Specifications include, but are not limited to: 3.1 Environmental scan with supportive research • exhaustive list of barriers to rural healthcare access. Address social drivers of health including transportation, employment, and knowledge of the complex healthcare continuum. • areas of focus such as a summary of the care continuum, physician workforce, advanced practice provider workforce, technology and broadband access, telehealth access, payer landscape, and current industry trends in rural health. • description of the current provider workforce by identifying the number of and type of providers with locations serving each rural community throughout the State. • inventory of existing Department of Health/Office of Rural Health programs • data from institutes of higher education with allied health professions programs • other available data sources 3.2 Data analysis • Analyze the current state of healthcare from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. • Conduct an analysis of healthcare utilization patterns to understand where and what types of care rural South Dakotans are seeking across the State. • Analysis of all available data sources including recruitment metrics, demographic information, and workforce projects to identify patterns, gaps and opportunities. • Demographic projections and overall demand for care will be overlayed with the current and future limitations of provider workforce resources that will include physician, advanced practice providers of various licensures and ability to practice independent of an MD along with nursing and other highly needed skill sets. • Complete a gap analysis and include the top 10 gaps identified. 3.3 Stakeholder Engagement • Engage with stakeholders through on-site and virtual meetings to assist in the process of gathering insights into their experiences, perspectives and recommendations. • Produce deliverables, providing updates, and engaging stakeholders through Steering Committee updates. • Identify and describe process that will be used to determine key stakeholders. 3.4 Best practice identification • Identify successful rural healthcare programs and initiatives both nationally and internationally and analyze their strategies and outcomes. 3.5 Final recommendations report • Develop a set of strategic recommendations based on the findings from the analysis, encompassing actionable steps to enhance rural healthcare access in South Dakota. Include charts, maps, and supplemental stakeholder engagement documents. 3.6 Action/Implementation plan which includes quality measures that will be used to track the outcomes of identified action items and solutions. 3.7 Summary Findings Presentation • An interactive presentation to present the report’s findings and recommendation to South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health leadership. 3.8 The South Dakota Department of Health expects to have a dedicated project manager to provide timely updates and ensure timely and thorough completion of the project.
