The Pine Ridge Hospital on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo from Dean Kurtz Construction
The Indian Health Service made a patient wait four days before removing a sewing needle from her foot, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. Karrie Yankton, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, showed up to the Pine Ridge Hospital on September 24, 2010, in intense pain, according to the lawsuit. Staff there discovered the needle lodged in her right foot but asked her to return the following week for treatment, the complaint states. By the time the needle was removed on September 28, 2010, Yankton had suffered through extreme pain and her entire foot became infected. Only later did she discover that a doctor could have performed the surgery on her first visit, according to the complaint, which was first reported by the Associated Press. "The sewing needle was very dirty and likely caused a severe infection by remaining lodged in her foot for so long before being removed," the complaint reads. Yankton, who has since suffered from numerous health problems, submitted an administrative claim for $5 million against the IHS. But it was denied so she filed the lawsuit in federal court in South Dakota on August 5. "The agents and employees of the Pine Ridge IHS Hospital, failed to exercise reasonable care and/or the level of care according to the standard of care required of a physicians' medical specialty and/or that of a medical professional, when they neglected to reasonably treat Plaintiff's foot condition and injury, in a timely and reasonable fashion," the complaint states. Yankton also filed a complaint against the Pine Ridge Hospital. A patient rights advocate apologized for the way she was treated at the facility, according to an email from the time. "The complaint was reviewed by the Chief of Medical Staff and appropriate action was taken," the October 7, 2010, message reads. No further details were provided. The Pine Ridge Hospital is located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It's part of the Great Plains Area, a region of the IHS that has come under intense scrutiny due to quality of care and management issues. The hospital nearly lost certification from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Service until the IHS entered into an agreement to address long-standing problems. Read More on the Story:
Patient: IHS delayed removing dirty sewing needle from foot (AP 8/15)
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