South Dakota Healthcare News

Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen is joining the nation’s top health system executives at one of the industry’s premier conferences this week for a keynote panel discussing the next era of healthcare.

The first-ever clinical guideline for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, or CKM syndrome, identifies excess weight, especially in the abdomen, as a key driver for the syndrome. The guideline aims to make people more aware of how heart disease, kidney disease and metabolic conditions (including diabetes and obesity) are interconnected.

The countdown is on! The 2026 Rural Health Leaders Conference is just around the corner, and this year’s event promises to be one of the most exciting yet. With a new location, fresh perspectives, practical solutions, and plenty of opportunities to connect, there are countless reasons to join us in Pierre.

As we continue our Century Strong: From the SDAHO Vault series, the May installment brings together two important storylines from SDAHO’s history: the statewide effort to professionalize healthcare through the Basic Science Law of 1939, and the Association’s evolution as it entered its 15th year — a period marked by rising costs, wartime uncertainty, and the early development of health insurance in South Dakota.

The Rural Health Initiatives (RHI) team supports SDAHO members by securing external funding through grants and contracts that advance services in quality improvement, opioid stewardship, EMS, and workforce development.

Joshua Crabtree, M.D., chief physician at Sanford Health, has been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for 2026.

Monument Health today opened the doors of its new free-standing Emergency Department at 1911 East Mall Drive in Rapid City, bringing high-quality emergency care closer to the communities along the Interstate 90 corridor. The facility marks the first completed phase of the Monument Health Emergency Services and Medical Campus and represents a significant investment in the long-term health infrastructure of the Black Hills region.

The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) looks forward to welcoming attendees to the 2026 Rural Health Leaders Conference, June 24–25 at the Ramkota Convention Center in Pierre. This year’s theme, A Century Strong: Charting the Next Frontier of Rural Health, sets the stage for forward-looking conversations, meaningful collaboration, and practical strategies to strengthen rural healthcare.

Avera Queen of Peace is partnering with the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Respiratory Care Program to provide respiratory therapy education and hands-on clinical training in Mitchell as part of an initiative to strengthen rural health care workforce development. This professional training year consists of respiratory-specific coursework, lectures, labs and clinical experiences.

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, S.D., has named to Becker's Hospital Review’s Great Community Hospitals list for 2026, released June 2.

Through the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) LifeCircle website, visitors can access comprehensive resources and training on guardianship and the role of guardians.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced that 22 Good Samaritan locations received the 2026 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. This recognition signifies a location’s commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care.

Dakota Vascular, the Sioux Falls region’s trusted leader in vascular care, is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Helpline Center’s Step Forward to Prevent Suicide walk on June 6 in Sioux Falls. The public event is one of the non-profit’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Avera Health earned Partner of the Year in the health system segment of Wellvana’s CARE Awards at is 2026 Accountable Care Symposium recently in Denver, Colo. Wellvana is a national leader in value-based care enablement.

Each year, the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) has the privilege of recognizing individuals whose leadership, compassion, and dedication make a lasting impact on health care across our state through the Distinguished Service Awards (DSA).

For 24 years, Walking Forward has worked to close the gap in cancer outcomes for American Indian communities across western South Dakota. Now, the nationally recognized program is joining Monument Health once again, bringing more than two decades of community-based cancer navigation, research and education work under the health system and strengthening its ability to serve patients across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. 

Prairie Lakes Laboratory is making it easier than ever for community members to take a proactive approach to their health with expanded walk-in, direct access lab testing services.

In its first full year of operation, the West River Health Science Center, a nursing pathway partnership between Black Hills State University and South Dakota State University, graduated 122 registered nurses across two classes. This milestone was made possible in part by Monument Health’s $2 million investment to expand the facility in 2022. Sixty-two of those graduates have committed to joining Monument Health.

In recognition of Cataract Awareness Month this June, Vance Thompson Vision is encouraging patients to learn more about their vision and explore today’s advanced cataract treatment options. Cataracts are a natural part of aging, often causing vision changes that can make everyday tasks more difficult. The good news is that cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful procedures today. It offers patients the opportunity to restore their vision with advanced, personalized treatment. 

The surgical team had performed hundreds of procedures in the operating room without issue.

The room was spotless. Sterilization procedures were followed with precision. Airflow systems were operating exactly as designed.

The Department of Social Work at the University of South Dakota will host its third annual conference for mental health professionals from May 13 to 14 at the USD – Sioux Falls campus.

Avera St. Benedict Health Center has been chosen to host the June 9 regional meeting for the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Federal, national, regional, state and local health care leaders will tour the health center and meet to discuss collaboration opportunities and challenges. 

Is your organization doing everything it can to keep staff safe? Strengthen your workplace safety efforts with SDAHO’s comprehensive training resources—designed specifically for health care settings.

Avera Queen of Peace Hospital is pleased to announce that Jacki Austerman, RN is the most recent recipient of its quarterly nurse recognition program called the DAISY Award.

The University of South Dakota has announced the appointment of Betsy Becker, Ph.D., DPT, as the next dean of the School of Health Sciences. A distinguished clinician, educator and administrator, Becker returns to her alma mater to lead the school as its fourth dean since its establishment in 2008.

The first offering of the Health Career Exploration course was developed in partnership with the University of South Dakota (USD) and supported in part by grant funding from  South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations Health Research and Trust (SDAHO HRET).

Get ready to be inspired! The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) is bringing the energy, insight, and expertise of our own team to the 2026 Rural Health Leaders Conference. Join us June 24–25, 2026, at our new location—the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Pierre, South Dakota—for a dynamic event centered around this year’s theme: A Century Strong: Charting the Next Frontier of Rural Health.

The procedure was performed by Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Joseph Elliott, along with Jacklyn Karli, DNP, and the Prairie Lakes Cath Lab team. This milestone introduces a new, minimally invasive option for patients who require a pacemaker.

Monument Health Foundation broke its previous fundraising record at this year’s A Night at the Derby, raising $156,731 to support Northern Hills Hospice.

Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center have been asked by federal partners to receive and monitor U.S. citizens from the cruise ship associated with a hantavirus outbreak. These individuals will be observed in the National Quarantine Unit, located on the campus of Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC.