State Of The University Address Delivered Thursday Afternoon

“USD is the state’s leader in health and medical education. This past year has demonstrated the importance of a world-class health care infrastructure,” Gestring said during her annual State of the University remarks Thursday afternoon.

The university president spoke in Aalfs Auditorium on the USD campus before a group of students and faculty.

“Since 1907, USD has been proud to serve the state with its only medical school, providing many health care professionals their start in the field,” she said. “Often, these professionals stay in the state to become the primary health care provider for many South Dakota citizens, from major hospitals to small rural clinics.”

The university is renowned for its contributions to rural medicine.

“In fact, USD is ranked sixth out of the nation’s 160 medical education programs for the percentage of graduates who practice in rural areas,” she said. “This tradition in medicine expanded into the most comprehensive school of health sciences in the state of South Dakota offering a diverse array of degrees and programs. … USD graduates provide critical needs in so many areas vital to South Dakota’s health and well-being.”

Health care-related degrees and programs offered by the university include nursing, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dental hygiene, medical laboratory science, addiction counseling and prevention, physician assistant studies and public health.

“In August, USD announced an important new offering: the doctor of nurse anesthesia degree practice program – the only degree of its kind to be offered at a South Dakota public university,” she said. “This program will be offered in Sioux Falls in partnership with Sanford Health, which will provide resources and clinical experiences for our students.”

Creating a pipeline of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) is important in South Dakota, Gestring said.

“These professionals serve as the sole provider of anesthesia care in 83% of South Dakota counties,” she said. “The CRNA program also adds an opportunity to expand our interprofessional education which is a hallmark of USD’s health and medical programs. USD leads the way in providing real-world preparation for the state’s future health professionals through its state-of-the-art simulation centers.

“USD has long been at the forefront of the national interprofessional education movement and teaches its students from various healthcare fields to work together cooperatively and collaboratively to benefit their patients,” she said.

Such cooperative and collaborative teaching goes on at the Perry Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation located at USD’s medical campus in Sioux Falls, Gestring said.

“Health Science students work alongside medical students to learn in a realistic, yet safe, environment while they perfect their craft,” she said. “No other health education institution in South Dakota offers its students the opportunity to learn in simulated settings with students from so many other health care disciplines, including medical students.”

Gestring noted that USD offers the only accredited simulation center in the state.

“It is a truly amazing experience to see how our students become job ready through real-world practice of a true medical emergency,” she said.

The USD president visited the facility earlier this year and introduced a video that explained the program’s offerings while showing students working in various simulated settings.

“I’m truly impressed with the vision of our health affairs leadership and they work together to reimagine the future of health care,” Gestring said. “I know this is going to lead to better outcomes for our students, their future patients, their families and our communities.”

The School of Health Sciences has also begun offering a board-certified behavior analyst certificate program, offered in partnership with the USD Sanford Center for Disabilities and Lifescape.

“This program fills a major gap in care in South Dakota as the prevalence of autism and related developmental disabilities continues to rise with a lack of professionals to treat them,” she said. “This not only meets a critical health care need for South Dakota families, but it also creates a pathway for health care professionals to advance their career opportunities in South Dakota.”

As Gestring spoke, a construction crew was busy about three blocks west of Aalfs Auditorium, working on construction of the university’s new School of Health Sciences building.

Groundbreaking for the building was held last April for the new three-story 45,000 square-foot structure that will house a host of programs, including dental hygiene, nursing, physician assistant studies, addiction counseling and intervention, public health science and social work.

“Housing all of the programs together allows students to collaborate in types of real-life, practical situations that they will encounter every day in hospitals and clinics,” she said.

At the time of the Health Sciences building groundbreaking, USD also announced it is the recipient of a $1 million gift from the Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation.

“This momentous gift will support USD’s dental hygiene program,” Gestring said. “In honor of this gift, the new community dental hygiene clinic at USD will be named the Delta Dental Oral Healthcare Center. Expanding the dental hygiene program at USD helps to ensure that all South Dakotans have access to and have better opportunities for better dental health.”

The president touched a variety of other topics during her address, including the university’s success in dealing with COVID-19 and its focus on providing financial resources to its students to the progress it has made toward achieving the goals outlined in USD’s strategic plan.