RHT Resources & FAQs

Is it possible to view a recording of the webinar?
Yes, a recording of the information webinar held on February 19, 2026, is available at  ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov. View the Webinar.

Is the sd.gov/bhra the only place where RFPs will be posted?
Yes, a link to all RFPs can be found on ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov and on bhra procurement website at https://postingboard.esmsolutions.com/3444a404-3818-494f-84c5-2a850acd7779/events. If you don't know if you are a registered vendor, please contact OPM@state.sd.us 

When and how do I apply for a grant to strengthen chronic disease management?
All funding opportunities will be posted to the South Dakota Central Bidding website. Please register on that site to receive notifications on any funding that becomes available. There will be funding available for a variety of health entities sometime in April/May.

What is the difference between an ‘Invitation Only’ RFP and an ‘Open Invitation’ RFP in the state’s e‑procurement system, and how does each option affect how vendors are notified?
“Invitation Only” means the system sends notifications only to vendors registered with the relevant National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) codes. “Open Invitation” sends notifications to all registered vendors. These labels reflect notification settings only. RHT RFPs remain fully open and publicly accessible to any vendor, regardless of the notification type displayed in the system.

Are options to use RHT funds possible to apply for in any manner, or because Pennington County was shown as one of two counties that are not rural or frontier, are all possibilities for using these funds off the table?
Please refer to specific grant opportunities upon release for the applicant eligibility criteria. Rural Health Transformation funds are intended to help transform rural healthcare and benefit South Dakotans residing in rural areas of the State. In some grant opportunities, urban providers may be eligible either directly or as a partner of an applicant to the extent that the proposal benefits rural South Dakotans.

Will you have opportunities for vendors who provide Remote Patient Monitoring platforms to network and partner with local healthcare and educational facilities on a joint proposal to address the above Initiatives together?
Remote patient monitoring is a tool that healthcare providers may choose to utilize when they are looking at solutions for improving the care of their patients. However, since the PACT payments are paid directly to the healthcare providers in the form of the year-end quality bonuses and the monthly prospective payments, the arrangements would have to be between the RPM platforms and healthcare providers directly. We do not currently have a plan to create a networking opportunity.

Are purpose-built technology companies able to apply directly in an effort to partner across more providers and clinics at scale across the state, or does the application process require individual proposals from each provider group?
The Tech and Data initiative of the Rural Health Transformation Project is focused on the needs of rural healthcare providers and facilities. Our priority is to empower local teams to define their own challenges and solutions. The program is focused on provider-led strategy rather than technology procurement. No vendor applications are being accepted for this at this time.

If an organization applies as the managing consultant for a management grant, does that role prevent the organization or its partners from also receiving funding through the program?
Any organization may apply for a Request for Proposal (RFP) as long as they can provide the necessary services defined within the RFP.  If an organization applies for funding from that same program(s), there must be a clear process to ensure no conflicts of interest exist in the review/evaluation of applications for funding from the organization or its partners. 

If hospitals are awarded funding as a subrecipient, can they then use that funding to contract consultants to help with the work? E.g., Can healthcare entities wishing to conduct needs assessments hire someone with the expertise to do this via contract?
Subrecipients must obtain written approval from the State before entering into any agreement with a third party. The subrecipient must determine if the relationship with the third-party is that of a contractor or a subrecipient. If that relationship is determined to be a subrecipient, specific information will be required to be in the agreement, and additional actions will be required. 

Are there any loan repayment plans for dentists working in a rural community? Also, does it seem like there is going to be any grant money for these rural dental practices in the future for equipment/facility improvements?
Dental students can participate in the Recruitment Assistance Program. Currently, all spots for dentists are filled, but communities can inquire to see if they are eligible to participate with a newly recruited dentist. This will allow for an eligible community and dentist to participate as soon as a spot is available.

