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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Telemedicine in Motion: SD's Rural EMS Crews Go High-Tech

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Friday, May 19, 2023   

People might picture a defibrillator or stretcher when they think of a first responder. But what about an iPad?

South Dakota says a new program shows promise in combining telemedicine with ambulance crews.

Next week is National Emergency Medical Services week, and South Dakota officials are touting an initiative that fits first-responder units with technology that allows them to consult with hospital staff while enroute to the Emergency Room.

The state's Department of Health EMS Director Marty Link said they hope this addresses recruitment and retention issues for staffing the many volunteer first responder crews in rural parts of the state.

He said it's also a response to the "regionalization" of healthcare.

"Those patients in the smaller communities are transferred to the larger facilities to be cared for," said Link. "And while that happens, we see EMS providers are on the road for a longer period of time, doing those inter-facility transfers."

Last year, the state set aside up to $20 million to bolster Emergency Medical Services. Nearly two million goes toward the telemedicine service for rural first responders.

The state partnered with Avel e-Care to implement the program, and the company says they're live in nearly 60 EMS agencies - adding that it has helped with coordination of care.

Avel e-Care's Vice President and General Manager of Emergency and EMS Services Rebecca VandeKieft said when a patient is put into the ambulance, medical staff are interreacting with EMS crews in 20 seconds or less.

"Very quick activation," said VandeKieft. "We're live with audio and video in the back by a tablet. And really, it's just conversational based, so we make it very easy."

The American Heart Association's National Director of Implementation Science and Strategy for Quality, Outcomes, Research, and Analytics - Gary Myers - added that it paves the way for better outcomes for stroke and heart attack patients from remote areas.

"The key to this is not necessarily how fast you get from A to B," said Myers. "It's how fast care starts and the activation of the downstream care teams."



Disclosure: American Heart Association of South Dakota contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Civic Engagement, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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