PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) Office of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification is providing a grant opportunity to support skilled nursing and long-term care facilities in enhancing their infection prevention infrastructure necessary to support resident, visitor, and facility healthcare personnel safety. This funding supports recruitment and retention opportunities for skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and assisted living centers in South Dakota.

“The Department of Health recognizes the challenges our partners face in long-term care facilities and appreciates their incredible efforts to ensure the health and safety of South Dakota residents,” Cassie Deffenbaugh, Administrator for the Office of Licensure and Certification, said. “This funding is an opportunity for providers to help build a qualified workforce while reducing financial burden related to workforce expansion and retention.”

Skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and assisted living centers can apply for funding under this program. The allowable use of funds includes personnel (term, temporary, students, overtime, contract staff, etc.), which includes facility non-clinical staff and clinical facility staff, and resources to support existing staff in facilities.

Recipients should consider ways to incentivize recruitment and retention of all staff, including, for example, salary increases, bonuses, upgrading from part-time to full-time positions, etc. Facilities may apply for an award of up to $20,000.

SDDOH received $2.5 million from the CDC's Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Cooperative Agreement (CK19-1904) to support the "Nursing Home & Long-term Care Facility Strike Team and Infrastructure Project."

Applications will be reviewed promptly after the application period closes. Upon SDDOH approval, the SDDOH will contact the applicant and initiate contracts. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. CT on April 15, 2023. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Facilities can read the full funding announcement and application instructions at doh.sd.gov/providers/licensure/FundingOpportunity.aspx. Facilities interested in this funding opportunity should submit a completed application form and required attachments, including a budget and W-9, to DOHLTCTeam@state.sd.us.

For more information, please contact the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification at DOHLTCTeam@state.sd.us or at 605-773-3356.