Additional opportunities for dentists include the National Health Service Corps. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is a federal loan repayment program. The application period for this LRP is only open once per year. It is currently open until March 31, 2026. To qualify for this program, a participant must work at an NHSC-certified site. NHSC certified sites can be found at https://connector.hrsa.gov/connector/. If you would like to receive updates from HRSA on NHSC Programs or NHSC site certification periods, you can sign up for email updates at https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/. Go to the bottom of the page where it says, “Sign up for email updates.” Although this is a federal program and not a state program, Emily Paulsen, the Primary Care Program Coordinator with the Office of Rural Health and Emergency Services, does assist with questions about this program.

Future grant money for equipment and facility improvements is unknown. If funding becomes available through an initiative of the Rural Health Transformation Program, it will be included in a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Application (RFA), or another form of grant application. Please watch ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov and https://open.sd.gov/ for information.

How can interested organizations and community members stay informed about the Rural Health Transformation project? Will there be public meetings or events where we can learn more and participate in the conversation?
At this time, we do not have a dedicated listserv or newsletter specifically for RHT. However, we regularly share relevant updates and communications about the project through our SD Rural Health email listserv. Find our available email listservs at https://doh.sd.gov/news-statutes/email-subscriptions/.

If an organization is interested in applying for funding to support activities such as upgrading electronic medical records, purchasing equipment for rural services, or hiring staff, which RFP should they apply to? Is it appropriate to submit applications to more than one RFP?
We encourage applicants to carefully review the scope of work for each RFP to determine which opportunity – or combination of opportunities – best aligns with their project needs and proposed activities.

Is there a listserv or news update service we can sign up for that would email us when RFPs are released related to any of the RHTP initiatives?
All funding opportunities will be posted to the South Dakota Central Bidding website. Please register on that site to receive notifications on any funding that becomes available.

Applicant Preparation Guide    Download Technology & Data Summary

Overview

This initiative addresses the digital divide in rural healthcare by modernizing health IT infrastructure across South Dakota. It supports EHR adoption, health information exchange, and operational resilience through tiered funding and technical assistance. The initiative empowers providers with tools to improve care, coordinate services, and make data-driven decisions, ultimately enhancing health outcomes in rural communities.

Key Activities

• Fund EHR adoption and Health Link interoperability for small and rural providers
• Support advanced integration of telehealth, analytics, and decision support tools
• Establish regionally innovation centers to mentor and support smaller facilities
• Modernize operational infrastructure including cybersecurity and emergency systems
• Launch the South Dakota Health Data Atlas for publicly available aggregate data access

Partners & Stakeholders

Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs, Tribal Clinics, Behavioral Health Providers, Public Health, Social Services, Rural Health Clinics, and other healthcare stakeholders.

Amount Requested

$500,000,000 over five years

Expected Outcomes

• 80% of eligible facilities adopt certified EHRs and interoperability solutions by Year 3
• 8% increase in preventive screenings by Year 3
• 15% reduction in hospital-acquired infections and 10% reduction in medication errors
• Launch 2 innovation center pilots by Year 2
• 25 county-level indicators available in the Health Data Atlas by 2029

Why This Matters

This initiative builds a sustainable digital health and interoperability foundation for rural South Dakota, expanding access, improving care quality, and enabling long-term resilience through the use of advanced technology.

Download Building a Sustainable Rural Healthcare Workforce Summary

Overview

This initiative strengthens the rural healthcare workforce through an incentive-based program that attracts, develops, and retains professionals across critical roles and care settings. By combining recruitment incentives such as sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, and rural service stipends with education-focused supports like tuition assistance, paid clinical release time, and flexible training, the program ensures access to care in rural and frontier communities. Together, these strategies build a stable, skilled, and sustainable workforce.

Key Activities

• Offer tiered sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, and rural service stipends based on role and location. These incentives will help remove barriers to relocation and make rural healthcare positions more competitive in attracting highly skilled professionals. Participants will be required to sign five-year commitments.
• Provide current rural healthcare workforce with direct funding for education, certification, or leadership training tied to five-year rural service commitments.
• Collaborate with technical colleges and universities to expand accessible rural training pathways to include apprenticeship opportunities.

