Prairie Doc

Jill Kruse, D.O. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices as a hospitalist in Brookings, South Dakota.

For Subscribers

These Boots Are Made For Walking

Jill Kruse

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Winter weather has finally arrived this year. Getting outside for some activity, even in winter, is great for your overall health. However snow, ice, and cold can turn a stroll in the park into an obstacle course.

Sleep interrupted: Sleep apnea, the threat in your bedroom

For Subscribers

Sleep interrupted: Sleep apnea, the threat in your bedroom

Debra Johnson

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

My family has a fondness for crime dramas and thrillers. It isn’t uncommon to watch a scene in which a peacefully sleeping individual wakes when a shadowy figure approaches their bedside with a pillow.

Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc at www.prairiedoc.org

For Subscribers

Benefits of Pasteurization

Andrew Ellsworth

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

My father-in-law is a farmer. He grew up on the family farm in southwest Minnesota, where his dad grew up, too. Blessed by fertile soil, the farm has provided for the family for several generations.

Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc at www.prairiedoc.org and on Facebook and instagram featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc a medical Q&A show celebrating its 22nd season of health information based on science, built on trust, streaming live on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.

For Subscribers

Seizures can be scary without a little knowledge

Andrew Ellsworth

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

A seizure can be one of the most frightening things for a family member, friend, or anyone to witness. However, for some people with epilepsy, seizures may be fairly common and not unexpected. Roughly 1 in 10 people may have a seizure at some point in their lifetime.

Jennifer May, M.D. is a contributing Prairie Doc columnist. She practices rheumatology in Rapid City, South Dakota at Rapid City Medical Center and serves on the Healing Words Foundation Board of Directors, a 501c3 which provides funding for Prairie Doc programs.

For Subscribers

Auto-immune Disorders: Self attack!

Jennifer May

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Recently I met a new patient who had waited several months for her appointment. At this first meeting, I was quickly able to diagnose Rheumatoid arthritis. Like others with this disease, her joints were swollen, and she was stiff getting up and moving to the exam table.

Kelly Evans-Hullinger, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices internal medicine in Brookings, South Dakota.

For Subscribers

Practicing Gratitude

News Staff

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

I love Thanksgiving. I love preparing the food all day and enjoying it while sitting around a table with some of the people I love most. And there is one holiday tradition that I have grown to adore. As we sit down to eat, we share one thing we feel grateful for this year.

Jill Kruse, D.O. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices as a hospitalist in Brookings, South Dakota.

For Subscribers

‘Getting under your skin’ with Varicose Veins

Jill Kruse

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

From the back of our hands to the back of our legs, pale blue blood vessels are visible just under the skin. Oftentimes these veins are flat and not painful. However when these vessels become abnormally swollen or dilated, they are called varicose veins.

Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota.

For Subscribers

With New Knowledge comes New Discoveries

Andrew Ellsworth

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

My son is a Boy Scout. Hopefully, he will become an Eagle Scout like his dad, his grandpa, his uncle, and not to mention eleven of the twelve men that walked on the moon. Whether he does or not, it has been an honor seeing the program help him and other boys mature into responsible young men.

Richard P. Holm, MD, passed away in March of 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was founder of The Prairie Doc and author of “Life’s Final Season, A Guide for Aging and Dying with Grace” available on Amazon.

For Subscribers

Writing as therapy

Richard P. Holm

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

During the South Dakota Festival of Books, I listened to a group of five successful novelists discussing the art of writing and what they gained from creating those words.

Tom Dean, MD is a retired family physician who practiced for over 40 years in Wessington Springs, SD and a past member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Dr. Dean is a recent inductee into the SD Hall of Fame.

For Subscribers

Challenges facing US health care

Tom Dean

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Assuring effective health care to a population is a challenge for every society. As care options become more complex – and expensive – the challenges increase.