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<\/a><\/p>\nThe medical school now will bypass the temporary phase, permanently occupying the approximately 50,000-square-foot Talley Building on the campus of Sanford USD Medical Center, which is adjacent to the medical school\u2019s existing facility there and the same size that was identified as a need for a future medical school program.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvesting in graduate medical education is one of the most important commitments we can make to the future of health care because it means building a strong, highly trained workforce that will care for our communities for generations,\u201d Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy expanding the medical school\u2019s presence on our campus, we are creating an environment where education, research and clinical care come together in powerful ways. We could not be more excited for this next chapter and for the opportunity to shape the future of medicine right here in Sioux Falls.\u201d<\/p>\n
The building is named after the late Dr. Robert Talley, who served as dean of the USD Sanford School of Medicine and was a driving force in initially establishing the medical school\u2019s presence in Sioux Falls.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe impact Dr. Talley made on the medical school and the Sioux Falls community makes this location an ideal, permanent home for the Doctor of Medicine program in Sioux Falls,\u201d said Andy Munce, president and CEO of Sanford Sioux Falls.<\/p>\n The medical school is expected to move to its new location in Sioux Falls by the summer of 2028 with a long-term lease on the space.<\/p>\n The Talley Building currently houses audiology, dermatology and ear, nose and throat services.<\/p>\n \u201cA phased series of construction and renovation projects will take place on our Sioux Falls campus over the next several years to prepare the Talley Building for the M.D. program,\u201d Munce said.<\/p>\n Construction is expected to begin this summer, with all areas fully open and operational by the summer of 2028. The construction will be funded by Sanford and include a new anatomy lab elsewhere on the Sanford campus.<\/p>\n Avera hasn\u2019t finalized a plan for classroom space but said it\u2019s considering space on its Avera McKennan campus in central Sioux Falls.<\/p>\n \u201cAvera has a long history of working with USD\u2019s medical school, as well as other clinical academic institutions, and views the school as a vital state resource. Last year, Avera offered over a thousand clinical rotations and will continue to invest in clinical education and building a strong, sustainable health care workforce for the future of our communities,\u201d Dr. Kevin Post, chief medical officer for Avera, said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than half of the USD Frontier and Rural Medicine students are in Avera communities receiving a valuable education, which allows us to train future physicians in a unique environment where we hope they will want to live and practice in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The health systems \u201csaw the benefit of this for the state of South Dakota and the region and wanted to be part of it and decided \u2018let\u2019s do this thing together and make it happen,’\u201d Gestring said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key thing that all of us agree is really important is that students have a consistent experience in those classrooms, so we want the same technology, the same look and feel, and everybody is on board with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Reaction from students to the planned move to Sioux Falls \u201chas been overwhelmingly positive,\u201d said Dr. Tim Ridgway, dean of the USD Sanford School of Medicine and vice president of health affairs.<\/p>\n \u201cThey recognize the many advantages this move will offer them in their medical education. The accelerated timeline makes this move more of a reality, which they find very exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n