Richard Powell Holm, M.D. passed away Sunday, March 22, 2020, at home under hospice care, surrounded by his family. He was 71.
Driven by his passion for providing ethical, science-based medical information, Rick founded a variety of programs including a weekly Prairie Doc® Radio show, a weekly Q&A television show, On Call with the Prairie Doc® broadcast on SDPB and Prairie Doc® Perspectives weekly column published in more than 120 newspapers in five states including South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.
Rick authored two books, The Picture of Health: A View from the Prairie with Judith Peterson, M.D. and Life’s Final Season: A Guide for Aging and Dying with Grace.
Rick practiced medicine in Brookings for nearly 40 years. He served as the hospice medical director in Brookings until the time of his death.
Rick guested weekly on SDPB’s In the Moment with Lori Walsh. From this partnership, a friendship grew. Lori Walsh shares her tribute to Dr. Holm with us.
Remembering Rick
by Lori Walsh
Dr. Rick Holm would be the first person to tell you he lived a spectacular life. He followed his own advice — exercise every day, eat fewer calories, connect with others. He lived well and laughed often. And yet he knew he was going to die. For years, he prepared himself and the people around him for a meaningful death.
Please understand, that doesn’t mean his death was easy. It wasn’t free of suffering. But a difficult death cannot erase one moment of a beautiful life. That’s worth considering right now.
Because here we are, remembering Rick and fearing death in ways we didn’t know possible. What does his legacy teach us about how to face our own fears? Here’s what I know. Rick Holm was willing to “hop to the next lily pad” and have faith that another lily pad would soon appear. Rick Holm was willing to “Snoopy dance” every day, brimming with joy and gratitude no matter how grim the future appeared. He was vibrant and devoted and unafraid to show up, even when he was frail, even when he was frightened.
Let’s all do that too. Let’s do the next right thing and celebrate every day we are healthy, every day we are together. Let’s support honest, science-based information. Let’s despise poverty and inequity. Let’s do the difficult things because the difficult things save lives. Let’s sing every now and again, because singing is good for the soul.
The last words I said to Rick were “I love you.” Those were the last words he said to me too. You don’t often hear people say that on the radio. I’m glad we did.
The work of the Healing Words Foundation, the work of Rick and Joanie Holm, goes on. We can still tune in to On Call with the Prairie Doc® on SDPB TV. Rick’s voice is amplified through the voices of others. When you remember Rick, remember them, support them. If we didn’t already know our South Dakota doctors are heroes, let’s prove we know that now.
I also enjoy listening back to our conversations on In the Moment, and I invite you to do the same. We talked about taking care of yourself, about staying active, about being clear about what kind of life you want to live and what kind of death is worth embracing. He was unflinching in conversation and uncompromising in compassion. He was kind. He was funny.
Rick wanted to be remembered as a father who read to his kids. If you want to be a good guy, he said, read to your children. They are better human beings for it. That’s how I’m spending my days right now. Loving my daughter. Laughing with her. Noticing how the books we spent hours with when she was younger have helped create the thoughtful, kind, fierce woman she is today.
We are together, huddled here on this metaphorical lily pad, dancing a dance of our own making, saying “I love you” in a million shimmering ways. This is our wish for all of you, no matter how heavy grief feels draped about your shoulders right now.
Love. Sing. Connect. You also might want to get a little exercise. A mile a day really does make a world of difference.
New episodes of At Home with the Prairie Doc®, with Rick's team of Prairie Docs, will continue to air Thursdays, at 7pm (6 MT) on SDPB1.
Shortly after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Rick and his wife Joanie, co-founders of the Healing Words Foundation established a plan to continue their legacy of service. Rick and Joanie took steps to assure that the work of the Prairie Doc® will go on. Four physicians from Brookings have agreed to take on the role of hosting Prairie Doc® radio and television programs, as well as authoringthe weekly newspaper essays. Rick wanted everyone to know that, while he originally developed the Prairie Doc® programs and had been known by many as “THE” Prairie Doc®, he felt he was always surrounded by a “team of Prairie Docs.”
The team of Prairie Doc® physicians include Andrew Ellsworth, MD; Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD; Jill Kruse, DO, and Deb Johnston, MD.
