The Oglala Lakota Sioux reservation of Pine Ridge in South Dakota is one of the largest in the country and is home to approximately 18,000 people, many of whom live in remote areas across nearly 2 million acres of land. For the past year, obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) Ryan Duggal, MD, has been serving as a staff physician with the Indian Health Service in Pine Ridge. From the outset, he felt right at home.

“Everyone was extremely welcoming, which was really nice,” Dr. Duggal said. “People made meals for me; we ate together. I felt very welcome the moment I got here.”

The people of Pine Ridge face many socioeconomic challenges, including high rates of unemployment and poverty and limited access to health care and services. When Dr. Duggal arrived, the hospital didn’t have a full-time

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