RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Healthcare workers make up a large percent of employees in South Dakota, and more than 500 of those workers made their way to The Monument for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations’ (SDAHO) 98th annual convention on Thursday.

SDAHO represents all 54 non-profit hospitals in South Dakota, 46 long-term care facilities, home health, assisted living facilities and more. The organization’s staff is divided into five areas: Advocacy and Member Relations, Acute & Post-Acute Services, Education, Business Development, and Quality Integration, all of which are touched on at the convention.

The event kicked off Thursday morning with a keynote speech from Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans who told her story of injuries while serving and tied her experience to the healthcare community.

The day continued with breakout sessions that covered topics ranging from leadership for administrators to insurance challenges that could come up. Everything wrapped up with the exhibitor social.

Tim Rave, President and CEO of SDAHO, said the convention provides invaluable networking opportunities and education for all attendees.

“We have national speakers, I think people always kinda assume that with conferences, but we have such a vast array of knowledge within our state in the health care arena. We bring in local speakers, state speakers, and so it’s peers kinda interacting with peers and giving best practices and why that’s important and the things they’re doing and so yeah, just really exciting,” Rave said.

Rave added that the convention allows hardworking providers to take a break and get out of their everyday work routine.

The convention will head back to Sioux Falls for the next two years, but will be back in Rapid City in 2027.

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