HRMC to partner with SDSU and regional affiliates for $1.5M BREATHE-SD project
August 26, 2022
Brooke Sydow, EdD
HRMC program manager
In partnership with South Dakota State University (SDSU), Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) and Northern Plains Health Network (NPHN) affiliate hospitals in Madison and Brookings were awarded a grant of more than $1.5 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant will fund a project entitled BREATHE-SD, which aims to bring respiratory therapy education and public health opportunities to rural facilities and the communities they serve.
The idea for this program was born more than two years ago when Brooke Sydow, Ed.D., program manager for HRMC, began building the foundation for on-the-job apprenticeship training for respiratory therapy students. When Sydow became aware of the HRSA grant this year, she reapproached SDSU about the partnership to expand their respiratory therapy education program to HRMC and began working toward the collaborative effort between the Network affiliated hospitals in Huron, Madison and Brookings. Sharrel Pinto, B.S. Pharm., Ph.D., FAPhA, department head of Allied and Population Health at SDSU and director of BREATHE-SD, was immediately intrigued by the potential partnership and quickly put a team together to help bring to life this project.
The acronym “Bringing Resources, Education, Awareness, Training, Holistic Care and Empowerment to South Dakota” is expressive of the vision of this project. “By expanding our clinical sites for respiratory care into the rural parts of our state, we are hoping to recruit students from these communities and train them so that upon graduation they can return to serve these or other rural communities”, stated Pinto.
Mike Struble, BSRT, RRT
HRMC respiratory
therapy director
Currently, SDSU is the only respiratory therapy training program in South Dakota and students must complete clinical training in Sioux Falls or Rapid City or travel out of state. Through the BREATHE-SD program, Mike Strubel, BSRT, RRT, respiratory therapy director at HRMC, has been accepted as an adjunct faculty member for SDSU, making it possible for students to complete the majority of their respiratory therapy training in Huron, Madison and Brookings, aside from a few required specialty clinicals. Sydow sees this as an excellent opportunity to build the respiratory therapy workforce while providing students with a diverse clinical experience. “Uniquely, rotations in rural facilities bring certain aspects of the respiratory therapy experience to the training program that you may not see at a larger facility,” explained Sydow.
Grant funds will be utilized by SDSU and the partner hospitals to hire additional training staff and purchase equipment so that students can assimilate to the specialized and sometimes life-sustaining instruments in a hands-on environment beside trained respiratory therapists caring for patients. Another major goal of the project is to increase awareness and interest in health care professions to combat health care workforce shortages and increase public health.
The concept of partnering to offer greater opportunities for our rural communities is exactly why the independent hospitals in Huron, Brookings and Madison joined to form the network. “We know the tremendous value quality healthcare brings to our rural communities and have partnered to help ensure that for years to come”, said Erick Larson, president and CEO of HRMC in Huron.
Find the full article from Jacob Ford, SDSU scientific writer, SDSU to lead $1.545 million BREATHE-SD project, partner with area hospitals
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