Partners & Stakeholders

Licensed Healthcare Professionals, Rural Healthcare Facilities, Tribal Health Partners, Educational Institutions

Amount Requested

• $62,500,000 (five-yeartotal)
• Begin statewide planning early 2026; staffing and kickoff mid-2026; implementation 2026.

Expected Outcomes

• Increase the number of healthcare professionals practicing in rural and frontier communities through targeted recruitment incentives.
• Strengthen the stability of the rural healthcare workforce through long-term service commitments and education-based retention supports.
• Expand education and career advancement opportunities for healthcare professionals serving rural communities.
• Increase availability of care closer to home by expanding and stabilizing the rural healthcare workforce.

Why This Matters

This initiative strengthens rural healthcare by building a stable, skilled, and sustainable workforce to serve rural South Dakotans for years to come.

Download Expanding & Strengthening CHW Workforce Summary

Overview

This initiative increases access to care in South Dakota’s rural and frontier areas by expanding and supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Community Health Representatives (CHRs). These trusted local professionals bridge the gap between healthcare systems and the communities they serve. They help individuals manage chronic conditions, access preventive care, and connect to social supports. Funding will provide direct training support for new CHWs/CHRs and a competitive RFP process for a consultant to oversee technical assistance and sustainable program development to strengthen the CHW/CHR workforce statewide and develop sustainable reimbursement pathways through Medicaid.

Key Activities

• Financial Sustainability & Payment Frameworks: Support long-term financial sustainability by assisting organizations with Medicaid claims and billing processes, establishing Medicare billing pathways for CHWs/CHRs, and supporting the integration of CHWs into organizational structures to ensure durable funding and reimbursement.
• Technical Assistance for Program Development & Expansion: Assist organizations in establishing and expanding CHW programs.
• Workforce Recruitment & Retention: Develop strategies to recruit CHWs in rural communities, create career pathways and advancement opportunities, and maintain peer learning networks and communities of practice to support retention.
• Training, Certification, & Professional Development: Offer cross-training and educational opportunities for EMS professionals, medical assistants, patient access staff, tribal health workers, and other personnel.

Partners & Stakeholders

CHW and CHR Programs, SD Department of Health, SD Department of Social Services/SD Medicaid, Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota, Lake Area Technical College, Southeast Technical College.

Amount Requested

• $3,500,000 overfive years

Expected Outcomes

• Increase the number of individuals trained as CHWs in South Dakota by 45% from 340 individuals to 500 individuals.
• Increase the number of Certified CHWs and CHRs by 60% from 180 certified to 300 certified.
• Increase the number of Medicaid recipients receiving CHW/CHR services by 40% from 1,250 recipients to 1,750 recipients. Initial analysis in SD indicates recipients utilizing CHWservices had lower utilization of ambulance services and fewer hospitalizations than a comparable Medicaid population.

Why This Matters

The initiative positions CHWs and CHRs as a cornerstone of South Dakota’s rural health system, improving care coordination, chronic disease prevention, and overall community health outcomes well beyond the grant period. This investment will expand and professionalize South Dakota’s CHW/CHR workforce to strengthen access to care in rural and frontier areas.

Download Rural Health Forward Training & Resource Hub Summary

Overview

This initiative will establish Rural Health Forward, a resource and training hub designed to close gaps in education, training, and professional development between urban and rural healthcare providers. Designed for rural use but accessible to all, the hub will serve physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, community health workers, EMS professionals, doulas, and other frontline healthcare staff across South Dakota.

