Does SD have some of the most ‘ambulance deserts?’

South Dakota is fourth in the nation with the percent of people who live in an ambulance desert, according to a 2023 study.

The state has 15.2% of its county populations in areas underserved by ambulances – behind Montana (27.8%), New Mexico (19.6%) and Utah (19.1%). 

The study, completed in May 2023 by the Maine Rural Health Research Center and the Rural Health Research and Policy Centers, defines an ambulance desert as places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance service.

South Dakota is among eight states that have fewer than three ambulances per 1,000 square miles. The state’s geographic size and small population put it toward the top for rural areas facing a lack of services.

The Legislature is considering a bill that would create a task force to study classifying emergency medical services as “essential.”