Thune’s Friday tour of the Rosebud hospital was led by a contrasting mix of people: tribal members Wooden Knife and Espinoza, who told numerous stories about the problems at the hospital, and a crew of three federal officials in Navy-like uniforms who appeared uncomfortable with the media’s presence and spoke only in hushed tones directed at Thune.

The uniformed officials were from the U.S. Public Health Service, which is under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Federal officials this month announced that a four-member team would be deployed to try to solve problems at Rosebud, Pine Ridge and on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska.

Wooden Knife said the uniformed officials were sent “to help us get on track.”

If the hospital cannot get on track, the federal government could terminate its Medicare agreement, which would result in a loss of financial reimbursements for the care that the hospital provides to Medicare-eligible patients. Fierberg, of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said federal officials are working to make sure that does not happen.

Around the small, remote community of Rosebud on Friday, residents interviewed by the Journal expressed a mix of gratitude for the hospital’s presence in their community and disappointment about its recent problems.