Key Activities

• Platform Development: Design and launch a statewide digital platform hosting evidence-based training modules, resources, and best practices.
• Training and Education: Deliver virtual and in-person training opportunities, including simulation experiences and CE/CME-accredited courses.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with universities, health systems, and professional associations to guide content and ensure statewide relevance.
• Evaluation and Quality Improvement: Track utilization, training outcomes, and workforce impacts to guide continuous improvement.
• Sustainability Planning: Develop long-term governance and funding strategies to maintain and grow the hub beyond initial implementation.

Partners & Stakeholders

Rural and Critical Access Hospitals, Independent and Community Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Long-Term Care and Home Health Agencies, State Universities and Medical Schools, and Technical Colleges.

Amount Requested

• $4,730,000 over five years

Expected Outcomes

• Expand access to training for healthcare professionals across disciplines.
• Ensure equitable access to training for providers in rural, frontier, and tribal communities.
• Increase in participant knowledge or skill confidence based on pre-/post-training assessments.
• Increase the percentage of trained providers remaining in South Dakota’s healthcare workforce after 12 months.

Why This Matters

By expanding access to professional development and supporting collaboration among providers, this initiative will strengthen South Dakota’s rural healthcare workforce, improve care quality, and ensure that every community benefits from well-trained, well-supported professionals.

Download Medicaid PACT Summary

Overview

PACT is an alternative payment model that shifts the focus from fee-for-service volume to value-based care while also investing in case management and population health. The PACT model replaces primary care E&M billing with a monthly Prospective Primary Care Payment, a more flexible and reliable way for primary care practices to tailor their care delivery to meet patients’ needs, and adds yearly value-based payments to incentivize both providers and patients for outcomes. This promotes shared accountability for appropriate utilization and bends the curve of steeply rising health care costs by emphasizing preventative health.

Key Activities

• Provider Infrastructure Support: Offer transformation grants for care coordination, care managers, population health tools, and technology enhancements.
• Enhanced Payments for Quality and Quality Payment System: Incorporate annual quality incentive and deploy a vendor-supported platform for real-time performance dashboards, HEDIS tracking, and year-end bonus calculations.
• Data Analytics Infrastructure: Implement population health tools to identify high-risk patients, track care gaps, and enable reporting and data exchange across value-based arrangements.
• Payer Alignment Coordination: Align payment methodologies across Medicare, commercial insurers, and tribal health programs, including systems coordination for dually eligible populations.
• Practice Support & Training: Provide technical assistance on care coordination, chronic disease management, behavioral health integration, and value-based operations.

Anticipated Timeline for Implementation

2026: Planning and Design

• Secure technical assistance and actuarial support for PMPM/sub-capitation; begin methodology review
• Model development and design, relying on input from provider workgroups
• Make grants available to providers for infrastructure investment, IT upgrades, and to procure care coordination & population health tools

2027: Pilots and Preparation

• Enhance quality payments made in support of providers that have demonstrated readiness
• Finalize methodology and rate-setting
• Policy and regulatory prep; state plan and waiver submissions to CMS
• Begin transition of current SD Medicaid’s existing primary care physician (PCP) program
• Launch readiness: begin provider recruitment/enrollment and training

January 1, 2028: PACT Model Launch

• Learn with providers: identify common challenges, develop solutions 2029 – 2030: Broaden participation
• Continuous improvement of quality metric reporting and analytics
• Inclusion of dual populations, multi-payer alignment

Partners & Stakeholders

Medicaid-Enrolled Primary Care Clinics, RHCs, FQHCs, Tribal Partners, Medicaid Recipients, Other Payers in South Dakota, Professional Medical and Quality Improvement organizations.

