PINE RIDGE, S.D. - A former pediatric doctor with Indian Health Services (IHS) in Pine Ridge, Dr. Erin Lynn Hower, 39, has been sentenced for two counts of making false statements. Hower was sentenced to time served, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay $22,832 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

In 2018, Hower worked as an urgent care locum tenens pediatrician in North Carolina. During this time, she saw a patient multiple times before engaging in a sexual relationship with him. After the relationship was discovered, the North Carolina Medical Board launched an investigation into Hower’s actions, along with other complaints against her.

Despite knowing about the ongoing investigation, Hower applied for a pediatric position with IHS in Pine Ridge in 2020. On her application, she falsely claimed that she was not under any disciplinary actions or investigations by a state licensure board, failing to disclose the sexual misconduct allegations in North Carolina. Based on these false responses, Hower was hired as a pediatrician and began working at IHS in August 2020.

In January 2021, the North Carolina Medical Board concluded its investigation, determining that Hower’s sexual relationship with the patient constituted unprofessional conduct, leading to the indefinite suspension of her medical license. Despite this, Hower continued working at IHS for several weeks after her suspension.

“We trust pediatricians with the most vulnerable among us—our children,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “When pediatricians betray that trust by concealing allegations of sexual misconduct, they not only endanger the lives of those in their care, but they undermine the very foundation of medical ethics. It is therefore imperative that such actions are met with accountability.”