The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) proudly recognized the recipients of its 2026 Distinguished Service Awards during the 100th Annual Convention, held September 16–18 in Sioux Falls.
Presented during the annual award luncheon ceremony, these awards celebrate individuals whose leadership, service and commitment are making a meaningful difference in health care and the communities they serve. This year’s recipients represent health care professionals, community leaders, policymakers and others whose contributions are helping strengthen health care across South Dakota.
Healthcare Hero: Randy S. Bell, MD, FAANS, Medical Director, Comprehensive Stroke Program and Neurosurgeon/Neuroendovascular Surgeon, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center
Dr. Randy Bell brought an extraordinary career in military medicine and neurosurgery to South Dakota. A former Navy Captain, Bell completed his neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed and later deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he served as the sole neurosurgeon for southern Afghanistan. He went on to become Chair of Neurosurgery at Walter Reed and the Uniformed Services University before retiring from active duty in 2022.
Bell has published extensively on the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury in military settings, with particular expertise in penetrating brain and cerebrovascular injuries. He has received numerous military and civilian honors and is co-principal investigator and first author of the Brain Trauma Foundation’s recently published second-edition guidelines for the management of penetrating traumatic brain injury.
Today, Bell is a professor of surgery at the University of South Dakota and leads Avera McKennan’s Comprehensive Stroke Program, where his work focuses on improving stroke care for rural South Dakotans through research, health system collaboration and standardized systems of care.
Healthcare Journalist: Mark Houston, Director of On-Air Talent & Programming, The HomeSlice Group
A 40-year radio broadcasting veteran, Mark Houston has used his voice and trusted presence in the Black Hills to make health care information more approachable and accessible. Along with his work in radio and as a content creator for the Rapid City Post, Houston hosts Doc Talk with Monument Health, a weekly podcast that has surpassed 200 episodes.
Through conversations with physicians, Houston translates topics ranging from cardiology and pediatrics to seasonal safety into information listeners can understand and use. His conversational style helps physicians connect with audiences in an approachable way, while his broader health care storytelling has supported community fundraising, highlighted rural workforce challenges and elevated the experiences of local patients and families.
Across decades in Black Hills media, Houston has built a strong relationship with his audience and has consistently used that trust to support health literacy, community causes and greater understanding of health care.
Healthcare Professional: Abigail Polzin, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician, Sanford Health; Program Director, USD and Sanford Health Emergency Medicine Residency
Dr. Abigail Polzin is helping shape the future of emergency medicine in South Dakota. A board-certified emergency medicine physician, she leads the state’s first and only Emergency Medicine Residency, which received accreditation in 2025 and welcomed its inaugural class in July 2026.
Polzin previously spent a decade as Medical Director of Sanford AirMed, which completed more than 14,000 patient transports during her leadership. She helped implement South Dakota’s first air medical whole-blood transfusion program in 2020 and introduced other prehospital innovations designed to improve care for critically ill and injured patients.
Her statewide contributions also include service with the South Dakota Trauma Program and the Sioux Falls Regional EMS Advisory Medical Board. Polzin contributed to Sanford USD Medical Center becoming South Dakota’s first Level I Trauma Center and helped establish the state’s first dedicated Pediatric Emergency Medicine department. Today, her work includes preparing the next generation of emergency physicians to serve communities throughout South Dakota, with a particular emphasis on rural and underserved areas.
Post-Acute Care Champion: Jaime Palmer, CNP, Advanced Practice Provider Leader, Monument Health
Jaime Palmer helped establish South Dakota’s first medical respite program while serving as an advanced practice provider leader at Monument Health. The program fills an important gap for patients experiencing homelessness who no longer require hospitalization but are not yet medically ready to recover in an unsheltered environment.
Bringing the program to life required coordination across clinical operations, legal and compliance teams, project management and community partners. Palmer helped develop the operational pathway connecting Monument Health with the South Dakota Department of Health, Rapid City Fire Department and Cornerstone Rescue Mission.
The program supports safer discharge planning and more appropriate recovery while helping reduce avoidable emergency department and EMS utilization. Palmer’s work demonstrates how collaboration across health care, public health and community organizations can create practical solutions for vulnerable patients with complex needs.
