DSU, Sanford commit to strategic CyberHealth alliance
Media Contacts:
Jane Utecht
Dakota State University
605-270-3816 Jane.Utecht@DSU.edu
Shawn Neisteadt
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 shawn.neisteadt@sanfordhealth.org
@SanfordShawnN
SOUTH DAKOTA, Nov. 18, 2020 – Dakota State University, a national leader in cyber education and research, and Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the country, are committing to a new initiative to create a national CyberHealth innovation hub. The strategic alliance will combine the unique strengths of the two organizations to expand the cyber workforce, spark innovations for health care delivery and drive economic development across the region.
Dakota State University is a national leader in cyber security, educating some of the most in-demand students for national security agencies and large tech companies around the world. Sanford Health’s robust investments in health care technology, research and innovation offer an ideal platform for the partnership.
The CyberHealth initiative will create a new pipeline of students to push for transformational programs where cyber knowhow crosses paths with health care.
“After meeting with Sanford Health, we were quick to realize we needed to find a way to bring the brilliance of our two organizations into one bright shining light of CyberHealth innovation, education, research and application,” said Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University. “The result is the trailblazing initiative we have developed to do just that.”
The strategic alliance includes various aspects to bring CyberHealth to the forefront of the region, including:
- Student enrichment opportunities, cyber executive education and outreach programs to enhance the pipeline of cyber professionals while also attracting world-class cyber talent to the region.
- Health data research initiatives, including the use of artificial intelligence, predictive analysis and machine learning, to advance the pace of health care innovations while giving patients better health outcomes.
- Creation of a state-of-the-art health care technology and cyber security operations center to serve as a model for health care nationwide.
- A Cyber Solutions Accelerator Lab, only the third in the nation, designed as a destination for testing and proving technology capabilities to solve real-world problems.
- Development of a leading data science dedicated to sports medicine and athletics for injury prevention and athletic performance.
- Support of technology innovation to improve healthcare delivery across the spectrum.
The strategic alliance is expected to generate a tremendous economic impact for the region by creating jobs, attracting capital and other resources and stimulating entrepreneurial activity.
“The future of exceptional health care lies in our ability to harness the power of cyber to help people get well and stay well,” said Josh Robinson, Sanford Health’s chief technology officer. “Technology supports everything we do in health care and this requires a constant connection to the brightest and best in cyber. This alliance will enable us to work with those at the leading edge of what’s happening in cyber now and into the future, to take care of people, physically, mentally, and emotionally, throughout their entire lives.”
“DSU students will have the unique opportunity to be part of that hands-on, real-world process, working side by side with faculty, researchers, and Sanford’s professionals, wrestling with problems and developing solutions,” added Griffiths.
“This partnership will enable Sanford and DSU to not only meet the demands of the future but also lead the way when it comes to health care innovation. South Dakota will become a national destination and center of excellence for health care cyber innovation,” added Robinson.
About Dakota State University
Dakota State University (DSU) is located in Madison, S.D. Founded in 1881, DSU offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs through its colleges of arts and sciences, business and information systems, computer and cyber sciences, and education. DSU has a special focus on the development, application, implications, and impacts of computing, information technologies and cyber security in all areas of human endeavor. DSU has received multiple Center of Excellence designations in education, research and regional resource development from the U.S. National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DSU is home to the Madison Cyber Labs (MadLabs), a cyber R&D hub with labs and institutes that explore and advance technology application, workforce development, business expansion, economic growth, and policy improvement across multiple disciplines and fields. For more information, contact mediarelations@dsu.edu, 605-270-3816, or visit the DSU website at dsu.edu.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 44 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and nine countries. Learn more about Sanford Health’s transformative work to improve the human condition at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
