1987-11-04 Char-Koosta News

              Tribes and IHS to study improvement of health-care delivery here
The Tribes and the Indian Health Service have entered into an agreement to conduct a comprehensive study of the health-care services available for IHS beneficiaries on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
The purpose of the study is to explore with research the possible delivery options that would provide the most comprehensive, cost-effective and accessible primary care.
The Indian Health Service, the fed-
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eral agency responsible for insuring health care to eligible Indians, provides care on the Flathead through contracts with private providers.
The Tribes have expressed great concern with the continuing decline in range and scope of services over the past five years.
According to IHS Area director Duane Jeannotte, "The level of care available to the people at Flathead appears to be less than acceptable. We need to find a mechanism to strengthen and expand health-care services on the Flathead."
The Tribes' Executive Secretary, Joe Dupuis, said, "It is timely and of the utmost importance that we get a handle on the direction and delivery of care available to the membership."
The study, scheduled to be completed in May of 1988, will consist of a four-part analysis, with recommenda-
tions on the following:
1. A Tribally operated Health Maintenance Organization ("HMO")
2. A Tribally operated out-patient and direct-care system available to non-IHS beneficiaries as a business venture
3. Out-patient clinic and direct-care system operated by the Indian Health Service
4. A system of cooperative agreements between the Tribes, the Indian Health Service, and private providers and facilities that allows for better control of quality and costs.
Included in the aforementioned will be a report that includes: projected utilization rate, staffing needs, local availability of professional staff, physical costs, total costs, etc.
The study will be directed by S. Kevin Howlett, an employee of the Tribal Health Department, and assisted (Concludes on page six)
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