The Sioux San Hospital is an Indian Health Service facility in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo by Kevin Abourezk

Health | National

Tribal management on the way for troubled Indian Health Service hospital

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

The Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board has entered into a self-determination contract to manage most operations at the Sioux San Hospital, a troubled Indian Health Service facility in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The contract will be based on services provided to patients from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe, whose leaders agreed to the arrangement. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is not participating so the IHS will continue to offer services to those citizens.

Rosebud pulled out after a prior attempt to negotiate a self-determination contract faltered amid opposition from tribal citizens who live in Rapid City. Native Sun News Today covered the story extensively over the past several months, with residents saying their treaty rights were at risk.

"So why would some of us continue to want Sioux San under IHS [when] they do horrible shenanigans like this?" Charmaine White Face wrote in Native Sun News Today "Because it is still the responsibility of the US government according to the 1868 Treaty to provide health care, and the Treaty is still legal and viable."

According to news reports, the self-determination contract is set to begin July 21. It will cover about 80 percent of the Sioux Sioux budget, KOTA-TV reported.

Under IHS management, Sioux San has suffered serious setbacks in patient care. At one point, the hospital almost lost federal certification due to substandard services.

The IHS then informed Congress of plans to permanently close inpatient and emergency departments and revert the hospital to a clinic. The self-determination contract is part of an effort to prevent cutbacks.