Feds to Close Indian Health Service Hospital's ER

The emergency room at the Indian Health Services hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, will close indefinitely, the federal government announced Tuesday, a move that some tribal officials say will threaten lives.

The Sioux San Hospital emergency department is set to be closed on Sept. 20 due primarily to the age of the facility and equipment, IHS officials said, though the hospital will continue to offer urgent care services around the clock for needs that are not complicated or life-threatening.

Rear Admiral Sarah Linde, the IHS acting chief medical officer, told The Associated Press that justifying emergency services at Sioux San "is no longer as clear as it once was," given the fact the next-closest emergency room is less than 5 miles (8 km) away at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-shutting-emergency-room-reservation-hospital-42067614