Healthcare Workforce Initiative

Refer to this page often for Healthcare Workforce Initiative Updates.

In August of 2006, the Departments of Education, Health and Labor sponsored the first ever Healthcare Workforce Summit.  This summit focused on issues related to increasing and stabilizing South Dakota’s healthcare workforce.  The primary goal of this summit was to bring together individuals with a vested interest in our healthcare workforce.  Participants were asked to help develop recommendations and strategies which addressed our critical need for healthcare workers.

As a result of this summit, action teams in four areas -  Educational Program Capacity/Clinicals, Healthcare Professional Recruitment & Retention, Pipeline, and Student Perception and Awareness - were formed.  These action teams met in January of 2007 to continue the work which began in August.  Each team further developed and refined recommendations which were made at the Summit.  Presently, a summary document reporting findings from the action team meetings is being developed.  This document will be available in early May.

A follow-up Healthcare Workforce Summit was held on  July 24 in Pierre. 

• For a copy of the summary report prepared at the completion of the August, 2006 Summit, click here.

• For more information on the Healthcare Workforce Initiative, contact Halley Lee.

Page last updated:  9/18/07