Health
Total 161 Posts
Articles on health trends in the state's cities, rural areas and reservations, annual report cards on health systems and the impact of government on people's well being.
Rural doctor shortage in SD worsened by lack of physician training opportunities
A widespread shortage of primary care physicians in rural South Dakota is putting many of the state’s residents in danger of not being able to access the regular, preventive healthcare they need to live healthier lives. The shortage is being driven, in part, by a lack of post-graduate training
New midwife certification in SD allows home births with less education and clinical training
Legislation passed in 2017 in South Dakota opened the door to licensing of a new classification of “professional midwives,” who can become certified to perform home births with less training and education than “nurse midwives” who have been regulated in South Dakota for 40 years.
While midwives with the new
Native students find success at well-funded SD Catholic school
Editor's note: This is the third of three articles that make up Part 2 of a two-week special report in which South Dakota News Watch is examining the failure of the state’s public school system to adequately educate Native American students. Last week, News Watch examined the
Contaminants common in SD drinking water but most within legal limits
State testing data show that several contaminants — all of which can be harmful to human health — are commonly found in the drinking water provided to residents of South Dakota, but whether the contaminants are present at unhealthful levels is a matter of ongoing debate.
In most cases, the tap water
Severe dental diseases persist in SD due to chronic poverty and lack of access to dentists
Tooth decay, gum disease and many other oral-health illnesses are considered to be 100% preventable, yet many children and adults across South Dakota continue to suffer severe dental problems.
A lack of access to proper dental care in South Dakota is driven both by geography and income. With a relatively
Football participation declines in SD and US as brain injury research expands
Tackle football remains one of the most popular sports in America, but participation in high school football in South Dakota and across the United States is falling steadily as the risk of brain injuries from the sport becomes clearer.
Participation in 11-player boys football in South Dakota fell by 5.
SD slow to vaccinate children against HPV, a virus that can cause cancer
South Dakota lags behind the rest of the nation in vaccinating children and youths against the Human Papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted disease in America that can cause a range of potentially fatal cancers.
HPV can exist without symptoms and is a leading cause of throat cancer in men