The Partnership for Improving End of Life Care in South Dakota was founded in 1999 after a Board of Visitors meeting convened by USD SSOM Dean Robert Talley. The focus of the BOV discussion was end of life care in South Dakota and how to improve this care. In 2006, the name changed to
LifeCircle South Dakota: Partners Improving End of Life Care.
The purpose of LifeCircle is to improve care at the end-of-life for the people in South Dakota. The vision of the group is that people of South Dakota will receive the care needed to complete their life and die peacefully, their loved ones will receive support, and health care providers in the State will improve care of patients and families at the end of life. LifeCircleSD aims for interdisciplinary and inter-institutional representation of people, organizations, and institution for the entire state.
LifeCircleSD was based at USD Sanford School of Medicine in the Department of Neurosciences from its inception to May 2022 when SDAHO assumed its management. The Advisory Board is composed of people passionate about LifeCircle’s purpose and includes a diverse group of professionals from multiple organizations who oversee the activities. Chairs of the Advisory Board included Dr. Judith Batchelor, Dr. Susan Schrader and Dr. LuAnn Eidsness.
The three goals are professional education, public education and public policy.