YEAR TWO — TIMES GOT TOUGH (1928–1929)
As our A Century Strong: From the SDAHO Vault series continues, we turn the page to the Association’s second year — a period marked by rapid change, unexpected challenges, and the first true test of South Dakota’s hospitals.
A Storm on the Horizon
Just two years after the South Dakota Hospital Association was formed, the nation entered one of the most difficult eras in its history. The financial crash of 1929 signaled the beginning of what would become a decade of hardship for Americans — and hospitals were no exception.
But Wall Street’s collapse was only part of the story in South Dakota. As the economy faltered, nature piled on.
Heat, Drought, and Grasshoppers
During this same period, summers across the state grew hotter and drier. Drought conditions tightened their grip, and with the dust came swarms of grasshoppers that devastated crops and strained already fragile communities.
Hospitals faced a perfect storm:
- Declining receipts, as families struggled to pay for care
- Rising demand, as hardship contributed to increases in illness
- Mounting costs, with little relief in sight
Local, state, and national governments were soon forced to step in as institutions across South Dakota fought to remain solvent.
The era was so grim that one common expression from the time described a hotel clerk asking a guest, “Do you want a room to sleep in — or to jump out of?” It was dark humor born from desperate times.
SDHA’s Focus: How to Survive
As hospitals confronted these challenges, the South Dakota Hospital Association became a vital resource. Conferences in these early years often centered on one pressing question: How can hospitals remain financially stable?
The SDHA conference of March 1, 1928, held in Huron, brought administrators together to strategize, share ideas, and support one another as pressures continued to mount.
These conversations laid the groundwork for the advocacy efforts that would shape SDHA’s mission for decades to come.
Resilience from the Start
Even in its infancy, the Association demonstrated the strength and collaboration that define SDAHO today. Year two was not marked by growth or celebration, but by perseverance in the face of crisis — a theme that has surfaced time and again throughout the past century.
Next month, we’ll continue our historical journey with a look at how South Dakota’s hospitals responded to the deepening challenges of the early 1930s.
To learn more about SDAHO’s 100th Anniversary celebration year, visit us today: https://sdaho.org/100th/
