From SDPB:
The state of South Dakota has submitted its proposal to tap into millions of dollars the federal government has allocated to transform rural health care.
For nonprofits and other health care entities, that means the clock is ticking to get a slice of the pie. One nonprofit is looking to help Native American health care in South Dakota but worries about the lack of awareness within tribal communities.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is a product of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed earlier this year. The fund was added to appease some concerns over worries that Medicaid cuts would further deepen disparities in rural health care across the country. Half of the $50 billion will be divided equally among all states whose applications are approved. The rest is divided based on rural geographic makeup and scores from state proposals.
South Dakota’s request for the Rural Health Transformation Program has four key priorities: Connecting technology and data, advancing rural workforce, keeping health care local and strong and transforming systems for sustainability. The state’s proposal totaled $1 billion over the next five years, but $500 million is the minimum amount guaranteed if the application is approved.
South Dakota Urban Indian Health, or SDUIH, is a nonprofit that provides care and services to both tribal and nontribal people using Indigenous lifeways and cultural practices. At an SDUIH and the USD Sanford School of Medicine Team meeting, stakeholders combed through the state’s 63-page proposal.
Although the SDUIH’s Title V funding is tied to treating Urban Indians, Grants Director Erika Iverson said they also treat rural Indians so they could help create more equitable access to rural areas.
By: Jackson Dirks
11/10/25