Funding & Sustainability

• Atotal of $62,735,000 overfive years in grant funding is budgeted forthis initiative. This one-time grant funding will be used to create the model, assist in the providerreadiness and transition, and accelerate focus on quality and outcomes. Implementation of tools and system upgrades will be maintained through the restructured capitation payments
  (providers) or system funding at enhanced federal match rates (state infrastructure).
• Approximately $73 M is currently spent by SD Medicaid on primary care services as part of the existing allocated Medicaid budget. The new model changes the way those same dollars are paid. Sub-capitation amounts will be established at levels that can be sustained without grant funding.
• Investing in primary care has been demonstrated to provide long-term gains in overall health care costs over time. Increased investment in primary care comes through redirecting savings from improved coordination and preventative health behaviors that reduce unnecessary or extended hospitalizations and emergencyvisits. These savings will be reinvested into the continuation of the quality bonus payments.
• Creating this alternative payment model in primary care promotes predictable income for providers decoupled from fee-for-service volume, which allows for a fundamental transformation of the workflow. Physicians will be able to create workable change when creating a supported team-based model that allows clinicians to stay in their communities and care for patients locally.
• Involving other payers and aligning their payment methodology to PACT also provides improved sustainability of true transformation in primary care since providers would achieve a critical mass of contracts/payers to sustain value-based methodology in practice.
• The sustainability of case management and team-based primary care will also be supported through the annual Medicaid case management/social work workshop that was launched in October 2025 and will be used in future years to share best practices across the state, regardless of provider affiliation.

Why This Matters

Transforming the payment methodology for primary care in South Dakota will ultimately lead to financial sustainability for providers, better outcomes for patients, and alignment of outcomes and payment. It supports workforce retention for primary care physicians and clinical care teams working in rural areas, allowing them to focus on patient health and wellbeing rather than whether an interaction is billable underfee-for-service. This model will also help the South Dakota Medicaid program improve predictability of primary care expenditures and decrease utilization/costs of unnecessary and costly services such as excessive ERvisits.

Download Medicaid Rural Health Access & Quality Grants Summary

Overview

Grant funding will be made available to rural hospitals and clinics to strengthen provider operations and service offerings. The grants are intended to ensure continued access to quality care in rural communities. Grants will be awarded through a competitive RFP process, inviting providers to identify unique and innovative proposals that address gaps in care delivery for their local communities.

Key Activities

• Strategic Partnerships: Planning and developing regional partnerships or affiliations to expand access to care and improve the quality of care.
• Service Line Expansion: Assessing service line offerings and expanding or modifying service line offerings to ensure community needs are met.
• Operational Efficiency: Assessing opportunities for operational efficiency to strengthen financial performance.

Partners & Stakeholders

Rural hospitals and clinics, as well as collaborating partners located in urban areas.

Amount Requested

• $125,000,000 over five years

Expected Outcomes

• Healthcare Access Preservation: Ensuring essential services remain available locally.
• Strategic Partnerships: Expanding specialized care access through collaboration and/orinvestment in new technologies/resources.
• Operational Efficiency: Supporting sustainability through streamlined operations.
• Community Health Impact: Improving population health to reduce crisis-driven care

Why This Matters

The grants will help strengthen rural provider operations and allow them to better adapt their service offerings to meet regional needs. Grants will empower providers to keep more care local, improve health outcomes for the populations they serve, and develop service lines and partnerships that improve their financial health. This will help ensure the long-term sustainability of rural health care services in South Dakota. Strong and stable local health care in rural and frontier communities enhances Medicaid’s effectiveness in providing comprehensive and cost-effective coverage and can indirectly lower future Medicaid costs by reducing the need for more costly acute care.

Download Regional Maternal & Infant Health Hubs Summary

Overview

This initiative aims to reduce maternal and infant health disparities and improve access to high-quality care in rural and tribal areas in South Dakota by establishing regional hubs. These hubs focus on both clinical care and broader care coordination, supported by spoke sites that integrate community social-support networks.

Key Activities

• Assessment, Planning, and Policy Alignment: Conducting analyses to identify current maternal health gaps, regulatory and payment barriers, and workforce needs in maternal health across the state.
• Clinical Transformation-Hub and Spoke Model: Fund three healthcare entities to design and launch maternal and infant health hubs linked to local spoke sites.
• Social Support Care Coordination: Integrate social and clinical care in these health hubs to address non-medical barriers.
• Strengthen patient navigation and referral pathways.
• Support community and Tribal organizations to develop and sustain doula programs.