Quality Champion: Delayne Severson, MSN, RN, AMB-BC, CPPS, Senior Improvement Advisor, Sanford Health
With more than 34 years in health care, Delayne Severson has built a career around making care safer and systems stronger. After 18 years in frontline nursing, she transitioned into operational leadership and quality improvement and has spent the past 16 years supporting ambulatory care.
Her work has contributed to an over 70% reduction in preventable patient harm and includes oversight of more than 70 ambulatory policies affecting patient safety, preventive screenings, accreditation and regulatory compliance. Severson has also helped implement initiatives focused on colorectal cancer screening, depression screening, vaccinations and other population health priorities.
A Certified Professional in Patient Safety and certified Ambulatory Care Nurse, Severson is known for helping caregivers understand the “why” behind quality improvement. Her ability to translate complex quality and safety concepts into meaningful practices has helped build stronger systems while encouraging frontline caregivers to take an active role in improving patient outcomes.
State Lawmaker of the Year: Sen. Tim Reed, South Dakota State Senator, District 7
Sen. Tim Reed has dedicated much of his career to public service and strengthening South Dakota communities. A lifelong Brookings resident, Reed previously served six years in the South Dakota House of Representatives and 13 years in city government, including eight years as Mayor of Brookings.
In 2026, Reed chairs both the EMS as an Essential Service Funding Task Force and the statewide Child Care Task Force and serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. His legislative work has addressed rural health care, emergency medical services, care for victims of sexual assault, victim services, childcare access and other issues affecting the health and well-being of South Dakotans.
State Official of the Year: Laura Ringling, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Larry Rhoden
Laura Ringling brings more than 18 years of South Dakota state government experience to her role as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Larry Rhoden, where she advises on health, human services and social services and serves on the Governor’s Executive Team. Her previous leadership roles include serving as General Counsel and Chief of Behavioral Health with the South Dakota Department of Social Services.
In 2025 and 2026, Ringling played an important role in two significant health care efforts: South Dakota’s work surrounding the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and changes to the state’s Medicaid hospital payment methodology. Her work included helping bring health care organizations, state agencies, policymakers and other stakeholders together around issues affecting health care delivery and rural providers.
Throughout her career in state government, Ringling has focused on health, behavioral health and human services, using collaboration and partnership to address the needs of South Dakota communities.
Trustee of the Year: Pat Burchill, Board Trustee, Monument Health
Pat Burchill has spent decades serving the Rapid City community, including more than 20 years on the Rapid City Hospital Advisory Board and seven years as a Monument Health System Board Trustee. He served as System Board Chair from 2022–2025 and spent 17 years on the Monument Health Foundation Board, where he also served as chair.
Burchill brings a thoughtful, disciplined approach to governance, with a focus on quality, workforce, rural access and long-term organizational sustainability. He has been a strong supporter of caregiver recruitment and retention, clinical quality and initiatives designed to strengthen health care throughout western South Dakota.
His community leadership extends well beyond health care. Burchill retired following a 30-year career with U.S. Bank, served as interim CEO during the formation of Elevate Rapid City and was appointed to the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority. Throughout his board service, he has remained focused on ensuring the perspectives of patients, caregivers and communities are reflected in strategic decision-making.
Young Professional of the Year: Lee Cordell, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy, Mobridge Regional Hospital & Clinics
Lee Cordell demonstrates the impact strong health care leadership can have on rural communities. As Director of Pharmacy at Mobridge Regional Hospital & Clinics, he has helped transform pharmacy services from a primarily operational function into an integrated clinical resource supporting patient safety, medication management, physician collaboration and financial stewardship.
Cordell has provided leadership for the hospital’s 340B program and played a central role in developing its outpatient infusion center, including the pharmacy infrastructure and processes needed to safely prepare and administer advanced infusion therapies and chemotherapy. The program allows patients throughout north central South Dakota to receive sophisticated treatments closer to home, reducing travel while expanding access to care.
Under Cordell’s leadership, pharmacy has become more integrated into interdisciplinary rounds, care conferences, patient education and medication management. A graduate of South Dakota State University, Cordell holds 340B ACE certification and earned the national Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist (BCSCP) credential, becoming only the second pharmacist in South Dakota to achieve this distinction.
SDAHO congratulates each of the 2026 Distinguished Service Award recipients and thanks them for the many ways they serve South Dakota’s health care organizations, patients and communities. Their accomplishments reflect leadership, innovation, collaboration and commitment to service that continue to move health care forward across the state.
