South Dakota Public Health Association

02/18/2026

The inaugural USD & SDPHA Public Health Policy Champions cohort kicked off in Pierre during the 2026 South Dakota Legislative Session! 🎉
Participants spent the day learning how policy comes to life—touring the Capitol, supporting Vaccine Day of Advocacy, and hearing directly from South Dakota legislators including Representative Uhre-Balk, Senator Sydney Davis, and Senator Tim Reed.

These emerging leaders are building the skills to shape the future of public health—and the future is bright. ✨

02/18/2026

The inaugural USD & SDPHA Public Health Policy Champions cohort kicked off in Pierre during the 2026 South Dakota Legislative Session! 🎉
Participants spent the day learning how policy comes to life—touring the Capitol, supporting Vaccine Day of Advocacy, and hearing directly from South Dakota legislators, including Representative Uhre-Balk, Senator Sydney Davis, and Senator Tim Reed.

These emerging leaders are building the skills to shape the future of public health—and the future is bright. ✨

02/17/2026

Interesting read!

Co***ne has made a roaring comeback, and it's having some big negative effects in the U.S. and around the world.

02/17/2026

NHSC loan repayment programs!

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is now accepting applications for three loan repayment programs. Are you a primary care, dental, or mental and behavioral health provider working at an NHSC-approved site? You could receive up to $100,000 to pay off your student loans.

✔️ NHSC Loan Repayment Program
✔️ NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program
✔️ NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program

Learn more and apply: https://doh.sd.gov/grants/nhsc-loan-repayment-programs/

02/17/2026

02/16/2026

We rise to the challenges!

The years ahead will test our mettle, but we will deliver for public health.

02/16/2026

BRFSS report!

Heart disease and stroke numbers in South Dakota according to the 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS):
❤️ 4.1% of adults report having had a heart attack (myocardial infarction)
❤️ 3.1% have experienced a stroke
❤️ 4.9% have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease

These numbers remind us how critical prevention and early detection truly are.
✅ Know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar)
✅ Eat heart-healthy and stay active
✅ Quit to***co
✅ Schedule regular checkups

Learn more from the full BRFSS report:
https://ow.ly/bq0450Y4gRk

02/16/2026

Data snapshots show hopeful—and worrying—trends in U.S. kids’ health.

02/15/2026

On February 18 at 1:00 PM ET, join us in person or virtually for Lessons from the Community: How Academic Public Health–Community Partnerships Make an Impact.

Hosted with the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, this hybrid event will bring together community members, students, faculty, and public health leaders to reflect on what it truly takes to build trust and create meaningful impact through community-engaged work.

As part of ASPPH’s national Public Health Listening Tour, this event centers on a guiding principle: the community is our teacher. Panelists will discuss what real impact looks like when communities are not just included, but truly centered.

Join us either in person or virtually for this important conversation: https://aspph.org/join-our-lessons-from-the-community-event-virtually-or-in-person-in-indianapolis-on-february-18/

02/15/2026

💡 Partnering to Protect Children from Lead Exposure in South Dakota

In 2025, the South Dakota Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) updated its guidance: all children should receive blood lead screening at 12 and 24 months.

But data showed that only 27.2% of children born in 2019 had been screened by age 3. To change that, CLPPP teamed up with the Bright Start Home Visiting Program on a continuous quality improvement (CQI) project to reach more families.

Here’s what the collaboration accomplished:
✔️ 29 Nurse Home Visitors trained
✔️ 370 lead prevention books shared
✔️ 283 children in 254 families reached with lead safety education

This partnership is an example of how connecting programs and training frontline staff can lead to real, measurable impact for South Dakota’s families.

Learn more about how we’re supporting healthy starts for kids:
https://doh.sd.gov/programs/lead-poisoning/
https://doh.sd.gov/programs/bright-start/

02/15/2026

Looking Ahead: FY 2026 Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Preview Webinar. A webinar from the Rural Health Information Hub.

02/12/2026

Have you created materials that promote health-related messages or programs? Submit them to our materials contest!

Winners in each category will be selected to present at the APHA Annual Meeting in November. https://apha.confex.com/apha/2026/phemat.htm