Great Plains Area, Indian Health Service

The 45-bed Pine Ridge Hospital, serving a Sioux Indian population of more than 17,000, is the largest in the Great Plains Area. A 17-physician staff sees medical, obstetrical, pediatric and surgical patients. The facility, located in Pine Ridge, SD, includes full-service general surgery, an obstetrical ward and dental. Pine Ridge is the most populous community in Oglala County and is the Tribal headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Oglala Lakota Tribal culture, part of the Greater Sioux Nation, still lives today on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is the second-largest reservation in the United States. Living and working in western South Dakota provides an extraordinary opportunity to experience authentic western lifestyle. The rugged terrain features wide-open prairies and the Badlands National Park. Recreation opportunities abound throughout the region with the proximity of the Badland and Black Hills (www.blackhillsbadlands.com) offering four-seasons of recreation.