Join us for a conversation this Tuesday, April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day, with featured presenter Katie Huff, DNP, FNP-BC, ACHPN, Certified Nurse Practitioner with Avera Medical Group-Palliative Medicine in Yankton.

The National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative was created to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning – a process in which patients formally express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.

The SD Cancer Coalition is working to improve the availability and use of advance care planning, palliative care and end-of-life care for cancer patients in South Dakota as a key priority within the 2021-2025 SD Cancer State Plan.

This webinar, co-sponsored by SD Cancer Coalition partner SDAHO, is free and registration is required.

Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Toolkit now available

CDC reports that cancer is a leading cause of disease-related death for the 15- to 39-year-old age group, and the George Washington University Cancer Center recently released a new Awareness Campaign Toolkit to help your organization implement evidence-based practices when communicating about AYA cancer.

The toolkit offers evidence-based best practices, tips for communicating with diverse audiences and more.

New SDSU study investigates perceived barriers to cancer care in rural South Dakota

Cancer rates across the United States are falling, but in South Dakota cancer

remains the leading cause of death. What unique challenges does South Dakota have when it comes to cancer care that is causing the state to fall behind the rest of the country?

A new study from researchers Brandon Varilek and Sarah Mollman at South Dakota State University attempts to answer this question by examining the perceived barriers to care from the viewpoints of health care professionals who work closely with cancer patients in South Dakota.

Full article

Polkinghorn to speak to SD school nurses

Sanford Health Lead Immunization Strategist Andrea Polkinghorn, BSN, RN, AMB-BC, will give a presentation on HPV vaccination to the South Dakota School Nurses' Association's annual conference in July.

Polkinghorn, who is also board president for Immunize South Dakota and serves on the SD Cancer Coalition's HPV Vaccination Task Force, will present on the importance of encouraging HPV vaccination starting at age 9.

The presentation is part of the task force's work this year to collaborate with schools and universities to provide education and equitable and affordable access to HPV vaccination.

More from SD:

• Bringing medical care to the street, new nonprofit aims to improve health of the homeless