Rosebud IHS hospital diverting surgical, obstetrics patients

ROSEBUD, S.D. (AP) – The Indian Health Service says people looking for surgical and obstetrics services at its hospital on the Rosebud Indian Reservation are being diverted to other facilities about 50 miles away.

The agency said Monday that the move comes after a key staff clinician died.

O.J. Semans is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Health Board. He says it is a “tremendous blow.”

IHS is exploring “several strategies” to staff the departments to resume the services as quickly as possible. Urgent care and other inpatient and outpatient hospital services are available.

Failures found at the emergency department of the Rosebud Hospital prompted IHS to close the facility’s ER in December.

IHS says the diversion of surgical and obstetrics services means more resources will be focused on re-opening the emergency department.