South Dakota
$20 million injected into support for South Dakota emergency medical services
PIERRE — The South Dakota Department of Health pushed out $20 million for improvements to emergency medical services across the state in the past two years, putting much-needed funding toward a number of vital areas, such as telemedicine and grants for local services.
Highlights of the initiative were outlined in the recently released 2023 South Dakota Department of Health annual report.
The influx of dollars should help keep emergency medical services vital in communities across the state, Marty Link, administrator for EMS and trauma programs for the department of health, told the Mitchell Republic.
“Not only was the $20 million instrumental in advancing EMS, but the ongoing support and advocacy for EMS demonstrated the commitment to our pre-hospital care providers,” Link said. “The $20 million provided South Dakota to lift up a one-of-a-kind Telemedicine in Motion initiative, replace 308 LIFEPAK monitor/defibrillators and conduct a statewide sustainability assessment of the state of EMS in South Dakota.”
Telemedicine in Medicine is a program unique to South Dakota, Link said. It connects physicians and nurse medical professionals with first responders in the field, improving efficiency in patient assessment, treatment and transfer to definitive care centers.
The $1.7 million in funding specifically for the program has helped provide tablets for EMS providers, training and telehealth services, including unlimited data, software, professional support services and project implementation.
Such improvements are important in a primarily rural state like South Dakota, where patients can often find themselves a long way from a treatment center.
“Telemedicine in Motion is a one-of-a-kind pioneering initiative first developed in South Dakota specifically for EMS providers. No where else in the country is there a statewide initiative of its kind,” Link said. “(It) is instrumental in ensuring patients have the best possible care, especially in such a vast frontier and rural state as South Dakota.”
Arielle Zionts / KFF Health News
Benefits of the system were highlighted in December when medical responders used it to treat Gann Valley rancher Jim Lutter, who had been attacked by a bison at his ranch. The communication system connected the rural ambulance personnel with an emergency medicine physician in Sioux Falls,
who assessed the situation, provided guidance and contacted the receiving hospital in Wessington Springs and advised them on how to prepare.
She also was able to arrange for a helicopter to transport Lutter to Sioux Falls, where he could receive high-level treatment. Ambulance crew members said they were able to devote all their attention to Lutter as the emergency physician advised them, took notes and coordinated responses in Wessington Springs and Sioux Falls thanks to the system.
Link said 92 of the 122 ambulance services in South Dakota are live and active with the technology, and there have been approximately 900 encounters of its use since November 2022.
Another $11.6 million in funding went to replacing LIFEPAK monitors for local ambulance services.
The monitors help emergency responders identify when patients are experiencing an ST elevated myocardial infarction, aka heart attack, in transport and allows an EKG reading to be transmitted to the receiving hospital and allow the staff there to prepare for the patient.
Time is critical in such medical cases, and detailed communication between ambulance and hospital personnel can make the difference in saving a patient’s life. The monitors help improve that communication.
“The quicker an EMS clinician can identify if a patient is having an ST elevated myocardial infarction and alert hospital staff, the quicker a patient can receive definitive care,” Link said. “Time is of the essence to ensure patients not only get the care they need, but maintain a high quality of life post event.”
Link said the department has been extremely pleased with participation in both the Telemedicine in Motion and LIFEPAK programs, including cooperation with Indian Health Services that helped supply the Pine Ridge and Eagle Butte ambulance services with equipment from both programs.
In addition, another $8 million went into a regional service designation assessment on the current state of EMS in South Dakota, with $7.5 going toward grants for the development and implementation of systems and solutions to support the sustainability of critical services throughout the state.
Mitchell Republic File Photo
The assessment is helping officials better understand the current ambulance system and identify its strengths as well as areas that need improvement. One objective, for example, is achieving ambulance response times of 30 minutes or less to any resident or visitor who calls 911.
The assessment is a first for South Dakota, Link said, being far more detailed than any previous review.
“Nothing like this has ever been done before. The department works with, engages and communicates with EMS stakeholders on a regular basis, but this is by far the most comprehensive assessment to date,” Link said. “The report provided several short, medium and long-term recommendations which will guide the department and align the grant opportunities for EMS services in a meaningful way.”
The applications for those grants were opened Jan. 16 and run through March 15. Applicants hoping to receive the grant must provide specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, relevant and time-bound solutions for improving long-term sustainability of EMS in South Dakota.
Funding for the grants must be obligated by the end of 2024, and grant recipients must spend the funding received by Nov. 1, 2026.
“This will be a competitive grant opportunity for our EMS providers across the state,” Link said. “The department will have approximately $7.5 million to distribute to these providers for a variety of activities that may include, but are not limited to, billing software solutions, supply procurement systems, workforce recruitment and retention, training programs or the development and implementation of regional hubs.”
A second round of grant funding will open and be announced later this summer.
The approximately $20 million in funding for the programs was approved by Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Legislature in 2022. Noem praised the initiative in her annual state of the state address earlier this month.
“In South Dakota, we value living a healthy life, no matter where you live. Every South Dakotan should have the Freedom to live where they want — but they shouldn’t have to choose between a rural way of life and good health outcomes. In our rural communities, emergency responders are sometimes the only local healthcare providers. They often show up in our very worst moments. But the nationwide EMT turnover rate is 36%. And in South Dakota, nearly 90% of our emergency medical services are done by volunteers,” Noem said in her address.
Noem said the funding is an investment in the long-term health of emergency medical services in the state. And a healthy EMS community means healthier South Dakotans, she said.
“These efforts are an investment in the future of EMS. More importantly, they are saving lives,” Noem said.
The 2023 South Dakota Department of Health annual report can be found at doh.sd.gov/health-data-reports/annual-report.
