Ben Tiensvold

Ben Tiensvold is the Executive Director of Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota (CHWSD) and has served as the lead contact for the CHWSD, leading the collaborative to significant growth over the first three years of operation. Additionally, for the past 12 years, Ben served as the Coordinator for the South Dakota Diabetes Coalition (SDDC). and worked with the South Dakota Department of Health in 2015 and 2016 on Community Health Worker-related introductory projects. This work led to key recommendations for CHWs (which the South Dakota Department of Social Services then used to develop CHW Medicaid reimbursement). Ben has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and Public Relations from Southwest Minnesota State University and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from New Mexico State University.