Partners

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is at the forefront of the administration’s health IT efforts and is a resource to the entire health system to support the adoption of health information technology and the promotion of nationwide health information exchange to improve health care.  ONC is organizationally located within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ONC is the principal Federal entity charged with coordination of nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information. The position of National Coordinator was created in 2004, through an Executive Order, and legislatively mandated in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009.  A great resource that is part of the ONC which has tremendous information for both providers and patients is their HealthIT.Gov site.

The mission of the South Dakota Department of Health is to promote, protect and improve the health and well-being of all South Dakotans.

South Dakota Health Link connects hospitals, federally qualified health centers, primary care providers, specialists, labs and pharmacies as well as public health and other state agencies. It’s a one-of-a-kind network that allows secure consultations and the sharing of test results with other providers for better patient outcomes. Health Link is provided by the South Dakota Department of Health and guided by an active advisory council working toward a common goal: Foster the sharing of information though a secure platform to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of care provided to South Dakota citizens.

The SDSMA's mission is to promote the art and science of medicine, protect and improve the health of the public, and provide leadership and advocacy in the field of quality health care. The SDSMA seeks to define and promote:

• Medical knowledge and science and high standards of medical education
• Medical ethics and competence in the art of healing
• Laws and regulations that protect and enhance the physician/patient relationship and improve access and delivery of quality medical care
• An understanding between the public and the medical profession

The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations is the state-wide professional/trade association representing and serving health care organizations across the State. The Association is a not-for-profit organization representing a diverse range of membership, spanning various types of institutional ownership, geographic location, size and complexities of service. Members include acute care and nursing facilities, home health agencies, assisted living centers and hospice organizations.

The South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care serves the health care community and the Medicare population as the Physician Peer Review and a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for South Dakota. The mission of the QIO Program is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and quality of services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. Based on this statutory charge, and CMS' Program experience, CMS identifies the core functions of the QIO Program as:

• Improving quality of care for beneficiaries;

• Protecting the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund by ensuring that Medicare pays only for services and goods that are reasonable and necessary and that are provided in the most appropriate setting; and

• Protecting beneficiaries by expeditiously addressing individual complaints, such as beneficiary complaints; provider-based notice appeals; violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and other related responsibilities as articulated in QIO-related law.

The primary purpose of Dakota State University at Madison in Lake County is to provide instruction in computer management, computer information systems, electronic data processing and other related undergraduate and graduate programs.