SDSMA President Benjamin Meyerink, MD
June 2026
I think many of our SDSMA members do not realize the storied history of our state association. In true South Dakota fashion, we have never had the largest medical association in the country, but we have punched above our weight for over a century now. Not only have we been advocating at a state level since 1881, before South Dakota was even granted statehood, we also have had numerous physicians over the years represent us nationally. While we may not always see eye to eye with every piece of legislation, our reputation in Pierre remains as strong as ever. Most importantly, our state association has always represented a large majority of physicians throughout our state and has maintained deep ties to our medical school. With all of the changes that have occurred throughout our state over time politically and medically, our state association has still stood strong for 145 years.
As the new president of the SDSMA and the youngest to serve in this role in quite some time, I do feel a tremendous responsibility and pressure to carry on this rich history. Since my time as a medical student at USD, I have learned from and witnessed a number of great leaders in our state association. This list of names is endless, but I know many of them have impacted your lives and practices as well. I would not be in this position if it was not for them. These leaders sacrificed an infinite number of hours outside of clinic, trips to Pierre, and personal time to further medicine in our state and be a voice for their fellow physicians and patients. They served as my primary source of mentorship, taught me how to advocate for evidence-based medicine, and gave me the confidence to serve in this role.
Our current board of directors is also filled with a great variety of young leaders with this same background. You will find physicians from family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, dermatology, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology composing our current leadership. Just as important, we touch a variety of geographical settings, health systems, independent practices, and backgrounds to help represent the variety of patients and communities that make up our state. On every single issue that we discuss, we collectively share insight and expertise that provides a balanced perspective that I think represents well the medical community of South Dakota.
As many of you know, another major step in our state association’s history occurred last year as longtime CEO Barb Smith retired. One year in and I can confidently say that Tammy Hatting, our new CEO, is the best leader to take over and lead a new era for our SDSMA. She has brought new energy, new ideas, and even a new building within a year of her leadership. The latter change was not a small step either financially or logistically but has now given our state association physical visibility on one of the busiest streets in all of South Dakota and is directly situated between our state’s two largest hospital facilities. If you are in Sioux Falls at any point, I encourage you to stop in and see this exciting space that we want our physicians to utilize and call their own.
Medicine, politics, and our world are full of constant change. Some institutions last, some do not. I am proud to be a member of the SDSMA that has now been here since the founding of our state and is still standing strong. I am grateful for our past leaders who have shaped myself and many others who now try to carry their legacy forward and advocate for medicine in South Dakota. However, we need all of you to help us continue to do this. Our association will only remain strong for another 145 years when we all are involved together to use our various experiences, backgrounds, and expertise to create a unified voice. I look forward to serving you all in the year ahead and welcome you to help me continue moving our association ahead for years to come.
