South Dakota Lands $7.2 Million for Ambulance Telemedicine and EMS Upgrades in Areas Far From the Nearest Hospital

Nearly 1 Million HealthCare.gov Enrollees in 30 States Are Getting $500 Treasury Checks That Require No ApplicationNearly 1 million HealthCare.gov enrollees who paid full price are getting $500 checks. See who qualifies and how to avoid scams tied to the payments. Parents Should Check Amazon Bath Seats and Dressers, Giant Bike Lock Keys, and Avengers Medals in New RecallsNew CPSC recalls cover Amazon baby bath seats and dressers, Giant LED bike lock keys, and Avengers medals. See what you own and how to get refunds. Chicago Marathon’s Record Field of More Than 55,000 Faces a Yellow-Flag Day with Highs Near 71 DegreesThe Chicago Marathon starts under a yellow flag with a forecast high near 71, above the 65-degree normal. Heat illness signs and when to stop. Records Detail Immediate Jeopardy Citation After Charlotte Nursing Home Resident in Wheelchair Was Fatally Struck in 2023Records show inspectors cited a Charlotte nursing home at the immediate jeopardy level after a resident in a wheelchair was fatally struck on a busy road. Mental Health Four Deaths in Evenamide Trials Prompt FDA Concern Over a Possible Fatal Heart Rhythm Signal in Schizophrenia DrugThe FDA flagged a possible fatal heart rhythm signal after four deaths in evenamide trials. What a safety signal means for people with schizophrenia. Frequent Mental Distress in Adults 18 to 29 Climbed From 12.7% to 21.3% Since 2012 Despite Recent DeclinesCDC data show 1 in 5 adults 18 to 29 report frequent mental distress, up from 2012 but down two years straight. Where to find help today. Veterans’ PTSD and Depression Relief After Ibogaine Largely Held for a Year in Small Stanford Study of 30Most veterans in a small Stanford ibogaine study kept their PTSD gains at 12 months, but the study had no control group, and heart risks remain. Hymns and Childhood Songs Topped the Phantom Music 81 Patients Heard, and Hearing Loss Was Often Not the CauseA Dutch study of people who hear music that isn’t playing found that half had no documented hearing loss, and most found the music a burden. Innovation Leeches Dipped in Guinness Turned Erratic, and the Ones Placed on Garlic DiedA 1994 BMJ experiment tried beer, garlic, and sour cream to make medical leeches bite faster. Beer backfired, and garlic proved fatal. Weltruza Becomes the First Monthly Under-the-Skin Olanzapine Shot Approved for Adults with Schizophrenia, No Post-Injection Monitoring NeededFDA approves Weltruza, a monthly under-the-skin olanzapine shot for schizophrenia with no post-injection monitoring. Trial results and side effects. Gut Bacteria Protein Linked to Fever After COVID Vaccines in 171 Adults as Mouse Tests Point to DietA Science study links flagellin, a gut bacteria protein, to fever after mRNA COVID shots in 171 adults. Antibody responses were not affected. Google’s AMIE Chatbot Interviewed 98 Boston Primary Care Patients Under Doctor Supervision Without a Single Safety StopIn a Lancet study, Google’s AMIE AI interviewed 98 patients before urgent visits with no safety stops. What doctors measured and what it cannot prove. Healthy Living Doctor Who Christmas Episodes Were Tied to Fewer Deaths, and This Year There Won’t Be OneA BMJ study linked Doctor Who Christmas Day episodes to lower death rates. The BBC has scrapped its 2026 special. Here’s what the data showed. Peppa Pig’s Doctor Makes House Calls for a Rash, and a Real GP Says That Breeds Unrealistic ExpectationsA GP’s BMJ feature argued that Peppa Pig’s Dr. Brown Bear sets expectations that real doctors can’t meet. U.S. patients now wait about a month for appointments. Par Health Recalls Two Brevital Anesthetic Lots Over Cellulose Particles That Could Block Blood Vessels in the LungsPar Health recalled two Brevital anesthetic lots after cellulose particles were found. See the lot numbers and what surgery and ECT patients can ask about. Starfish Brand Cold-Smoked Salmon, Halibut and Trout Recalled for Possible Listeria in Six East Coast StatesStarfish Seafood Trio cold-smoked fish is recalled in six states for possible Listeria. Check lot D139149161-153 and learn who faces the highest risk. Covid – 19 FDA Proposes Requiring Companies to Report Food Additives That Now Reach Grocery Shelves Without Federal ReviewFDA has released its proposed GRAS rule requiring companies to notify the agency about food additives. Here is what the proposal does and does not do. Federal Regulators Warn Some Hair Dryer Brushes Lack the Part That Stops ElectrocutionCPSC warns hair dryer brushes sold on Walmart.com and TikTok Shop lack immersion protection. The seller has not agreed to a recall or refund. A Recalled Teething Toy Broke the Pattern Parents Were Told to Look ForA newly recalled pull-string teething toy has a different model number and design from earlier recalls, and one choking incident has been reported. Trying to Lower Blood Sugar, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure? Different Workouts Suited Different MarkersA pooled analysis of 53 trials found that different exercise types helped different metabolic markers. Most of the evidence was low certainty. PHILIPPE LOPEZ | AFP via Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket South Dakota will receive $7.2 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding to expand telemedicine inside ambulances and upgrade emergency medical services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in a release on Oct. 2. The money will fund 25 projects led by local ambulance services, hospitals, community organizations, education partners, and statewide EMS support organizations.

