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Elko Service Unit |
The morning sun sends spectacular fingers of light into an aquamarine desert sky. An eagle
circles lazily overhead. Far off in the distance, the faint rhythmic pulse of a ceremonial
drum is carried by the soft breezes. Encircled forms, silhouetted against the retreating
darkness are set ablaze in a rainbow of vibrant colors. The festive ceremonial dancing is
about to begin. Welcome to Nevada's Indian Territory in northeastern Nevada...real people
and the real west. The exquisite mountains and Ruby Valley near Elko are home to the
Shoshone.
The Western Shoshone Indians
Before Europeans came to America, the Shoshone numbered about 60,000 and lived throughout
a large area extending from what is now southern California through Nevada into parts of
Idaho and Utah. They traveled widely during the summer to hunt and gather, but would spend
the dry winter in clan groups around various springs. In 1863, the Treaty of Ruby Valley was
signed allowing railroad, mining and timber activities.
Our Vision
The Elko Service Unit’s vision is to be a Center of Excellence for rural, community-oriented,
and family-focused primary care. We are pioneers and innovators in eliminating health disparities of
Native Americans and Alaskan Natives.
Quality of Care
The Elko Service Unit is the one of the leaders in quality care for the Phoenix Area Indian Health Service.
Many of our Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) quality indicators were the highest for all of
Phoenix Area as well as the nation. For more information on Phoenix Area Quality of Care, please visit
the IHS Quality of Care website.
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Contact Information
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Elko Service Unit
PHS Indian Health Center
515 Shoshone Circle
Elko, Nevada 89801
(775) 738-2252
Toll-free: (888) 823-6000
24-Hour Nurse Advice Line:
(866) 470-2015
Pharmacy Refill Line:
(775) 748-1440
Office of Environmental Health & Engineering
Elko Field Office
577 W. Silver Street
Elko, Nevada 89801
(775) 738-6770
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Elko
The Elko Service Unit is located in Elko, Nevada. The size of our territory is quite large. Due to the considerable distance from our other Service Unit communities, our clinic primarily provides care to members of the Te-Moak Bands. The number of patients registered at our Service Unit is 7,139 representing three reservations; Duckwater, Ely, and Goshute and four colonies (a colony is a reservation within an established city): Battle Mountain, Elko, South Fork and Wells.
Elko is a vital, busy and prosperous town located between Salt Lake City and Reno and offers a great selection
of goods and services. Private housing is available in Elko as well as many rental opportunities. We have
our own regional airport, 2000+ hotel rooms, 400+ RV spaces, 50+ restaurants including several excellent
Basque restaurants, and 200+ retail stores including Wal-Mart, Kmart, Office Max and Home Depot. Although
Elko boasts all the modern conveniences, much of the west remains alive here today. Elko offers an ideal
location, a prime business climate and quality of life unmatched by any other. Elko has been voted the
Best Small Town in America. The population of Elko County is 47,071. The combined population of Elko City
and the neighboring community of Spring Creek (five miles
outside of Elko City) is approximately 30,000. This part of Nevada offers over 300 days of sunshine a year with
warm dry days in spring, summer, and fall, along with crisp sunny winters. The elevations in Elko County range
from 5,000 to 11,000 feet.
The city of Elko itself sits at an elevation of 5,060 feet. This high desert community experiences four mild seasons.
Fall is spectacular, heralding in warm days and cool evenings. Winter months bring average high temperatures between
37-43 degrees. Spring months bring warmer temperatures accompanied by cool nights. During the warm summer months,
the average high falls between 80-90 degrees.
Elko is home to many unique events including the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in January, the Motorcycle Jamboree
in June, the Basque Festival in July and numerous fandangos and pow-wows throughout the year. For information on
these events and many others, please go to the Elko
Convention and Visitors Authority website and the Te-Moak
Tribe of Western Shoshone website.
Elko has abundant recreational opportunities. Summer recreation opportunities include ATVing, hunting, fishing,
horseback riding, camping, boating, jet skiing and rock-climbing. Winter recreation includes snowmobiling,
heli-skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and ice climbing. Other
recreation/hobby opportunities include bird watching, skeet shooting, rodeo and photography as well as quilting,
scrapbooking, gardening, ham radio and hot-rodding clubs. Local recreation facilities include the Ruby Lake National
Wildlife Refuge, Wild Horse State Recreation Area, South Fork State Recreation Area, Lamoille Canyon, Rye Patch Dam
and the Jarbidge Wilderness. The nearby Ruby Mountains are home to numerous lakes, streams, hiking and ATV trails.
The recreationist will find everything to like in Nevada's outdoor paradise. For more information, visit
www.ExploreElko.com
Southern Bands Health Center
Our ambulatory clinic provides many people with essential health care. Staffed by 2 physicians, 2 physician
assistants, 1 dentist, and 1 psychologist, this AAAHC accredited family practice clinic offers direct medical, dental,
mental health and substance abuse services. The total number of staff consists of 39 employees. Visiting specialties
include audiology, cardiology, hematology, psychiatry and rheumatology. We also offer tele-health services
including dietary, cardiology, diabetic retinopathy screening, pain management, psychiatry and rheumatology.
Contract health care services are also coordinated by referring to hospitals and clinics both locally and in
nearby cities. On-site pharmacy services are available including an automated refill line. A 24/7 Nurse
Advice Hotline is another resource available to our community. Tele-education opportunities are available for
all staff members. Southern Bands Health Center has successfully incorporated the use of Electronic Health
Records into our practice. Clinic hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Fridays. We also provide services through our Battle Mountain Field Clinic twice monthly.
Community Health Services
In isolated communities, transportation and employment are often scarce. We must reach all the people
to promote awareness of our programs. Our community health outreach services include public health nursing,
mental health, and environmental health programs.
Tribal Health Facilities
Duckwater, Ely and Goshute reservations also offer direct and contract health care services to their
communities. Clinic days/hours and services vary by facility.
Summary
As precious natural resources slowly dwindle, it is refreshing to know that an area like this still exists. Elko
is a beautiful place where you can take pride in applying your knowledge and skills and where you will be joined
by people who share the same ideals and vision.
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Phoenix Area Indian Health Service
Two Renaissance Square • 40 North Central Avenue • Phoenix, AZ 85004-4424
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