The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is looking for ways to save its emergency room from being closed by the Indian Health Service.

The tribe filed a lawsuit against IHS last week. A judge imposed a temporary restraining order that prevents the immediate closure of the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency room.

A long term solution is needed. The state's Congressional delegation hopes to secure money for the facility through a special appropriation as the tribe considers a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to help fund the emergency room.

Tribal leaders and members say lives will be lost without the service. The facility saw more than 5,000 visits last year but IHS claims only 27 were real emergencies.

Get the Story:
Yankton Sioux fight to keep ER open (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/5)

Related Stories:
Editorial: Good work in keeping tribe's ER open (02/16)
Yankton Sioux Tribe emergency room gets reprieve (02/01)
Yankton Sioux Tribe to lose emergency room (1/23)