Mary Smith, the acting director of the Indian Health Service, speaks with Great Plains tribal leaders in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on April 5, 2016. Photo from Department of Health and Human Services / Twitter
The Obama administration is showing support for S.2953, the Indian Health Service Accountability Act. The bill includes provisions to improve accountability, transparency and patient care at the Indian Health Service. It is seeing its first hearing before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at a field hearing in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Friday. “We are very supportive of the efforts by the senators on the Indian Affairs Committee to help address some of the challenges he have,” Mary Smith, the leader of the IHS, told the Associated Press. “(The bill) addresses issues about accountability, and it addresses issues about quality. I think we share the same goals to improve all those things at IHS with the Senate.” Committee staff hosted a town hall in Rapid City on Thursday to go over the bill and hear from tribal citizens about their concerns with the IHS. Attendees cited a wide range of problems, from funding to quality of care, according to news reports. "We are in a state of emergency," one tribal member said, KEVN reported. "We have been for a very long time." KEVN Black Hills Fox is broadcasting the field hearing at blackhillsfox.com/livestream. It starts at 10:30am Mountain time. Get the Story:
IHS leader: Bill would help reservation hospital system (AP 6/17)
Staff representatives host town hall on IHS reform (Newscenter1 6/17)
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds Town Hall to discuss IHS Accountability Act (KEVN 6/16)
People voice frustrations with Indian Health Services (KOTA TV 6/16)
Tribal officials point to funding, Thune points to accountability over IHS woes (South Dakota Public Broadcasting 6/16) Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notices:
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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