South Dakota Awards Rural Hospitals Grants for Information Technology and Training

The South Dakota Department of Health is awarding a total of $230,454 in grants to help 18 rural hospitals enhance information systems, strengthen emergency medical services, and increase staff training and education.

"Maintaining health care in rural facilities is an ongoing challenge. These grants are one thing the state can do to help support that effort," said Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth.

Funding for the grants comes to the state through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. Over the past five years, South Dakota has awarded $1,555,914 in grants to rural hospitals through the program.

Hospitals receiving grants include:

• Bowdle -- Bowdle Healthcare Center -- $3,225, staff and community education on the 911 system and seat belt usage;


• Canton -- Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital -- $12,000, computer system for medical records;


• Chamberlain -- Mid Dakota Medical Center -- $13,102, health careers promotion in area schools, community education;


• Clear Lake -- Deuel County Memorial Hospital & Clinic/Sioux Valley -- $10,646, point-of-care technology system;


• Custer -- Custer Community Hospital -- $14,700, staff training;


• Deadwood -- Northern Hills General Hospital -- $10,890, staff training;


• Dell Rapids -- Dells Area Health Center/Avera Health -- $10,000, videoconferencing system for distance education of staff and community;


• Eureka -- Eureka Benevolent Hospital Association -- $12,750, medication management system, staff training;


• Hot Springs -- Fall River Health Services -- $15,000, integrated information system and Web-based security system;


• Gettysburg -- Gettysburg Memorial Hospital -- $3,474, staff training;


• Martin -- Bennett County Healthcare Center -- $31,130, emergency room enhancement and EMT training;


• Mobridge -- Mobridge Regional Hospital -- $16,843, health careers promotion in local schools, EMT training, staff training;


• Scotland -- Landmann-Jungmann Memorial Hospital -- $15,722, computerized information system;


• Sturgis -- Sturgis Community Health Care Center -- $11,800, computerized information system;


• Wessington Springs -- Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center -- $22,500, leadership development and strategic partnerships between business and health care;


• Winner -- Winner Regional Healthcare Center -- $6,072, medication management.