Melissa Magstadt, Secretary of Health
Melissa has been involved in South Dakota healthcare for over 30 years. She is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and co-owner of Quick Care SD. She served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2014 and was a member of the House Committee on Health and Human Services. Her education includes a Master’s in Science from South Dakota State University with a focus on family nurse practitioner. She also has a Master’s in Business Administration from Mount Marty University. She graduated from the Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute at the University of Nebraska and completed her fellowship at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrated Medicine. Magstadt is a born and raised South Dakotan residing in the northeast part of the state.
Darcy McGuigan, Division Director, Finance & Operations
Darcy McGuigan serves as the Director of the Division of Finance and Operations within the Department of Health. Darcy is a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in accounting. Darcy has over 35 years of accounting experience. Before joining the state government, she worked with both a private business and a non-profit organization. In 2013, she joined the Financial Reporting Division of the Bureau of Finance and Management. Darcy has been the Director of Finance and Operations for the Department since 2020.
Emily Kiel, Division Director, Healthcare Access
Emily Kiel serves as the Director of the Division of Healthcare Access within the Department of Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from the University of South Dakota. For over 20 years, she has served the state of South Dakota working in leadership positions focused on marketing and public relations, issues and change management, customer service, and strategic communications at the Department of Social Services, the Department of Tourism, the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, Game, Fish and Parks, as well as Governor Noem’s Office.
In early 2022, Emily transitioned to the Department of Health to oversee rural healthcare access, emergency medical services, public health preparedness and response, health information technology, and the department’s strategic communications and marketing activities. Emily is a lifelong South Dakotan, having grown up in Watertown and residing north of Pierre with her family.
Beth Dokken, Division Director, Family and Community Health
Beth Dokken serves as Director for the Division of Family and Community Health within the South Dakota Department of Health. In this role, Beth oversees a wide variety of public health programs, including infectious disease prevention and treatment, chronic disease and injury prevention, the South Dakota WIC program, various maternal & child health programs, and community health nursing services. Beth graduated from South Dakota State University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Beth has worked in various capacities and settings as a Registered Nurse throughout her career, including acute care, long-term care, and public health. Outside of work, Beth enjoys spending her free time boating, camping, traveling, attending sporting events, reading, and watching movies with her husband and three children.
Josh Clayton, State Epidemiologist
Josh Clayton serves as the State Epidemiologist at the South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH). He received his MPH and Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan and completed a fellowship with the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, assigned to the Tennessee Department of Health. He worked previously as the Deputy State Epidemiologist and Director of the Epi Resource Center with the Indiana State Department of Health. He joined SD-DOH in November 2017 and focuses on informatics for data analytics and visualization, data governance, and infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, and response.
Laurie Gregg, Deputy Lab Director
Laurie Gregg is currently the Medical Microbiology and Support Services Supervisor & Laboratory Deputy Director at the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory. She has held the role of Deputy Director since July 2022, accumulating 3 years of experience in that position. Prior to her role as Deputy Director, she worked in various positions within the Medical Microbiology Section of the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory since 1992. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science from SDSU.
Cassie Deffenbaugh, Division Director of Licensure and Accreditation
Cassie Deffenbaugh, MSN, RN, currently serves as the Division Director for the Division of Licensure and Accreditation at the South Dakota Department of Health. With over a decade of dedicated service to the Department, Cassie has held multiple leadership roles, including Administrator of the Office of Licensure and Certification, Chief of Clinical Services for Correctional Health, and Administrator for the Office of Disease Prevention Services.
Her background in healthcare spans a variety of acute care settings, including direct care and leadership roles in surgical, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, inpatient, and outpatient services, as well as clinical nurse education. Before her public service, she gained extensive clinical and administrative experience in hospital settings, further solidifying her commitment to quality care and healthcare system improvement.
Cassie earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Nursing Administration from South Dakota State University. Go Jacks!
When she’s not leading public health initiatives, Cassie is likely alongside her husband chasing after their three lively daughters, who keep them on their toes, reminding them that each day is a blessing.