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ence in rural communities. We also increased the rural payment incentives for those who practice in rural areas. As a result of this expansion, we have 120 health care professionals that were successfully recruited to 49 rural communities, including communities like Faulkton, Scotland, Mission and Timber Lake.
• In Fiscal Year 2013 we increased the class size at the medical school by four students, and in my budget this year I am proposing that we add another 11 students, per class. That means, in five years, we will have 60 more medical students being trained in our state than we did before the expansion began. 
• We have also increased the capacity of the physician assistant program at USD, from 20 to 25 students and reserved 20 of those spots for South Dakota residents. For the first time, we are now paying preceptors who provide practice experiences for physician assistants. This has increased the number of willing preceptors in our state. In my budget proposal I'm proposing that we provide the same financial incentive for Nurse Practitioner Preceptors.
• I know we still have a long way to go - eliminating provider shortages in our rural communities will require a continuous effort. Still, through beginning to address the issue now, we have taken an important step in preserving our identity and way of life.