Partners & Stakeholders

Rural Hospitals and Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Primary Care Clinics and Physician Practices, Integrated Health Systems, Indian/Tribal Health Services, Community Organizations.

Amount Requested

• $24,000,000 over five years
• 12/31/25-Draft RFPfor assessment work, consultant to manage the hubs, and doula project. Draft RFI to gauge interest from health systems in becoming a hub. Use that information to develop an RFP for hubs later in the year.
• 2/1/26- Release RFPs and RFI
• 5/1/26-12/31/26- Begin contracts forthis initiative. Joint planning with DOH lead. Determine readiness of potential hub sites and release hub RFPs.

Expected Outcomes

• Increase percentage of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester.
• Increase the number of pregnant and postpartum women served through the hybrid hub and spoke model.
• Increase percent of women who receive referrals to address behavioral health, housing, nutrition, and other social needs.
• Increase number of doulas in the state.

Why This Matters

South Dakota continues to face high rates of infant and maternal mortality. This initiative will provide improved access to prenatal and postpartum care and other resources forwomen, creating stronger families and supporting the first 1,000 days of life.

Download Strengthening Chronic Disease Management Summary

Overview

This initiative directly addresses the leading causes of death and disability in South Dakota's rural communities by implementing evidence-based chronic disease management interventions. Chronic diseases—including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and stroke—account for the majority of deaths and healthcare costs in rural South Dakota, yet many are preventable or manageable with appropriate interventions.

Key Activities

• Targeted Rural Funding: Rural hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and schools will receive funding to implement evidence-based interventions tailored to local needs. Eligible activities include care coordination, remote patient monitoring, use of CHWs to address barriers, and screening for social drivers of health. These efforts complement and expand the Medicaid Health Home program by supporting infrastructure growth and encouraging new provider participation.
• Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs: Evidence-based programs will be expanded to help individuals manage symptoms, improve daily functioning, and reduce healthcare costs. Expansion includes increasing program capacity and training more organizations to ensure sustainability and reach.
• Caregiver Supports: Caregivers, a largely unrecognized workforce, will gain additional resources through peer support groups, coordinated resources, expanded provider training, and increased respite care availability.
• Provider Training: Targeted training will ensure fidelity in implementing interventions, covering topics such as remote monitoring and caregiver coordination, fostering provider engagement, and sustainable impact.
• Medicaid Health Home Enhanced Quality Incentive Payment Pilot: Provide additional funding to Medicaid Health Home providers to test whether enhanced quality incentive payments improve health outcomes and drive further program improvements.

Partners & Stakeholders

Rural and Critical Access Hospitals, Independent and Community Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Long-Term Care and Home Health Agencies, State Universities and Medical Schools, Technical Colleges.

Amount Requested

• $25,240,000 overfive years

Expected Outcomes

• Reduce 30-day readmission rates for patients with chronic health conditions in rural hospitals.
• Increase the number of participants in remote patient monitoring programs achieving controlled blood pressure (<140/90), with current medication adherence, and no medication changes needed.
• Increase participation in certified chronic disease self-management workshops.
• Improve outcomes on Medicaid Health Home Quality Incentive Payment metrics

Why This Matters

By strengthening provider capacity to deliver coordinated care, expanding self-management education, and supporting family caregivers, this initiative tackles the root causes of poor health outcomes in rural areas. The focus on sustainable, community-based interventions and leveraging existing community resources ensures long-term health improvements beyond the funding period.

Download Integrated Behavioral Health System Summary

Overview

This initiative expands access to high-quality behavioral health care across South Dakota by implementing the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model statewide and growing the Collaborative Care Model in primary care settings. CCBHCs offer same-day access, 24/7 crisis services, and integrated care for individuals with complex needs. The Collaborative Care Model brings mental health support into local clinics through coordinated teams of primary care providers, behavioral health managers, and psychiatric consultants. Together, these models strengthen the behavioral health system, ensuring rural and frontier communities receive timely, coordinated care close to home.

