Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that the full committee has passed the Fiscal Year 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations bill.  The bill includes $3.75 million in Johnson-secured funding for South Dakota projects.

"I am pleased that the full committee promptly considered and advanced this important spending bill,” said Johnson. “This bill funds many different projects in South Dakota, including those that will support cutting-edge research at our universities and others that will improve health care programs in Indian Country.”

South Dakota-specific projects secured by Senator Johnson include:

Oglala Sioux Tribe – Ambulance Building – $250,000: The funding would help to complete a facility to house ambulances and administrative offices in the community of Pine Ridge Village.

City/County Alcohol and Drug Programs (CCADP) – Women’s Half Way House – $200,000: The funding would create a half-way house for women in need of support in the form of transitional housing, substance abuse services, community links for health, mental health, employment and family guidance in their efforts to reintegrate back into their communities.  The transitional living would assist 24 women at a time and would mirror the services already provided to men in the community at the Friendship House.

Dakota Wesleyan University – Building Future Healthcare Specialists for Rural America – $200,000: The funding would enhance the nursing program through equipment upgrades for a simulation classroom, technology lab and simulation critical care, anatomy and physiology lab equipment. 

Dakota Wesleyan University – Building Future Healthcare Specialists for Rural America – $150,000: The funding would enhance the nursing program through nursing faculty educational enhancement.  Funding would be used to compensate current advance nursing degree students and those seeking state and national accreditation credentials, as well as programmatic costs for a Nursing Training and Indian Outreach Center. 

South Dakota State University – Healthy Sciences Initiative – $200,000: Funding is for research and scholarship in topics relevant to health care needs in South Dakota.  Funds will support two-year projects and may be used for support personnel (e.g. graduate students), materials and supplies, equipment, and research-related expenses.

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Kidz Club – $100,000: The funding would support the health of Lower Brule Elementary School students by promoting healthy lifestyles through diabetes and obesity prevention education. 

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Kidz Club – $100,000: The funding would provide equipment for the afterschool enrichment programs at Lower Brule Elementary School.  During these programs, students partake in activities such as reading, music, math club, science exploration, art and cultural activities that expand upon lessons learned throughout the regular school day.

Black Hills State University – University Center – $450,000: The funding would be used for furnishings and equipment for the University Center in Rapid City.  It would provide seating, desks, computers, DDN video capability, smart boards and other technology for classrooms, offices and laboratories. 

Native Women’s Health Care Center – $100,000: The funding would be used to upgrade an electronic medical record system and support the procurement of their equipment related to prenatal care.   

Rosebud Sioux Tribe – Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program – $150,000: The funding would provide for training programs, equipment and other operational needs.    

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology – Fossil Preservation – $100,000: The funding will be used to help properly store and preserve fossils collected in South Dakota and currently stored at the school.

Yankton Sioux Tribe Dialysis Unit – $100,000: The funding will be used to help construct a new dialysis unit on the Indian Health Service campus in Wagner.

Lake Area Technical Institute – Virtual Medical Laboratory Equipment – $100,000: The funding would allow LATI to purchase equipment for a simulation training laboratory for the Health Services Programs, which would increase the number of Nurses, Medical Assistants, Laboratory Technicians, and Occupational and Physical Therapy Assistants among others. 

Rosebud Sioux Tribe – Elderly Assistance Program – $50,000: The elderly assistance program provides nutrition services and medical and personal care to elderly Tribal members.  The funding will support program operation and also aid in the purchase of an additional vehicle.

Johnson-Thune secured funding for South Dakota:

Rosebud Sioux Tribe – Comprehensive Health Care Facility – $450,000: The funding will be used to purchase health care equipment to continue the provision of health care to Tribal members. 

University of South Dakota - FIDES Program – $400,000: The funding would be used to develop training materials and best practices workshops for faculty, staff and administration officials.  It would fund the development of faculty, staff and administrative training, identifying the needs of veterans on campus and developing best practices to ensure a smooth transition and ready access to post-secondary education.

Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board – Northern Plains Healthy Start Program – $450,000: The funding would provide new equipment and vehicles for the Northern Plains Healthy Start Program, which provides Targeted Case Management to American Indian women with high-risk pregnancies.

Lake Area Technical Institute – Emergency Services Education Center – $200,000: This funding would allow Lake Area Technical Institute to acquire training equipment for fire rescue.