skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, June 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Security guard kills MI church gunman, preventing 'large-scale mass shooting'; NM Pride celebrations urge 'resilience' after U.S. v. Skrmetti ruling; Beleaguered L.A. affordable housing proposal goes before judge; Data change means ID saw largest college enrollment drop in spring term.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. awaits Iran's response following strikes on three nuclear sites. Department of Homeland Security warns about possible attacks here, and advocates call for resilience as LGBTQ rights face threats around the nation.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Giant data centers powering artificial intelligence want cheap rural land but some communities are pushing back, Hurricane Helene mobilized a North Carolina town in unexpected ways, and Cherokee potters make ceramics that honor multiple generations.

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

play audio
Play

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.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Apalachicola Bay used to be the historic epicenter of the U.S. oyster industry, once producing 90% of Florida's oysters and 10% of the nation's supply. (Margaret Burlingham/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A critical decision now rests with Gov. Ron DeSantis, as Florida coastal communities and shellfish farmers urge him to sign a bill permanently …


Social Issues

play sound

By Jonathan Feakins for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News S…

Social Issues

play sound

By Frankie (Amy) Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servi…


The U.S. agriculture sector includes farms and related industries. Together, they account for 5.5% of the country's gross domestic product and provide 10.4% of all U.S. jobs. (Anastasia Knyazeva/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

With more than 95,000 farms, Missouri ranks among the top farming states in the nation. Now, a national agriculture group is warning that bills …

Social Issues

play sound

A new lawsuit is challenging Maryland's closed primary system. If the lawsuit is successful, nearly a million Marylanders may be able to vote in …

Environment

play sound

Supporters of public lands will gather in Santa Fe next week to oppose pending legislation that would sell off millions of acres in 11 Western states…

Environment

play sound

Workers and families in Indiana could feel the impact of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" moving through the U.S. Senate. The legislation would roll …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021