March 25, 2022

A new state-of-the-art health care simulation center will be created in Sioux Falls, allowing hundreds of additional students to train for careers in the medical field.

The Healthcare Simulation Center will be part of Southeast Technical College and located in 2329 N. Career Ave. That’s currently the Startup Sioux Falls building and will become available when the organization moves downtown this summer.

Turning into one of the region’s most sophisticated training centers required a partnership of government, education and industry.

“That’s the most amazing partnership I think you could ever have come together, and it kind of shows how Sioux Falls works to get things done,” said Dana Dykhouse, CEO of First Premier Bank, who helped champion the effort. “We’re turning away literally hundreds of students each year who want to get into the health care profession, but we don’t have the space or the equipment to do that.”

And the need is great.

Of the top 10 occupations in the Sioux Falls metro area with the most job openings, four of the top five are health care-related.

“It was over 1,200 openings just in Sioux Falls for RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants,” said Bob Griggs, president of Southeast Tech. “All of those are occupations that we want to expand programs in those areas to help address that critical workforce need. And if you look more broadly across the state, those numbers are even more dramatic.”

Students can complete an LPN program in one year and an RN in two and then often use those credits toward a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“We are out of space,” Griggs said. “Our health care programs, our LPN is already full, surgical tech is close to full, RN is close to full, so by acquiring this additional space, we’re going to be able to really expand our capacity in some of those in-demand fields.”

The simulation center will offer a simulated emergency room, open to all academic programs, including sonography, surgical technology and paramedics.

Students will be able to work with robotics, and Southeast Tech will add a medical laboratory technician program to help address workforce needs.

A simulated doctor’s office will allow medical assistant students to practice being immersed in the type of facility they will encounter in the workplace.

“Simulation allows students to make mistakes in a controlled and safe environment,” said Benjamin Valdez, vice president of academic affairs.

“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility and really help transform education and the health care world and provide high-tech individuals to hit the ground running throughout South Dakota — not just in Sioux Falls but in our rural communities.”

Making the facility a reality involved contributions to Southeast Tech from Avera Health, Sanford Health and Forward Sioux Falls, totaling $5.6 million. Those donations were boosted by a $4.5 million appropriation by the South Dakota Legislature, which was signed by Gov. Kristi Noem.

“South Dakota is finding efficient ways to create a high-skilled health care workforce,” Noem said in a statement. “Southeast Tech’s new Healthcare Simulation Center is a real win for the college, Sioux Falls and the state of South Dakota. This center will train our future health care workers using top-notch, industry-relevant tools and technology.”

The need for health care workers is significant, Dave Flicek, president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, said in a statement.

“As a large health ministry spanning 72,000 square miles, Avera’s need for well-trained health care professionals only continues to grow,” he said. “This new facility will undoubtedly help provide the space to train even more high-quality students from diverse backgrounds to ultimately serve our growing region.”

Paul Hanson, president of Sanford Health Sioux Falls, agreed.

“Workforce development is a priority for all us, regardless of the industry we are in, and supporting this initiative with the rapid response by all the investors demonstrates our continued commitment to our people’s needs,” Hanson said.

Forward Sioux Falls, a partnership of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, is working with Southeast Tech to help the organization acquire the property.

“By helping to provide solutions to the workforce issues facing the state, Sioux Falls and STC have once again shown that cooperation and joint problem-solving is the path to addressing our challenges,” Development Foundation CEO Bob Mundt said.

Avera and Sanford are helping fund the renovation of the space, including help from their design and facilities professionals.

The state’s contribution is helping fund the sophisticated equipment needed to operate the center.

“Those three pieces really were needed to make this happen,” Griggs said. “It was a great communitywide effort.”

Construction is expected to start this summer once Startup Sioux Falls vacates, with students being able to use the building beginning in the fall of 2023.

“This simulation facility will help build a pipeline for health care talent in our region and help to meet the increasing workforce demand in our health sector,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said in a statement. “It’s a great partnership on many levels.”