About North CARES

In the summer of 2024, with the help from a RSD Planning Grant from the SD Department of Health, Mobridge Regional Hospital and Clinics staff members set out to identify common challenges facing the five main EMS teams that transport patients to the critical access hospital's emergency room. EMS teams in rural South Dakota are owned by a variety of entities--none of our five area EMS teams was the same. One was hospital-owned, one City-owned, one County-owned, one tribal-owned, and another was an independent private nonprofit organization. 

Out of conversations that summer, common challenges to recruitment and retention were identified and compiled. Mobridge Regional Hospital and these partnering EMS teams applied for RSD Implementation Grants from the SD Department of Health in the fall of 2024 for funding to address issues regionally. Needs identified in that process included:
1) An accurate, accessible GIS mapping system
2) Pre-ambulance equipment and training
3) Pre-hospital equipment and software
4) Better regional communication and collaboration
5) Improved documentation and billing processes
6) More EMS-related training opportunities
7) More effective recruitment strategies
8) Ways to reduce EMS staff burn-out and attrition

This website is a direct outcome of funding provided by the SD Department of Health to help our region improve communication, collaboration, training opportunities, and recruitment strategies. We hope you find what you're looking for and reach out to us with any questions you have.