Tammy Hatting to lead SDSMA as next CEO

The South Dakota State Medical Association (SDSMA) is pleased to announce Tammy Hatting as its next CEO. Hatting will begin her role on July 7. The position is being vacated by Barb Smith, who is retiring after serving the organization since 2000.

Hatting has served as the chief operating officer for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) for seven years where she was responsible for advocating on behalf of members and overseeing multiple divisions including human resources, benefits, compliance, and program development. In this role, she was involved in state and federal government relations, lobbying, emergency preparedness, grants management, and policy development. Prior to joining SDAHO, Hatting was the director of innovation for Avera (now Avel) eCARE. In this role, she worked with key business and clinical stakeholders to bring telemedicine services to residents of South Dakota and was an advocate at both the state and federal levels for reimbursement of virtual services. Her experience also includes working at critical access hospitals and clinics in northwest Iowa as a patient relations manager and admissions manager, working across the continuum of care in patient access, EMR initiatives, quality improvement, corporate compliance, risk management, process improvement, and emergency preparedness. Hatting also spent more than 12 years in sales and management for Gateway Computers before entering the healthcare industry.

"We are thrilled to welcome Tammy," said Keith Hansen, MD, president of the SDSMA. "Her extensive background in healthcare makes her an exceptional choice to lead our organization. We are confident that her leadership will be invaluable as we continue to advocate for physicians and patients, and promote the health of our communities."

Hatting holds a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration from Bellevue University, as well as an associate degree in financial management from the American College of Business in Des Moines. She also holds several certifications.

“I am honored to step into this role for the SDSMA,” said Hatting. “I look forward to working closely with members, staff, and partners to serve the needs of physicians and the patients they care for to ensure the highest quality of care for South Dakotans.”

Tammy has been married to her husband Dan for 33 years. They have two adult children: a son who lives in Milford, Iowa, and a daughter who lives in Des Moines. Tammy and Dan have lived in Sioux Falls for eight years, where Dan is employed at Sanford Health in IT services. In their spare time, they enjoy their lake home in Okoboji, traveling as much as possible, and attending sporting events and concerts.