In December 2024, the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations was awarded the Regional Services Designation Grant. This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act and aimed at supporting Emergency Medical Services across South Dakota.
Emergency Medical Services Grant
In November 2023, South Dakota released the South Dakota Regional Service Designation Ambulance System Study. The study provided a comprehensive analysis of the current state of EMS. The report offered many findings and recommendations for improvement with the intention of programs that plant the seed of long-term sustainability.
One of those findings is the delay in non-emergency patient inter-facility transfers when a local ambulance service is unavailable. This delay continues to plague both EMS and area hospitals, draining limited resources for staffing, creating inefficiencies and potential for poor patient outcomes. SDAHO and its partners, Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls (Patient Care) Ambulance Services tackled this challenge in Phase 1 of the funding by examining ways to improve the coordination of interfacility transfers, reduce strain on workforce and improve the sustainability of EMS services.
The goal of the project is to successfully implement a statewide interfacility transfer software platform for hospitals and ambulance services by the end of November 2026. This project will create a single portal where neighboring ambulance services can view and select available transfers.
A Steering Committee will provide oversight and guidance on the implementation of the project. Steering Committee members consist of state representatives, ambulance agencies, Project Director and SDAHO staff.
December 2024-December 2026
To learn more about this project, please contact Mary Adams at Mary.Adams@sdaho.org
