Most of the year, these columns are directed to preventive medicine and information to help keep our population healthy.  I learned a long time ago it is a whole lot easier to take care of well people that it is sick people. For those of you who say there is no reason to go to the doctor if you are well, the answer is preventive maintenance is at least as important for you as it is for your car.  Driving your car without maintenance eventually leads to a blown out tire, a dry radiator, or an engine that doesn’t work.  And the crisis always seems to happen at night on a lonely cold road in a storm.  Maintenance is as important for cars and people.

Be that as it may, Christmas is always a time to count blessings, comfort others, and spread as much happiness as we can.

On the blessing side, I would start with recognizing what a wonderful life we have in central South Dakota.  Whatever complaints there might be about the economy or the weather, thus far there have been no buildings blown up, no buses have been blown up, and no suicide bombers in our public gatherings.  We have grocery stores with fruits and vegetables year around.  We have access to electricity and fuel and transportation.  We take these things for granted but one of our ancestors standing in this place 200 years ago couldn’t even begin to fathom the blessings we have today.  Central South Dakota is a really nice place.

The next blessing to talk about is the wonderful people who live here.  The people of central South Dakota are caring, helpful, supportive and “can-do” people.  Many have long family traditions born and raised in this area.  It is the people that make it all work.

Another wonderful blessing that we have is an integrated system of medical care.  Rural Health, Inc. has continued to sponsor or support clinics in Murdo, Presho, Gettysburg, Onida and Highmore.  These clinics are integrated with the physicians in Pierre.  The physicians in Pierre are integrated with larger medical centers that provide needed specialty care.  The medical support personnel in our hospitals and our clinics are excellent.  When I moved here from St. Louis, Missouri, one of my early observations was how wonderful the nursing care and support personnel in our hospitals were.  Not only were they technically competent but they lived here ad they knew the people they were caring for.  There were home and family values that shined through the big city “I -don’t-even-know-your-name” atmosphere.

Another major blessings are our longterm care facilities that take care of our loved ones too infirmed or sick to be home. The personnel in these facilities deserve a special thanks for the care that they provide.

As a physician, I want to say thank you to the pharmaceutical industry.  This may sound a little strange for those who think that the price of drugs is thank you enough to the pharmaceutical industry.  But the truth is that without their research and developing medications, treatment of disease would more or less consist of holding your hand saying, “I wish that there was something I could do.”  With modern medications, heart attacks and strokes, diabetes, and arthritis, and so many other maladies can all be effectively treated and the suffering alleviated.  When you think about it, the price of disease dwarfs the price of medicine.

Last, I would like to thank all of those who have provided me with a personal blessing.  My most special professional thrill comes when someone gets recovers or is comforted.  When I am able to help someone stop hurting or get rid of a bad infection or stop their heartburn, etc. that’s the kick.  My special thanks to those who provided me with that privilege this year; and to those that I didn’t do quite so well with, my apologies.  Please know that I tried and I cared.

Enough said.  Merry Christmas to All!