RAPID CITY, S.D. (June 2, 2026) – For 24 years, Walking Forward has worked to close the gap in cancer outcomes for American Indian communities across western South Dakota. Now, the nationally recognized program is joining Monument Health once again, bringing more than two decades of community-based cancer navigation, research and education work under the health system and strengthening its ability to serve patients across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.
Walking Forward was founded in 2002 by Daniel Petereit, M.D., FASTRO, a radiation oncologist in Rapid City, with support from a National Institutes of Health research grant. For 24 years, the program has worked to close the gap in cancer survival rates between American Indian and non-American Indian populations in the region through patient navigation, community education, screening access and clinical trial participation. Research Specialists and Navigators embedded on the Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Cheyenne River Reservations, as well as in Rapid City and Pierre, have aided more than 5,500 American Indian community members.
Along with the move to join Monument Health, Walking Forward has also gained support from Keely Ulmer, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at the Monument Health Cancer Care Institute and a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation. Together, she and Dr. Petereit bring a shared commitment to reducing cancer disparities for American Indian communities across the region.
“We are grateful to again officially partner with Monument Health as we continue 24 years of serving the Frontier population of western, SD, and the adjacent states.,” said Daniel Petereit, M.D., FASTRO and Keely Ulmer, M.D. “We will build upon our previous experience with new programs to address cervical and prostate cancer through enhanced screening and a new screening pathway for cervical cancer. We will continue to emphasize education, screening and treatment for breast, colorectal and lung cancers as well. Our ultimate goal is to lower cancer death rates for screen detectable cancers for both the Native and non-Native populations through a variety of community interventions.”
As a community-based health system, Monument Health serves 14 communities in western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming through five hospitals, more than 40 clinics and specialty centers, and more than 6,300 physicians and caregivers across 31 specialties. Walking Forward’s mission to reach underserved rural and tribal communities aligns directly with that commitment.
“Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the state of South Dakota while the number of cancer survivors continues to grow,” said Kristi Gylent, Cancer Care Institute Director. “The significance of the work the Walking Forward program is doing to reduce the burden of cancer through prevention, early detection, accessible treatment and survivor support is noteworthy. The Walking Forward team has made a significant impact on easing the burdens associated with a cancer diagnosis, and yet they know the work is far from over and we can’t be more excited to partner with them once again to continue those efforts that directly impact the communities we serve.”
Monument Health recognizes Avera Health for its stewardship of the Walking Forward program and the partnership the two health systems have maintained on behalf of patients and communities across South Dakota.
“The transition of the Walking Forward program back to Monument Health is a testament to its strong history and impact in American Indian health,” said Amy Elliott, PhD, Chief Clinical Research Officer for Avera Research Institute. “We are excited for this next chapter for the Walking Forward program and we look forward to future collaborations supporting this important work.”
Walking Forward’s active research portfolio includes a lung cancer screening navigation project in partnership with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Indigenous Health, funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, as well as an expanded cervical health screening initiative in collaboration with the University of Michigan. The program also benefits from longstanding support from the Ralph Lauren Foundation and the Irving A. Hansen Memorial Foundation.
For more information about Walking Forward and Monument Health’s cancer care services, visit monument.health/cancer.
About Monument Health
Monument Health is a community-based health system headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota. With five hospitals, more than 40 clinics and specialty centers, and more than 6,200 physicians and caregivers across 31 specialties, Monument Health serves 14 communities across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
About Walking Forward
Walking Forward is a 24-year-old program dedicated to increasing cancer survival rates among American Indians in western South Dakota through community education, screening navigation and access to research and advanced treatments. The program is led by Daniel Petereit, M.D., and Keely Ulmer, M.D., and operates with navigators and research specialists embedded in tribal and urban communities across the region.