USD School of Health Sciences Receives SD Department of Health Grant
The SD DoH-sponsored community service program aims to collaborate with payers and relevant public and private sector organizations within the state to expand the availability of the National DPP as a covered benefit for one or more of the following groups: Medicaid beneficiaries, state/public employees and employees of private sector organizations.
The five-year, $170,000 contract allows interprofessional USD students to work collaboratively to perform a comprehensive literature search and environmental scan, assist with policy analysis and development, create health education collateral and design a pilot demonstration project. Three students have been selected by Angela Landeen, public health instructor with the School of Heath Sciences and project officer for the contract: Carmelita Shouldis, health science major, Holly Sidlo, pre-dental hygiene major and Kyle Sorbe, political science major. These students share minors in public health and a passion to address disparities, health access provision and good policy development to strengthen the population’s health.
“The IHEC is excited to work with the South Dakota Department of Health to promote health insurance coverage for people with diabetes to gain access to needed supplies, medications, education and health care to manage their diabetes and live quality lives,” said Sabina Kupershmidt, chair of USD’s IHEC. “IHEC emphasizes student and workforce interactive learning focused on active collaborative and patient-centered practice to improve health care outcomes.”