Commemorative Coffee Table Book - A Century Strong: Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future
SDAHO’s 100th Commemorative Coffee Table Book
The year 2026 marks a remarkable milestone for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO)100 years of service, leadership, and dedication to advancing health care across the state. To celebrate this centennial, SDAHO proudly presents A Century Strong: Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future, a beautifully designed coffee table book that captures the stories, images, and spirit of South Dakota’s healthcare history.
Debuted During SDAHO’s 99th Annual Convention
This special publication made its debut during SDAHO’s 99th Annual Convention in September 2025, where members, partners, and guests received the first glimpse of this treasured collection.
Now, the book is available to anyone interested in learning more about SDAHO’s legacy and South Dakota’s rich health care history. Whether you are a healthcare professional, community member, or history enthusiast, this keepsake offers a heartfelt look at how health care in South Dakota has evolved over the past century.
A Story Told by Our Members
What makes this book truly unique is the voice of our members. Through submitted editorials, photographs, and personal reflections health care professionals from across the state share historical stories of their health care systems. These heartfelt contributions reveal how each facility has grown, adapted, and served its community throughout the past century.
From black-and-white images of early hospital wards to modern facilities delivering cutting-edge care, the pages reflect the remarkable journey of South Dakota health care, and SDAHO’s role within that journey. Each story highlights not only milestones and accomplishments, but also the human spirit of compassion and commitment that remains the foundation of care.
More Than Just Buildings
While the book showcases the evolution of health care facilities, it also emphasizes the physicians, nurses, administrators, volunteers, and community members who built and sustained these institutions. Their dedication, sacrifice, and innovation have ensured access to quality care for generations of South Dakotans.
These stories remind us that hospitals are not simply structures of brick and mortar. They are living testaments to the power of collaboration, service, and care. They are places where life begins, healing happens, and communities gather in times of both celebration and need.
Honoring a Century of Advocacy and Innovation
The centennial book also chronicles the broader history of health care leadership in the state, beginning with the formation of the South Dakota Hospital Association (SDHA) and its transformation into the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO). This journey reflects a century of advocacy, policy leadership, and support for providers who serve on the front lines of care.
A Legacy to Inspire the Future
SDAHO is incredibly proud to share this work as part of its 100th anniversary celebration. It serves as a lasting tribute to the power of health care and the people who make it possible.
Copies of A Century Strong: Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future are now available for purchase.
Click here to order your copy.
As we honor our past and shape our future, we invite you to explore the pages of this book, reflect on the stories within, and join us in celebrating a century of care, compassion, and progress.