The goal is to connect patients with emergency physicians and nurses while they are still on the road, before they reach a hospital that may be an hour or more away. In a state where many towns sit far from the nearest hospital, a long ambulance ride can be a dangerous part of a heart attack, stroke, farm injury, or highway crash.

CMS did not name the 25 recipients or give a timeline for when equipment and training will reach crews. That leaves rural families without a clear answer about whether their local ambulance service will benefit, or when.

About 15.2% of South Dakotans live in an ambulance desert, meaning more than 25 minutes from the nearest ambulance station, according to a 2023 Maine Rural Health Research Center study summarized by Dakota News Now. That ranks fourth in the nation, behind Montana, New Mexico, and Utah. South Dakota is also one of eight states with fewer than three ambulances per 1,000 square miles.

The workforce is thin. More than 80% of South Dakota ambulance services are staffed by volunteers, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. Many crews have one or two trained responders, who may spend an hour or more with a critically ill patient before reaching a hospital.

South Dakota also has no requirement to provide or fund EMS, according to Dakota News Now. A legislative task force has concluded that regional ambulance hubs will take years to establish, South Dakota Searchlight reported.

“In emergency situations, every minute matters, and South Dakotans depend on our EMS professionals to answer the call,” Gov. Larry Rhoden said in the CMS announcement.

The new funding builds on an existing state program. In November 2022, the Department of Health and Avel eCare of Sioux Falls launched Telemedicine in Motion, which equips ambulances with a cabin-mounted tablet, microphones, speakers, antennas, and cellular boosters. The setup gives crews round-the-clock video access to emergency physicians and nurses.

The program had reached 107 communities as of November 2024, according to the state health department’s telemedicine page. A volunteer crew treating a patient with chest pain, for example, can get real-time guidance on medications or decide whether to go to a larger hospital.

According to CMS, the new projects will “expand ambulance-based telemedicine, fund EMS workforce training, improve how EMS crews share patient data with hospitals, modernize dispatch and communications systems, and support data-driven quality improvement.” The state’s planning document for its EMS initiative focuses on rural, tribal, and frontier communities.

“In South Dakota, that means faster, better-connected emergency care for rural communities when every minute matters,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said.

Telemedicine can extend expert help into the back of an ambulance, but it does not shorten the distance to a hospital or replace a missing crew. If no ambulance is available when someone calls, video equipment cannot help. The announcement does not say how many ambulances will receive equipment, how much each project will get, or when work will start.

The state’s EMS planning document for the program lays out a broader schedule, with planning early in 2026, staffing and kickoff by mid-2026, and full implementation from 2026 through 2030. It budgets $64 million over five years for the EMS initiative.

The $7.2 million is part of a much greater effort. The Rural Health Transformation Program is a five-year, $50 billion federal program for all 50 states. South Dakota received about $189 million for 2026, its first-year award. The state also recently received $13 million for behavioral health care, including a 24/7 mobile crisis response service.

Residents and local leaders can reasonably ask how the money will be spent and which counties will see it. Tracking which ambulance services receive grants, and whether response times or patient outcomes improve, will show whether the investment reaches the places that need it most.

For a household on a ranch in western South Dakota or in a small town along Interstate 90, the most useful steps remain basic. Know the nearest hospital with emergency care, keep a list of medicines and medical conditions where family members and responders can find it, and call 911 early for chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, or trouble breathing rather than driving yourself.

Families can also ask their county or local ambulance service whether it takes part in Telemedicine in Motion. Volunteer EMS agencies often need new members, and many offer training to residents willing to serve their own communities.

“In a rural state like South Dakota, access to fast and reliable emergency medical services can be a critical lifeline for patients who live far from health care providers,” Sen. John Thune said in the CMS release.

The next step is for state officials to name the projects and set timelines. Until then, the $7.2 million is a promising but still undefined investment for South Dakotans who live a long drive from the nearest emergency room. MedicalDaily will report on the recipients when they are announced.

How much did South Dakota receive? CMS announced $7.2 million for 25 EMS projects on Oct. 2, funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

What will the money pay for? Ambulance telemedicine, EMS workforce training, patient data sharing with hospitals, dispatch and communications upgrades, and quality improvement.

Which ambulance services will benefit? CMS has not named the 25 recipients.

When will the projects start? CMS gave no timeline. The state’s planning document calls for implementation from 2026 through 2030.

Why does South Dakota need this? About 15.2% of residents live more than 25 minutes from an ambulance, and more than 80% of ambulance services are staffed by volunteers.

What can rural families do now? Know your nearest emergency hospital, keep a medication list handy, and call 911 early for stroke symptoms, chest pain, severe bleeding, or breathing trouble.