(SOUTH DAKOTA SEARCHLIGHT) – Democrats are running for 46 of South Dakota’s 105 legislative seats — leaving 56% of seats without a Democratic candidate.
That doesn’t bode well for the party ahead of November, said Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota.
“It doesn’t put them in a position to actually put forward their ideological policy preferences and have much of a success at getting those enacted,” Card said.
In the state Senate alone, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 22 seats, which is nearly two-thirds of the chamber. In the House, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 38 seats, which is 54% of the chamber.
There is only one Democratic legislative primary in the state: a state Senate race in District 26, which includes the Rosebud Reservation.
There are no statewide Democratic primaries, after announced candidates for governor and U.S. House dropped out or failed to gather enough petition signatures to make the ballot, leaving one Democrat in each of those races.
Statewide candidates will have less name recognition than Republican candidates ahead of the general election, since they didn’t have primaries, Card said. In the Legislature, Card said Democrats “are guaranteeing they won’t get a majority.”
In contrast, Republicans have primary races for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Five legislative districts do not have Republican primaries, but do have Republican candidates. There is a Republican candidate running for every legislative seat, except for one House seat in District 27, which includes the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Card said there are several factors leading to poor candidate turnout among Democrats, including a self-fulfilling cycle of failure.
“A lack of winning makes fewer people willing to take a chance on running for office,” Card said. “Why run if I think I’m going to lose?”
Democrats haven’t held a statewide office since 2015, and they haven’t held a majority of either legislative chamber since 1994.
Joe Zweifel, deputy executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said the organization worked “really, really hard” to convince Democrats to run for office.
“But you can’t force people to run for office,” said Zweifel, of Sioux Falls, who’s running for a legislative seat himself in District 12.
He’s heard the open seats called a “failure.” But he disagrees, choosing to focus on the Democrats who did step forward.
“We’re running quality, good candidates in those races,” Zweifel said.
The South Dakota Democratic Party hopes to build on legislative successes, such as a new law from Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, that commits state funding to cover the family portion of reduced-price school meals.
“That specifically is a return on investment for our donors, and it shows that Democrats are doing good things for the people of South Dakota,” Zweifel said.
Wittman’s success helped inspire Democratic District 13 House of Representatives candidate Ali Rae Horsted, of Sioux Falls, to take a second run at the Legislature. Horsted ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against Sen. Sue Peterson in 2024, garnering 42% of the vote.
Horsted plans to build on that success and the name recognition she already has in the district. She hopes she’ll have “better odds” in this election, since there are two House seats for every district.
Horsted said it would better serve South Dakota if the state had a more balanced Legislature. While the latest Legislature was 92% Republican, 52% of voters in South Dakota are Republican. South Dakota has the lowest percentage of Democrats, 7.6%, in the Legislature nationwide.
“I think it’s important that people have options on the ballot,” Horsted said, “and people are able to vote for candidates that represent their values and their vision for the future of South Dakota.”
Makenzie Huber is a lifelong South Dakotan who regularly reports on the intersection of politics and policy with health, education, social services and Indigenous affairs. Her work with South Dakota Searchlight earned her the title of South Dakota’s Outstanding Young Journalist in 2024, and she was a 2024 finalist for the national Livingston Awards.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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From East River to West River, South Dakota communities share a common goal: creating places where people of all ages can live, work and thrive. AARP’s Domains of Livability provide a framework to help communities do just that. Through the AARP Community Challenge grant program—designed to spark quick, impactful local projects—South Dakota communities are turning big ideas into visible, people-centered improvements.
Read the South Dakota Community Challenge Grant Report, which showcases grant-funded projects across the state designed to build more livable communities.
What Are AARP’s Domains of Livability?
AARP’s approach to livable communities is rooted in eight interconnected domains that together support quality of life at every age:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings – Safe, accessible parks, streets and public buildings
- Transportation – Affordable, accessible options for getting around
- Housing – A range of choices that support independence
- Social Participation – Opportunities to connect, learn and have fun
- Respect and Social Inclusion – Communities that value people of all backgrounds and ages
- Civic Participation and Employment – Meaningful ways to engage and contribute
- Communication and Information – Clear, accessible ways to stay informed
- Community Support and Health Services – Access to services that support well-being
These domains work best when addressed together—something South Dakota communities are embracing.
Turning Vision into Action with Community Challenge Grants
AARP Community Challenge grants fund short-term, “quick-action” projects that can ignite long-term change. Across South Dakota, these grants have helped communities pilot ideas, build momentum and demonstrate what’s possible when residents put people first.
Here’s how local projects are bringing the Domains of Livability to life:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings: Communities have used grants to enhance parks, create pop-up public spaces, add benches and shade and install wayfinding signs. These improvements invite people to linger, gather, and enjoy shared spaces—supporting both physical activity and social connection.
- Transportation: Small, thoughtful transportation projects can make a big difference. Community Challenge grants have supported safer crossings, improved walkability and bikeability around key destinations and the planning or installation of transit amenities like shelters and seating—especially important for older adults and people with mobility challenges.
- Housing and Community Support: Some projects focus on helping residents age in place by improving access to information about home modification resources or by testing neighborhood-level solutions that connect people to services. These efforts strengthen independence and peace of mind.
- Social Participation and Inclusion: Murals, community events and creative placemaking projects funded by AARP grants have sparked community pride and social connection. By involving residents in design and implementation, these projects foster respect, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging across generations.
- Communication, Civic Participation and Opportunity: From hosting community conversations to creating new tools for sharing local information, South Dakota communities are using grants to engage residents in shaping their future. These efforts elevate local voices and encourage ongoing civic participation.
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