150. Dakota Conference on Rural Health: When Innovation Meets Reality Artwork

The Stepping In It Podcast with Renee Schulte & Jason Haglund

The Stepping In It Podcast is a weekly discussion of the latest news and trends in behavioral health policy development and practice. Each episode features interviews with experts from across the field, including policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and advocates. The podcast provides listeners with practical tips and resources for improving the quality and access to behavioral health care.

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The Stepping In It Podcast with Renee Schulte & Jason Haglund

150. Dakota Conference on Rural Health: When Innovation Meets Reality

July 14, 2026 • Renee Schulte

0:00 | 30:25

In this episode, Jason shares insights from the Dakota Conference on Rural Health in North Dakota, reflecting on conference trends, healthcare innovation, and the realities of implementing system change in rural communities. From discussions about award banquets and conference logistics to promising presentations on care coordination, shared technology infrastructure, and emergency department transfers, Jason and Renee explore the gap between ambitious healthcare solutions and the hard work required to make them successful. They highlight lessons from the Rough Rider Network, the importance of honest reporting in healthcare improvement efforts, and why process, patient safety, and continuous improvement matter more than flashy presentations.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Why conference presentations that sound too good to be true often deserve a closer look.
How North Dakota’s Rough Rider Network is advancing shared healthcare technology and care coordination.
What rising emergency department utilization means for rural hospitals and healthcare systems.
The role of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program (MBQIP) in improving care within Critical Access Hospitals.
Why effective emergency department transfers depend on strong processes, standardized documentation, and staff education.
How transparency and realistic expectations help build trust during healthcare transformation efforts.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:09 - Introduction & Summer Travel Stories

00:01:40 - Overview of the Dakota Conference on Rural Health

00:04:28 - The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Conference Award Banquets

00:09:35 - Sessions That Sound Too Good to Be True

00:13:20 - The Rough Rider Network & Shared Healthcare Technology

00:16:32 - Care Coordination, Data Sharing & Rural Innovation

00:19:55 - Emergency Department Challenges in Rural Healthcare

00:20:34 - Emergency Department Transfers & Patient Safety

00:21:24 - The Eight Essential Elements of a Successful Transfer

00:23:01 - Why Process Improvement Requires Honesty & Trust

00:25:15 - Clinical Pathways, Staff Education & Continuous Improvement