonne Gaspar
Congratulations to all of this year’s Post-Acute Partners in Care Award Celebration nominees and recipients. The dedication and commitment that you have for your residents, facility and community was evident in the nomination forms and testimonials submitted on your behalf.
Hinker said, “I am delighted with the outcome of this year’s award celebration and grateful that SDAHO provided a meaningful platform during the conference to recognize and honor these exceptional individuals. The number of nominations we received is a clear reflection of the many outstanding healthcare professionals across the state. Each nominee is truly deserving, and in our eyes, they are all winners.”
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Post-Acute Partners in Care Conference. If you are looking for presentations from any of the sessions you attended, don’t forget to check out the conference portal where they have been archived for easy access.
Visit the SDAHO Conference page for future in-person events. Visit sdaho.org/conferences.
