Serious illness is a thread that is woven throughout South Dakota. It touches nearly everyone in the state. If you aren’t directly impacted by a serious illness, chances are you know someone who is. Access to palliative care in South Dakota is limited with only 16 board certified hospice and palliative care physicians in the state to care for over 930,000 residents. Nine of these physicians are in one urban area, leaving most of the state without access. Those living with serious illness are at risk of missing out on care that could significantly improve their quality of life and address the issues that matter most to them. Acknowledging the challenges posed by the state’s rural nature and limited access to palliative care is only the beginning. A strong palliative care network is needed to pool resources, expertise, and experiences to meet the palliative care needs of our residents.
There is an urgency across the state to equip healthcare professionals in every hospital or clinic with at least basic palliative care knowledge, skills, and resources to care for patients. With a proven track record of collaboration, South Dakota is poised to bring together dedicated healthcare professionals and organizations to create a network of support for rural professionals throughout the state. LifeCircle-South Dakota’s Hospice and Palliative Care Network can be the network to satisfy that urgency. Through our combined efforts we are determined to improve health care resources for the seriously ill in our state.
WHAT IS PRIMARY PALLIATIVE CARE:
Care provided by practitioners who are not specialty trained in palliative care like internists, family practice doctors, specialists like oncologist, cardiologist or any other practitioner who cares for someone with a serious illness. They have basic skills that allow them to provide basic symptom management, review code status and goals of care conversations, and smooth transitions to hospice1. Primary palliative care providers may or may not have an interdisciplinary team to help support the patient and support person(s).