SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Healthcare in a state like South Dakota, with a small population and a lot of land, can be a large task to manage.

At the Rotary Club meeting of Sioux Falls, a group of healthcare advocates discussed some of the issues facing the system today.

The Secretary of the Department of Health spoke with Dakota News Now about how Artificial Intelligence can help bridge the gap between some of these issues.

Secretary Melissa Magstadt says the department has incorporated AI for small tasks such as summarizing big documents and writing emails, and has also used AI for a range of purposes in its epidemiology department.

“Using this capability, I don’t think we understand quite yet, but we’re looking into the Department of Health on how we use it to analyze our data more thoroughly, how do we use it for our planning decisions,” Magstadt said.

Magstadt says the use of AI, along with consistent investment in tools like telehealth or mobile clinics, will help expand healthcare to South Dakota’s urban population, but especially its rural communities.

“All of those pieces will add to a part of how we deliver healthcare easily to the people that need them, no matter where you choose to live, whether it’s in the frontier of South Dakota or an urban area, they all have their challenges.”

At the next Rotary Club meeting, a panel will discuss developing health care providers for the next generation of South Dakotans.

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