SIOUX FALLS, SD – December 5, 2007 — In a landmark announcement today, The University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University said they will partner together in healthcare education. The Health Science Alliance is the first ever formal multi-college collaboration between the two universities.

Together, the two universities will share resources in healthcare education and share knowledge that will enhance health care throughout South Dakota and the region.

The Alliance includes The University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine and School of Health Science, and South Dakota State University's College of Pharmacy and College of Nursing.

The Alliance will allow students at both universities to work together across healthcare practice disciplines with the integration of three components:
1. Exceptional health science education
2. Research and scientific discoveries
3. Translational research into clinical practice

The Alliance has four stated strategic goals:
1. To provide nationally-recognized professional health sciences education.
2. To improve the quality and affordability of healthcare through cutting-edge research.
3. To improve the health of people in South Dakota, the region and the nation.
4. To establish a sustainable resource base for the highest level of achievement.

"We began the development of this project over a year and a half ago when we examined the strengths of each of our universities, and trends in education, research and healthcare delivery. Together we began to build the framework of education, research and patient care that will provide the best in healthcare education for the future," said James Abbott, president of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

"Interdisciplinary teams are the nature of today’s healthcare. By allowing students to learn together, we will teach them how to communicate effectively with each other and to work together seamlessly in today's world of coordinated patient care," said David L. Chicoine, Ph.D., president of South Dakota State University in Brookings. "The benefits of this program will be seen in hospitals, clinics and research labs across South Dakota."

The universities' partnership comes at a time when the nation and the state of South Dakota face a critical shortage of healthcare providers in all disciplines, as the current workforce age and demands for increased care continues to rise.

"The shortage makes it necessary to expand not only our class sizes, whether it’s physical or in terms of student recruitment, but also to harness our best minds and best practices in the education and transferable, practical real world experience to face these challenges head-on," said Abbott.

Research will be an important building block in higher education and attracting quality students and faculty. The universities will harness intellectual capital to provide new treatments, drugs, therapies and procedures to improve the hands-on healthcare of patients. Examples of common subjects that students may partner in research on include gene mapping, infectious disease and immunology.

"Ultimately, the mission of this opportunity is to serve the state from our students and their families to the communities and businesses of South Dakota. Today’s announcement and the formation of the alliance is an important step forward," said Chicoine.

About The University of South Dakota

Founded in 1862, The University of South Dakota is designated as the only public liberal arts university in the state and is home to a comprehensive College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, the state's only School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, the accredited Beacom School of Business and the College of Fine Arts. It has an enrollment of approximately 9,200 students taught by 400 faculty members. More information is available at www.usd.edu/press/news.

About South Dakota State University

Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state's largest, most comprehensive institution and is recognized as South Dakota's top research university. This fall SDSU topped its enrollment record for the eighth consecutive year, hitting 11,706 students. SDSU graduates students from eight different colleges representing more than 200 majors, minors, and options, and offers master's degrees in 25 majors and doctoral degrees in six fields of study. The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings and at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City. SDSU is a Division I university and the state’s only land-grant institution. More information on SDSU is available at www.sdstate.edu.