Key Activities

• Provider and Workforce Capacity Building: Deliver technical assistance and resources to behavioral health and primary care providers, aligning with the emerging CCBHC Certification and Collaborative Care Model standards, while also implementing recruitment, training, and sustainability strategies for both licensed professionals and paraprofessionals.
• Crisis and Telehealth Infrastructure Expansion: Establish Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) Teams and short-term crisis stabilization facilities in each behavioral health region and enhance telehealth capabilities to improve access in rural and frontier areas.
• Payment System Transformation and Billing Support: Develop a Behavioral Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) with outcome-based incentives, support providers in transitioning to PPS billing, and ensure Collaborative Care billing codes are enabled and supported across Medicaid and commercial payers.
• Technology and Data Infrastructure Development: Support the enhancement and integration of a statewide, multifunctional EHR/IT system to standardize data collection, support real-time performance monitoring, and integrate with provider and Medicaid systems.
• Technical Assistance and Oversight: Provide contractual support for grant management, PPS implementation, and deployment of tools for population health management, care coordination, referral tracking, and analytics.

Partners & Stakeholders

Primary partners and stakeholders include community mental health centers, emergency services, schools, law enforcement, CBMIs, rural hospitals and primary care providers, FQHCs, tribal communities, faith-based communities, and others yet to be identified.

Amount Requested

• $56,457,876 over five years

Expected Outcomes

• Statewide access to certified integrated behavioral health care
• Sustainable value-based payment implementation for behavioral health care
• Modernized, efficient, and connected data infrastructure to report data and outcomes related to behavioral health care
• Timely access and continuity of care for behavioral health patients
• Improved clinical outcomes through integrated and collaborative care

Why This Matters

This initiative establishes a consistent, statewide foundation for delivering high-quality, whole-person behavioral health care, ensuring South Dakotans receive timely, coordinated services regardless of where they live or present. This initiative also strengthens provider sustainability, reduces system fragmentation, and modernizes data infrastructure so that care is driven by real-time information rather than administrative burden. Together, these improvements lead toearlier intervention, better clinical outcomes, and a more accessible, efficient, and person-centered behavioral health system for South Dakota.

Download Enhancing Sustainable EMS Summary

Overview

South Dakota’s EMS system faces critical challenges in staffing, response times, equipment, and long-term sustainability—especially in rural, tribal, and frontier communities. This initiative builds a modern, coordinated, and connected statewide EMS network by developing EMS Regions, expanding workforce training, and integrating advanced technology.

Key Activities

• Establish EMS Hubs/Regions to coordinate coverage and reduce response times.
• Expand EMS workforce training, recruitment, and retention.
• Implement near real-time data systems, telemedicine, and hospital interfaces.
• Improve operational efficiency through shared resources and dispatch integration.
• Provide technical assistance and statewide EMS performance oversight.

Partners & Stakeholders

EMS agencies, local governments, rural and tribal communities, hospitals, telemedicine partners, first responders, law enforcement, technical colleges, and EMS associations.

Amount Requested

• $64,000,000 (five-yeartotal)
• Begin statewide planning early 2026; staffing and kickoff by mid-2026; full implementation 2026–2030.

Expected Outcomes

• Define purpose/functions of EMS Hubs/Regions and establish at least one Hub per Region by 2027, with full statewide coverage by 2030.
• Achieve 100% EMS agency integration with State HIE within 12 months.
• Reduce long response times (>15 minutes) from 20% to under10% in 36 months.
• Increase certified EMS personnel by 15% statewide within 24 months.
• Improve coordinated coverage through telemedicine and shared resources.

Why This Matters

This initiative strengthens rural emergency response by ensuring reliable, timely care statewide and creating a sustainable, technology-enabled EMS system.