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Advancing Maternal Health Across the Dakotas

Written by Samantha Marts, Administrative & Program Coordinator

Maternal health in the rural Dakotas is deeply personal to me. My mother is a physician at a clinic in Winner, South Dakota and Horizon Health in Mission, SD, and throughout my life I’ve heard countless stories from mothers and families who relied on her and her colleagues for care during pregnancy and beyond. In places like Mission—and across much of rural South Dakota—community health centers are often the only access point for affordable, high-quality maternal and primary care. Rural communities, Indigenous families, and those living far from birthing hospitals often experience significant barriers to care. These realities make it clear: improving maternal health is urgent and essential to building healthier families and communities. 

That’s why CHAD is working closely with partners to improve maternal health across the Dakotas. This year, we’ve strengthened collaborations with groups such as the North Dakota and South Dakota Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, South Dakota Department of Health, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, CHAMPS, Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, and the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (CPCM). Together, we’re bringing high-quality resources to health center staff, from clinical teams to support staff, and building stronger networks that connect families to care. 

Looking ahead, we’re committed to building on this momentum. One of the projects we have been advancing is a practical, accessible resource map designed to help families and providers more easily locate maternal health services and identify where gaps exist through a partnership with the Helpline Center and CPCM. CHAD is also engaging in statewide planning efforts, including South Dakota’s maternal and infant health strategic plan (which is full of great ideas and due to be released soon) and the Rural Health Transformation Fund, to guide improvements in access and quality of care.  

This is not work we do alone. It takes all of us—health centers, partners, communities, and families—pulling in the same direction. Having grown up in Winner, I’ve seen firsthand how much this work matters to families who might otherwise go without care. Those experiences ground my belief that together we can create a future where maternal health in the Dakotas is not defined by barriers and gaps but by hope and strong beginnings for every family. 

Upcoming Maternal Health Activities in the Dakotas: 

  • SDPQC BIRTH-SD-AIM Upcoming Trainings 
    • Managing Medications for Perinatal Mental Health Conditions 
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