South Dakota
What the reaction to a tragic shooting tells us about health care • South Dakota Searchlight
In spite of all the glitter, the dramatic headlines about stunning accomplishments and life-saving interventions as well as the raving of some politicians about the “best health care system in the world,” the U.S. health care system is, at its core, fundamentally dysfunctional.
How can I make such a provocative statement? The U.S. spends nearly twice as much per capita on health care as does any other developed country. In spite of this expenditure, 8-10% of Americans still have no health care coverage while most comparable countries provide health care coverage to all citizens.
Spending at this level would perhaps be acceptable if the population was in fact benefiting with better health outcomes. Here too we fall short. If we look at any of the usually cited metrics of population health such as life expectancy or infant mortality, the U.S. results are worse. Especially concerning is the fact that the U.S. rate of maternal mortality — women dying related to childbirth — is among the highest in the developed world and is getting worse.
U.S. residents increasingly express their dissatisfaction with the health care system. The Gallup organization recently reported that approval ratings on the quality of American health care are the lowest they’ve been in more than two decades.
All this has come to the fore with the recent tragic shooting of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York. Though details continue to emerge, it appears the assassination-style killing was carried out by a young man intent on sending a message of both anguish and hostility toward the health insurance industry. He reportedly wrote in his notebook, “What do you do? You wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.”
As disturbing and troubling as are the events surrounding the murder, the public reaction to it is similarly distressing. There has been a huge outpouring of support for the shooter almost as though he is being glorified as a folk hero. Additionally, online, there has emerged a range of merchandise (T-shirts, etc.) seeming to applaud the event. These reactions appear to confirm the broad-based unhappiness with health care services and how they are financed.
How can we understand or make sense of these developments? In the U.S., unlike many other developed countries, we have largely treated health care as a commodity to be bought and sold on a capitalistic, free-market model. In my view, this arrangement underlies many of the problems we have encountered.
I am not anti-capitalist. For a large part of the economy, this model has served us well. At the same time, I believe there are sectors of the economy where it does not work as well. We need to be smart enough — and tough enough — to sort out which is which.
In the classic capitalist model, profit and/or market share increase when the perceived value of the product or service increases. What we have too often seen in the health insurance industry is that in order to push up profits, the industry has restricted the services covered or, alternatively, has increased the barriers to receiving those services. This has been highly successful from an industry perspective in that profits have soared, but for many patients who are all too often in a captive market, it has restricted or denied needed care.
What to do? There is no immediate, simple answer. It would seem, though, that the events of the last several weeks should serve as a wake-up call. We have serious problems that demand serious thinking and open-minded discussions.
The fundamental lesson from these events, I believe, is that when profit drives health care decisions, investors win and patients lose. We can and must do better.
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The South Dakota State baseball team is fighting for its season today against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. The game is set for 2 p.m.
The No. 4 Jackrabbits (24-32) lost 4-1 to No. 1 Nebraska in the opening game. No. 3 Arizona State lost a 706 heartbreaker to No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round in 14 innings. The game took nearly 5.5 hours and ended around 1:20 a.m.
Here’s how to watch South Dakota State’s win-or-go-home game.
Watch South Dakota State baseball vs … on ESPN+
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State baseball stream, radio
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KJJQ 910 AM
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State time today
- Date: Saturday, May 30
- Time: 2 p.m. CT
- Location: Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: This was always a tough draw for South Dakota State, as I thought this was the toughest regional in the country. At worst it’s the third toughest, with Chapel Hill and College Station in contention.
The Jackrabbits do have an advantage since Arizona State and Ole Miss went at it until after 1 a.m. Both teams stressed their pitching staffs, and every at bat required intense focus. The problem is South Dakota State doesn’t have the same top-end pitching these other teams do.
If Drew McDowell pitches, the Jacks might have a shot here. Otherwise they’ll have to win a slugfest, and I just don’t like those odds.
Prediction: Arizona State 8, South Dakota State 3
MISSION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – In rural South Dakota, miles often separate expectant mothers from healthcare.
“A lot of women out here are left without any maternity care options,” said Rachel Kocak.
In Mission, moms mark their due dates and calculate miles to the nearest delivery location. Rachel Kocak, expecting her third child, said one option just closed.
“We used to have a birthing unit, I think up until a couple of months ago, and they lost their OB. So, Winner is no longer delivering babies,” Rachel said.
Some mothers remember when they could reach the hospital within a five-minute drive.
“IHS, for tribal members, they don’t deliver babies out here or provide prenatal care,” Rachel explained.
Families hope to reach the hospital before the baby arrives.
“So women either have to drive to Valentine, which is about 30 to 35 minutes from Mission, they can go to Wanblee, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation, or they have to go to Pierre, Rapid City, or Sioux Falls,” Rachel said.
And if the roads are bad.
“I think there are a lot of babies who are unintentionally born at home. So it’s a tough place, I think, for mothers,” Rachel said.
The March of Dimes breaks down government data, showing a large portion of rural South Dakota as a maternity care desert, requiring travel of 38 or more minutes to reach an appointment or delivery room. The infant mortality rate is higher among native American babies born, compared to other races.
Health Department maps show counties in medium blue have 56 infant deaths per 100,000 births. Dark blue counties have three times as many. Grants aim to increase the number of healthcare workers, and funding supports a doula workforce program.
Kocak would like to see doulas and midwives available.
“Great opportunity for anyone who wants to become a home-birth midwife out here. The birth rate is still, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s high. There’s still a growing young population, and just not enough people to help deliver the babies,” Rachel said.
If care were closer, the outcomes could be brighter.
“You know, having the support network can make a huge change in the lives of these young, you know, these babies and young mothers who are building new families,” Rachel said.
The South Dakota Department of Health released a statement to Dakota News Now, which can be read in full below.
The South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force was created in 2025 to bring partners together to help improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and infants across the state. Their 5-year strategic plan was recently released, which has three priority areas: postpartum care to improve maternal health; safe sleep education and prevention strategies to protect infant health; and systems of care work that improves access, coordination, and quality of care statewide. One of the strategic plan activities that is supported by Rural Health Transformation is the creation of Regional Maternal and Infant Health Hubs, which will create a hub-and-spoke network connecting hospitals, clinics, tribal health services, and community organizations. These hubs will improve care coordination, strengthen referral pathways, and expand access to services for families in rural and tribal communities.
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