IHS cuts emergency hours

Great Example of OBAMA's Health Plan.

Native American communities have been deeply cut in all areas of public service by the Bush Administration. The aftermath is what local people are experiencing. It does take three to five years to finally feel the impact of what prior administration has done. IHS has been experiencing cuts eight years ago and running on empty since a couple of years. Deep cuts are now being experience in Indian Country.

IHS should implement a program where they can bring in temporary physicians from other IHS facility on a temp bases in time of needs like this. kinda of like the military's temporary duty assignments. just my thoughts.

I also heard that area Phoenix IHS hospital will be turned into an outpatient urgent health care clinic.

If I had the time and money to go back to school, I'd do it and become a medical doctor.

Jimmy Begay wrote:

Great Example of OBAMA's Health Plan.

Uh no. A great example of the nurse, doctor, other healthcare provider shortage in the United States, and on the rez.

Doctors do not want to go to school for ten years or so, starving the whole time. Work 60 hours or more a week, sacrificing families during residency, then start paying back student loans for the next ten years, and try to pay all this off with the small amount of Medicare reimbursement allotted. Then with the threat of being sued by every patient they see they have to pay exorbitant malpractice insurance.
What do you expect the IHS administrators to do without any doctors not to mention nurses, then add misappropriation of funds from elected Navajo Nation officials and mismanagement by the BIA?
"Peter MacDonald (born 1928) is a former Native American Navajo chairman, born in Arizona, U.S.A. In 1989 he was removed from office by a deeply divided Navajo Council, pending the results of federal criminal investigations instigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. MacDonald was sent to federal prison in 1990. Within several years he was convicted of more U.S. federal crimes, including fraud, extortion, riot, bribery, and corruption. President McDonald was elected to office twice. The first time he robbed them blind and got away with millions. During his second term, his Judas-kiss approach to the misappropriation of funds was so severe he got caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jar. He was sent to prison for a short period of time. Essentially, all he received was a slap on the wrist and was then released. The instant he got out of prison, he began spending the funds he had rat-holed and had himself a ball. He is still living a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the Navajo people. Why was he allowed to keep the money after he was caught? Why was he elected a second time when the people knew he was crooked and underhanded in his dealings? The actual amount of funds he pillaged is still in question."
U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici on Friday called for a federal inquiry into the claim that more than 362 people representing the Navajo tribe traveled to an education conference in Hawaii, many of them using federal or tribal money to pay for their trips. "If federal dollars were misappropriated or misused in any way related to this conference in Hawaii, then appropriate action must be taken," Domenici said…..

The IHS Headquarters in Rockville, MD deserves some blame considering THEY were given a scathing report of Indian health Service Property mismanagement of $15 million dollars by the General Accounting Office (GAO) back in 2008. Did everyone forget already?

The best way to resolved this problem to have Linda White, CEO to coordinate with Utah Navajo Health System, which is only about 20 miles down the road. They have all the equipment and doctors to treat the people. Willie Begay, the Council Delegate can introduce a legislation to turn the health care facility in Kayenta in to a 638 operation and have UNHS run the organazation, this would really solve all the health problem in K-town U.S.A.

Forget the Govenment and OBAMA. Go 638 like Utah Navajo Health System. They are great examples of what it is like to have govenment (US and Tribal) nowhere in the picture.

Jimmy Begay wrote:

Great Example of OBAMA's Health Plan.

I am coming to help. I am leaving my home in Los Angeles and have signed on for aleast four months to serve at Chinly IHS

Tell me again why the Native Americans have their own government funded health system, in the 21st century? If someone started the Anglo Health Service, they'd be lynched as a racist!

Oh, and as long as it's a free government hand-out, it's OK to use the word "Indian" right? If a white man says "Indian" he's a racist bigot...but throw some free healthcare in, and it's all forgiven!

FHS Student403 wrote:

<quoted text>
Uh no. A great example of the nurse, doctor, other healthcare provider shortage in the United States, and on the rez.

Uh yes. FYI the United States Health Service is a federally ran program (nearly identical to the military in rank and grade structure.) And is currently manned at 98%(according to U.S.H.H.S. Statistics) of optimum performance. They have staffing billets that are set by some beauracrat in Washington D.C. not by general shortages that plague the general sector

The problem lies within the way contractors are brought on to "help your people" mentality The system is not flexible to adjust to outside wages i.e. a registered nurse off the resevation makes almost twice as much as a starting wage registered nurse on the reservation. The position description in place for that specific postion is rated by a specialist whose wages are that of a registered nurse off the reservation. Then there is a shortage of nurses who do not want to work for these miniscule wages but see that going with a traveling nurse company pays very good. Combine this with the IHS not wanting to elevate these wages to that of outside wages the IHS have no choice but to pay 250,000 per year per nurse to cover the shortages. This creates animosity among employees who see these nurse's coming in and performing minimal duties to do their jobs while the permanant native employees have to take their time and train these nurses who only last 13 weeks at a time. Then the cycle starts over again. This drains the funds, and I am sure Linda White knows this, and they are forced to reduce their hours, medication, and services. The real kicker is that when these CEO's save money they get a cash award for their effort for saving money. Real leaders should not allow this to happen and there is a simple solution to a complex problem! Increase wages to recruit and retain qualified natives. That is all.