Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) honors the incredible work of our clinicians in advancing maternal health and transforming care. Each month, we’re spotlighting stories that showcase our clinicians’ expertise and impact, highlighting how they set the standard, drive innovation and redefine care.
Expanding access to care for Native women in South Dakota
For Dr. Scott Ellis, an OB hospitalist and traveling OB/GYN Diplomat with OBHG, the work in Rapid City, South Dakota, is deeply personal and profoundly impactful. After helping launch the program at Monument Health, he returned in early 2025 to continue serving the community—and to help expand access to quality maternal care for women who need it most.
“Our presence there is hugely important,” said Dr. Ellis. “It’s made a huge impact already in the couple of years that we’ve been there as a program, and I think it will continue to get better as we educate the community and develop more relationships with the individuals that surround our area.”
Reaching underserved communities
Monument Health serves not only families in the Rapid City area, but also women from multiple Lakota reservations, including the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Many of these women live in rural, isolated regions where obstetrical care is simply unavailable.
“The majority of these women live in incredibly rural, remote areas where there just is no care,” Dr. Ellis explained. “Or the only thing they have is a very small urgent care center where they can only provide the very basics of emergency care. They have no ability to provide any kind of obstetrical care.”
For these women, OBHG’s hospitalist presence has become a vital lifeline—bringing consistent, evidence-based care and helping improve maternal outcomes in an area that has long faced disparities.
A mission to improve outcomes
Reflecting on his years with OBHG, Dr. Ellis says the experience has reaffirmed both his purpose and OBHG’s broader mission.
“It has taught me that we still have so much to do in terms of obstetrical care for women in the United States, and especially our Native American population,” he said. “I see that as something OBHG can have a tremendous impact on, and I’m really happy to be a part of the mission here.”
For Dr. Ellis, the goal is simple yet powerful: to continue strengthening access, education, and outcomes for mothers in every community he serves. “After all,” he said, “that’s what we’re here for—good outcomes. We want to improve outcomes.”
Want to hear more?
Be sure to check out other stories on how our clinicians, freed from on-call duties and business concerns, are now able to pursue their unique passions. Like Dr. Ellis, whose work at Monument Health in Rapid City is helping bring vital obstetrical care to Native women in rural South Dakota and surrounding Lakota communities. Give them a listen.
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OBHG is setting a new standard in maternal healthcare by fostering a culture of safety, education, and collaboration. Clinicians like Dr. Ellis exemplify how OB hospitalists can improve outcomes for mothers and babies while finding professional and personal fulfillment through meaningful work.