But there's a lot that we physicians can learn by going out there. I believe that we can demonstrate the value of public-private partnership that others can follow. Rosebud officials described the health problems on this Sioux reservation, where life expectancy rates are among the worst in the nation. As with other concentrated American Indian populations, the leading causes of death for the people of the Rosebud reservation are heart disease, accidents, cancer, chronic liver disease and suicide. Underlying many of those problems, said Ryschon, are the more common conditions of obesity, depression, diabetes and alcoholism.
Cervical cancer is also prevalent among women who live on the reservation.
Additionally, the area has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. A study released at a scientific meeting of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Todd County, which encompasses Rosebud, along with four neighboring counties in South Dakota, had the worst life expectancy rates in the nation. Telemedicine allows physicians to diagnose and treat patients earlier through the use video conferencing and digital imaging systems. The equipment links physicians, patients and other medical professionals at different sites, reducing traveling costs and time between scheduled doctors' visits. And while most members of Indian reservations in New York State are integrated into mainstream health systems, Hunt said this relationship is an occasion to determine whether efforts in South Dakota can be duplicated locally.