Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) speaks at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on November 18, 2015. Photo from SCIA via Flickr
A television station in Rapid City, South Dakota, will broadcast a field hearing on the Indian Health Service on Friday. Black Hills Fox will live stream the event at blackhillsfox.com/livestream. A Flash plug-in is required to view the webcast. The hearing starts at 10:30am Mountain time. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is taking testimony on S.2953, the Indian Health Service Accountability Act. The bill seeks to improve accountability, transparency and patient care at the IHS. Lawmakers also will hear concerns about other IHS issues. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the chairman of the committee, will lead the hearing and South Dakota's entire Congressional delegation -- Sen. John Thune (R), Sen. Mike Rounds (R) and Rep. Kristi Noem (R) -- will take part. The witness list follows:
Mary Wakefield, PhD., R.N.Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notices:
Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
The Honorable William Bear Shield
Chairman, Rosebud Sioux Tribal Health Board, Rosebud, South Dakota
Ms. Wehnona Stabler
Tribal Health Director, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Walthill, Nebraska
Ms. Ardell Blueshield
Tribal Health Director, Spirit Lake Tribal Health, Fort Totten, North Dakota
Ms. Stacy Bohlen
Executive Director, National Indian Health Board, Washington, D.C.
Town Hall Meeting "Discussing S. 2953: Improving the Indian Health Service." (June 16, 2016)
Oversight/Legislative FIELD Hearing on "Improving Accountability and Quality of Care at the Indian Health Service though S. 2953." (June 17, 2016) Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer Sessions on the State of the Great Plains Area Indian Health Service (June 3, 2016) Government Accountability Office Report:
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Patient Wait Times (April 29, 2016) Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Report:
In Critical Condition: The urgent need to reform the Indian Health Service’s Aberdeen Area (December 2010)
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