Southeast South Dakota AHEC

07/28/2026

Avery has been spending the last several weeks at Sanford Vermillion Medical Center gaining hands-on experience in rural healthcare through the REHPS program! As a Physical Therapy student, she's had the opportunity to work alongside a variety of healthcare professionals, build her clinical skills, and experience the value of teamwork in rural patient care. We're excited to see all she accomplishes!

REHPS is funded by the South Dakota Department of Health.

07/24/2026

Today, Ryan, Macy, and Morgan wrapped up their REHPS rotations by giving the final presentation of their rural healthcare experiences in Dell Rapids and Flandreau at Avera Dells Area Hospital and Avera Medical Group Dell Rapids and Avera Flandreau Hospital and Avera Medical Group Flandreau.

We've had the privilege of partnering with these incredible hospitals and communities for the past four years, and they continue to provide students with meaningful opportunities to experience rural healthcare firsthand. It was exciting to hear everything they learned and accomplished over the last four weeks!

Thank you to South Dakota Department of Health and our amazing community partners for investing in the next generation of rural healthcare professionals! 💙

07/24/2026

07/23/2026

🎉 That's a wrap on another incredible REHPS experience in Huron!

Over the past few weeks, Carli and Jasmine have been immersed in rural healthcare at Huron Regional Medical Center through the Rural Experiences for Health Professions Students (REHPS) program.

To conclude their REHPS experience, they gave a presentation on everything they learned in the last month—from the meaningful experiences in the Huron community to the close-knit collaboration they witnessed among rural healthcare professionals.

Next up -- Jasmine will be graduating with her Physician Assistant degree next week and has applications submitted exclusively to rural healthcare sites. We wish her the very best as she begins this exciting next chapter! Carli has two years of Physical Therapy school ahead of her. She shared that REHPS has truly changed her perspective, and she's now strongly considering going rural!

A huge thank you to Huron Regional Medical Center for providing such an outstanding learning experience, and to the South Dakota Department of Health for funding the REHPS program and making opportunities like this possible. We can't wait to see where Carli and Jasmine are headed!

07/22/2026

Yesterday, we had the privilege of stopping by the Main Street Market of Tyndall to visit Luke as he completed his REHPS community project!

In partnership with St. Michael's Hospital Avera, Luke provided free blood pressure screenings and bottled water to community members, promoting wellness while connecting with the community!

Community engagement is a key component of the REHPS program, and each student completes a project that gives back to the community where they are spending their summer. It's a meaningful way for students to make a positive impact beyond their clinical experience.

Great job, Luke, and thank you to Avera St. Michael's Hospital and the Tyndall community for supporting the next generation of rural healthcare professionals!

07/22/2026

Think rural healthcare doesn't offer many learning opportunities? Think again!

We're excited to share the REHPS experience of Owen, a Physical Therapy student, and Ty, a Physician Assistant student, who are wrapping up a rural rotation at Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

One of the most unique parts of REHPS is the opportunity for students to complete 40+ hours of interprofessional experiences, allowing them to see how healthcare professionals work together to provide exceptional patient care.

During their time in Miller, Owen and Ty gained experience in:
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Cardiology
• Orthopedics
• General Surgery
• Clinic
• Emergency Department
• Radiology
• Ultrasound
• Podiatry
• Pharmacy
• Respiratory Therapy
• Central Supply
• Maintenance
• Nursing Home
+ MORE!

Can you believe a community of just 1,300 people offers opportunities to experience all of these areas? Rural healthcare is where it's at!

Thank you to Owen, Ty, the incredible healthcare team in Miller for investing in the next generation of rural healthcare professionals.

07/21/2026

Loretta recently stopped in Redfield to visit with Hannah, a second-year Physical Therapy from the University of South Dakota , who is completing the final half of her summer rotation at Community Memorial Hospital / Redfield Clinic / an Avera Affiliate through the REHPS program.

During her REHPS experience, Hannah is not only getting PT experience, but she is also working toward four program requirements designed to provide a deeper understanding of rural healthcare:

• Participate in the rural community
• Complete 40 interprofessional hours
• Complete a community project
• Presention of her experience

We are excited to see Hannah gaining valuable rural healthcare experience and wrapping up her final couple of weeks in Redfield!

REHPS is funded by the South Dakota Department of Health.

07/14/2026

Avera St. Benedict Health Center’s has been a valued REHPS partner since the very beginning — hosting students during our inaugural REHPS season back in 2011!

This year, Kelsey was welcomed as their 26th REHPS student! We were grateful for the opportunity to visit Kelsey in Parkston and hear about all the amazing experiences she has had this summer — from learning about rural healthcare to connecting with the community.

Thank you Avera St. Benedict and the Parkston community for your continued partnership and commitment to helping prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals for rural communities. 💙

07/10/2026

This week, we visited REHPS student Taylor at Monument Health Sturgis Hospital and Clinic! She is off to a great start, gaining hands-on experience in rural healthcare while getting involved in the Sturgis community.

We're excited to see all the experiences, connections, and opportunities she'll have over the next few weeks. Thank you to the team at Monument Health Sturgis for providing Taylor with this valuable rural learning experience!

07/09/2026

Love the REHPS experience these two got in Faulkton!