Yankton Sioux Tribe still fighting to save ER

Friday, February 29, 2008  

The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is holding a rally today to stop the Indian Health Service from cutting hours at its emergency room.

IHS could reduce the hours as early as this weekend. Tribal leaders say lives will be lost if that happens.

Provisions in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act save the emergency room. While the Senate has passed the bill, the House has yet to act.

The reduced hours are set to go into effect March 1. Instead of being open 24 hours, seven days a week, the emergency room will be open 7am through 11pm Monday through Saturday. It will be closed overnight, Sundays and holidays.

Get the Story:
Delegation works to maintain Wagner IHS clinic's hours, but reduction likely to happen Saturday (The Mitchell Republic 2/29)
pwpwd
Reduction of hours at Wagner Indian clinic looms (AP 2/29)

Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments:
S.1200 | H.R.1328

Relevant Links:
Indian Health Service - http://www.ihs.gov

Related Stories:
Yankton Sioux Tribe in push to save emergency room (2/13)
Yankton Sioux Tribe tries to save emergency room (2/8)
Editorial: Don't close Yankton emergency room (8/13)
IHS can close emergency room in South Dakota (8/7)
Judge orders IHS to keep emergency room open (10/2)
Editorial: Good work in keeping tribe's ER open (02/16)
Yankton Sioux Tribe emergency room gets reprieve (02/01)
Yankton Sioux Tribe emergency room gets reprieve (02/01)
Yankton Sioux Tribe to lose emergency room (01/23)