911 Response is a Credit to our Community...

Rural Metro, Sioux Falls’ exclusive provider of 911 emergency medical transportation services, has just completed their 3^rd national accreditation review.  As required by their exclusive contract with the city of Sioux Falls, Rural Metro has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Ambulance Services (CAAS) since 2004.  This accreditation assures the citizens of Sioux Falls that the ambulance responding to their 911 calls will be meeting the “gold standard” in pre-hospital patient care.  Rural Metro in Sioux Falls is the only accredited ambulance service in South Dakota and one of only 135 nationally.

I have the privilege of serving on the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA), the citizen’s board that monitors compliance with all contract provisions. It has been a real education as I have learned all that goes into Emergency Medical Services beyond the flashing red lights we see speeding to the hospital. The working partnership among all the EMS providers: Metro Communications (medical dispatch), Police, and Fire (first responders) and Rural Metro (ambulance); as well as the medical community, is truly a credit to Sioux Falls. 

It is a goal of REMSA to continue to allow Rural Metro “to remain profitable locally without a government subsidy so they can continue to provide high quality services.” (2009 REMSA Annual Report)

Want to know more about Obama Care?

Interesting FAQs on South Dakota’s involvement in the 20 State lawsuit against Obama Care are available on the Attorney General’s website here. Included on the site is a copy of the lawsuit; South Dakota’s cost of the lawsuit (currently at $1,000); and many more answers to your questions. Check it out.

Siouxland Republican Women hosted Attorney General Marty Jackley on May 20th to discuss South Dakota’s involvement in the lawsuit against Obama Care.  South Dakota has joined with 19 other states to challenge various aspects of the Law, primarily the individual mandate and the expansion and resulting cost increase of Medicaid (impact on S.D.’s budget estimated to be at least $53.7 Million).

Attorney General Jackley indicated that he received great support from both the legislative and executive branch to proceed with the lawsuit.  The legislature overwhelmingly passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, “Opposing the government takeover of health care as currently proposed by Congress and encouraging preservation of states' rights regarding health care regulation.”  The mostly party-line vote was 22-10 in the Senate; 44-24 in the House.