Center for Rural Service Delivery
Featured Accomplishments
The University has formed a permanent Center for Rural Service Delivery (RSD). RSD is an acknowledgement of the dramatic impact of the Government Rural Outreach Initiative (GRO) in the UND College of Business and Public Administration and of the Health Information Technology Initiative (HIT) in the UND School for Medicine and Health Sciences, both made possible by congressionally-directed funding.
The RSD/Social Security Administration Video Claims Taking (VCT) program has recently been named one of the Top 50 Government Innovations for 2006 by The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government—in cooperation with the Council for Excellence in Government.
A paper presented at the 6th Annual Conference, International Academy of E-Business, Orlando, Florida, March 23-26, 2006, “A Framework for Understanding a Theoretical Foundation of E-Government Performance,” by Assion Lawson-Body and Glenn Miller was named as an Outstanding Paper award winner.
The activities associated with the Center for Rural Service Delivery have been acknowledged in publications. Government Technology, Health Care Discussions, Prairie Business, State Tech, the Fargo Forum, and the Grand Forks Herald are among those who have carried stories.
RSD has received other recognition. Dr. Robert F. Rubeck received, from me an award for Innovation in the Delivery of Social Security Services. RSD was nominated The Grace Hopper Government Technology Leadership Awards in 2004.
UND has achieved exceptional results in technology enhanced government and healthcare delivery through the accomplishments of RSD’s parent initiatives, GRO and HIT. Both initiatives have left an enduring legacy in North Dakota and become models for the nation.
· More than 150 Turtle Mountain residents in need of accessing government benefits have used the, first of a kind, direct video link to obtain needed SSA benefits from the regional office in Minot, ND. This HIT innovation has resulted in a financial impact to the local community of more than $1.5M.
· Over $700,000 has flowed into the Dickinson, ND community in the past 18 months, as a result of an RSD implemented video link between St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson, ND and the SSA office in Bismarck, ND. The economic impact on these communities continues to increase as eligible beneficiaries receive monthly checks.
· Remote reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming are also benefiting from RSD implemented, direct video links to regional Social Security offices. Soon Montana will benefit as well.
· Electronic health records are being used for the first time ever by personnel from a Tribal Health organization. Community Health Representatives on the Standing Rock Reservation now use laptops, wireless broadband, and GRO developed, custom software to document, aggregate, and report results from home care visits.
· Dozens of Native American diabetic patients, on the Turtle Mountain Reservation, are now receiving needed annual eye care and specialty retinal care as a result of the HIT implementation of digital medical imaging and secure distribution there.
· The absence of night radiology services prompted HIT to implement digital radiological imaging in Belcourt, ND. This has given the IHS hospital access to 24/7 radiology services through remote readings by doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, DC.
· After a two year wait for mental health services, residents of Northwood, ND can obtain counseling through a telemental health system implemented by RSD. Patients in the Northwood Clinic can obtain convenient services from social workers in Grand Forks, ND via local video conferencing.
· An RSD partnership with the Veteran’s Administration facility in Fargo, ND resulted in, a first time ever, collaboration between the VA and SSA which offered both sets of services to the residents of the Standing Rock reservations during a joint “stand-down”.