FOR RELEASE: November 1, 2002
CONTACT: Kevin Forsch
South Dakota Department of Health
605-773-3361

Hospitals receive $300,000 to plan for bioterrorism

     PIERRE – Sixty-two South Dakota hospitals and surgery centers will get $5,000 each from the state to help develop bioterrorism response plans, Governor Bill Janklow said today.

     The funding is from a federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant to the state Department of Health and represents the first year of a multi-year effort.

     “These grants will help hospitals take the first steps of figuring out what they need and putting together response plans,” said Governor Janklow. “Future grants will help carry out those response plans.”

     The Governor said this initial round of grant dollars is targeted to support four specific activities:

• Developing an internal hospital plan to manage and care for a minimum of 40 bioterrorism casualties; 
• Participating in the development of regional plans for the care of 500 bioterrorism casualties; 
• Designating a bioterrorism coordinator for each hospital; and, 
• Assessing preparedness to prioritize needs for hospitals, outpatient facilities and emergency medical services systems.

     For more information about the hospital assessment grants, call the department’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at 1-800-738-7301.

     Facilities receiving the assessment grants include:

Aberdeen – Avera St. Luke’s Hospital; Dakota Plains Surgical Center
Armour- Douglas County Memorial Hospital
Bowdle – Bowdle Hospital
Britton – Marshall County Healthcare Center
Brookings – Brookings Hospital
Burke – Community Memorial Hospital
Canton – Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital
Chamberlain – Mid-Dakota Hospital
Clear Lake – Deuel County Memorial Hospital
Custer – Custer Community Hospital
Dakota Dunes  – Siouxland Surgery Center Limited Partnership
Deadwood – Northern Hills General Hospital
Dell Rapids – Dells Area Health Center/Avera Health
DeSmet – DeSmet Memorial Hospital
Eureka – Eureka Community Health Services
Faulkton  – Faulk County Memorial Hospital
Flandreau – Flandreau Medical Center/Avera Health
Freeman – Freeman Community Hospital
Gettysburg – Gettysburg Memorial Hospital
Gregory – Avera Gregory Healthcare Center
Hot Springs – Fall River Hospital
Hoven – Holy Infant Hospital
Huron – Huron Regional Medical Center
Lemmon – Five Counties Hospital
Madison – Madison Community Hospital
Martin – Bennett County Healthcare Center
Milbank – Milbank Area Hospital/Avera Health
Miller – Hand County Memorial Hospital
Mitchell – Avera Queen of Peace Hospital
Mobridge – Mobridge Regional Hospital
Parkston – Avera St. Benedict Health Center
Philip – Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital
Pierre – St. Mary’s Healthcare Center
Platte – Platte Health Center
Rapid City – Rapid City Regional Hospital; Black Hills Rehabilitation Hospital; Black Hills Surgery Center LLP; Same Day Surgery Center LLC
Redfield – Community Memorial Hospital
Scotland – Landmann-Jungman Memorial Hospital
Sioux Falls – Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center; Sioux Valley Hospital University Medical Center; Heart Hospital of South Dakota; Children’s Care Hospital and School; Select Specialty Hospital of Sioux Falls
Sisseton – Coteau Des Prairies Hospital
Spearfish – Lookout Memorial Hospital; Spearfish Surgery Center
Sturgis – Sturgis Community Health Care Center
Tyndall – St. Michael’s Hospital
Vermillion – Sioux Valley Vermillion Hospital
Viborg – Pioneer Memorial Hospital
Wagner – Wagner Community Memorial Hospital
Watertown – Prairie Lakes Hospital
Webster – Lake Area Hospital
Wessington Springs – Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center
Winner – Winner Regional Healthcare Center
Yankton – Avera Sacred Heart Hospital; SD Human Services Center; Lewis & Clark Specialty Hospital