Rapid City, SD, Residents Benefit From Excellent Regional Health Care 

Monument Health

Rapid City boasts award-winning health care systems, providing personalized state-of-the-art care and attracting specialty medical providers – all focused on helping their neighbors live their best and healthiest lives. 

Monument Health embraces a strong commitment to the future of medicine in the Black Hills region, built on a decades-long legacy of providing consistent and trusted health care, close to home. Serving an area that covers 400 miles with comprehensive, high-quality care, the health care system is the largest in western South Dakota. As a Mayo Clinic Care Network member, the system is validated by Mayo Clinic and granted special access to the respected medical facility’s knowledge, expertise and resources. 

Rapid City Hospital is a 417-bed facility, Level II Trauma Center, with nearly 500 providers, and is the anchor of Monument Health, a community-based health care system offering the region services in 31 medical specialties in 12 communities. 

Growth and Expansion

After a recent aggressive expansion effort to meet the growing medical demands of the Black Hills population, the health care system is excited to have recruited 107 new physicians, including three important subspecialties in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, fellowship-trained colorectal surgery – Rapid City’s first and only practice in this field – and gynecologic oncology. 

More growth is on the horizon with the recent announcement of plans for Rapid City Medical Center to join Monument Health in 2026. Both organizations share a longstanding commitment to physician leadership, community-based care and keeping patients close to home. 

Legacy of Excellence

Excellence is in the DNA of Monument Health, as evidenced by its many national accolades. It was recognized with a Leapfrog safety grade A, the highest of any South Dakota hospital; the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus for stroke care and Gold for Afib; and four out of five stars by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Other honors include being selected by U.S. News & World Report as a High Performing Hospital for heart attack, stroke and other care areas, plus earning the coveted Magnet Recognition and the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 

Understanding that education is key to future growth and success, the health care system offers residencies in select disciplines for those professionals transitioning from academic to hands-on training and provides excellent employment opportunities for health care professionals who want to make a positive difference in the lives of patients and have the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the United States. 

Stanford Health

New Medical Center on the Horizon

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the nation, announced in 2025 a $300 million gift from businessman and philanthropist Denny Sanford to help establish the Sanford Black Hills Medical Center. The proposed 480,000-square-foot campus will be built in Rapid City near the Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with a 2030 expected completion date. It is set to house 168 inpatient beds with a future expansion for another 168 beds. 

Also, patient services to be offered include comprehensive women’s health, including a labor and delivery unit, pediatrics, emergency department, surgical suites and procedure rooms, cardiac catheterization laboratories, full inpatient and outpatient imaging suites, a dialysis center, an oncology infusion center and more. 

Beginning in 2026, Sanford Health also plans to invest $10 million over the next decade to empower local students to pursue health care careers by partnering with area K-12 schools, technical schools and universities. The funds will support workforce development and medical education programs. The recent financial commitment continues to strengthen Sanford’s relationship with the region, having partnered in 2024 with Black Hills Orthopedic and Spine Center, providing expert bone, joint and muscle care for nearly 50 years – and Black Hills Surgical Hospital, a leader for major orthopedic surgery. 

Community of Care

Complementing these major health systems, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board and its Oyate Health Center provide vital, tribally managed primary and urgent care, utilizing an integrative model that honors the cultural and medical needs of the region’s Indigenous population. Additionally, the Rapid City Veterans Affairs clinic ensures that those who served in the military have dedicated access to comprehensive primary care, mental health support and specialized programs for the Black Hills veteran community.