Over the past decade, access to obstetric services in South Dakota has experienced a significant decline, reflecting a concerning national trend that disproportionately affects rural communities. A new national study examining hospital-based obstetric care from 2010 to 2022 highlights that South Dakota is among the states where more than 60% of hospitals no longer offer obstetric services—placing the state in the top tier of service loss nationwide.
This shift is part of a broader pattern across the United States, where more than two-thirds of rural hospitals in eight states—including South Dakota—were without obstetric services by 2022. While some closures were expected in more remote areas, South Dakota stands out for having one of the highest percentages of urban hospitals (72.7%) without obstetric services, making access challenging even in more populated regions.
To read more about the national study and its findings, click here.
Kozhimannil, K. B., Interrante, J. D., Carroll, C., Sheffield, E. C., Fritz, A. H., McGregor, A. J., & Handley, S. C. (2025). Obstetric care access declined in rural and urban hospitals across US. Health Affairs. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.01552
