Past Hall of Fame Inductees: Trailblazers in Healthcare
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” ― Fred Rogers
As we adjust to the new normal, I look to the amazing care frontline healthcare workers are providing around the world. They are putting their lives on the line for the greater good, and I am left completely in awe. I began to think about the legacy of the healthcare system within South Dakota, from the first hospital established in Lead in 1877, to the vast and experienced care provided here in 2020, and I can’t but help smile at just how hard we as a state work to care for our fellow South Dakotan. We have some amazing South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductees from the healthcare field and they truly shine bright. I thought I’d share a few with you here.
Lyle E. Schroeder has devoted over 35 years of service to Sioux Valley Hospital (SVH) in Sioux Falls, SD. Schroeder, serving as the president/CEO, started working in the housekeeping and maintenance departments giving him a taste of various aspects of hospital life. Since Schroeder’s reign at SVH began in 1961, it has received numerous top honors, including being named one of the top 100 hospitals in the country and to the top 100 cancer treatments and cardiac centers. As general chairman and coordinator of Forward Sioux Falls, Schroeder organized volunteers to raise over $1.8 million dollars in 78 days. This helped Sioux Falls receive the “#1 rating” by Money Magazine in 1992, and he was named “Sioux Falls’ Business Citizen of the Year.”
Dr. Rick Holm of Brookings, SD is the South Dakota voice of healthcare. For 25 years, his vision has helped countless medical professionals provide accurate medical information to the public; especially to people with limited access to healthcare professionals. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Holm is an established expert in public communication and the myriad of topics surrounding health care. Dr. Holm is the host and editor of the PBS television show On Call with the Prairie Doc, the weekly radio broadcast Prairie Doc Radio, and offers his media globally through PrairieDoc.org. He writes the syndicated editorial Prairie Doc Perspective, which appears in many Midwest newspapers. He founded and directs the Hopeful Spirit Chorale, performing for hospice patients.
Elizabeth Meyer is proud of her father’s 3rd generation South Dakota roots, and her mother’s Cherokee Nation heritage. After high school in Alexandria, SD she earned her degree from Sioux Valley Hospital X-Ray Technology School. She worked with the first mammography and breast cancer screening program in SD, presenting over 80 educational sessions on American Cancer Society screening mammography guidelines. She then launched the first mobile mammography services available to rural hospitals and clinics in a three-state area. Elizabeth was awarded the “Unsung Hero” honor from the National Conference of State Legislators Women’s Network for heading up state-mandated insurance coverage for mammography screening.
Our current exhibit “Excellence in Healthcare: Education & Medicine Through the Ages” features these and other healthcare trailblazers. You can learn more about that exhibit here.