September 2017 Blogs

Red Lake IHS Hospital Breaks Ground on Emergency Room/Urgent Care Expansion Project

The Bemidji Area Indian Health Service joined the Red Lake Hospital and tribe earlier this week in announcing plans for a major Emergency Room/Urgent Care revitalization and expansion project at our site in rural Northwestern Minnesota.  The ground-breaking was conducted on September 25, 2017, ... Continue reading

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BIA Officer Uses Naloxone to Save Life

The United States is facing an epidemic of opioid overdose deaths. Increasing access to the medication naloxone can help reduce opioid overdoses and save lives. On December 2, 2015, the Indian Health Service (IHS) entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) aiming ... Continue reading

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IHS looking towards future for Health IT

The Indian Health Service is currently re-evaluating the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) system currently used by the IHS in federal hospitals and clinics, as well as in some Tribal and Urban health programs. RPMS is used to manage clinical, financial and administrative information in ... Continue reading

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Indian Health Service Publishes Paper on Child Obesity

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has released an article in the American Journal of Public Health Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  (AJPH) reporting that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children may have stabilized. The study looked ... Continue reading

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IHS is Making Progress in Addressing GAO Recommendations

I was invited to testify last week before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at a hearing on High Risk Indian Programs: Progress and Efforts in Addressing GAO’s Recommendations Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  .

At this important hearing, I reported on the progress ... Continue reading

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IHS Announces New Standards for Patient Wait Times

A circular was recently signed that establishes new standards for the Indian Health Service for wait times of outpatient visits in direct care IHS facilities. The new mean appointment wait times will be 28 days or less for primary care appointments and 48 hours or less for urgent care appointments. ... Continue reading

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IHS Efforts for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Hurricane Harvey has inflicted historic rainfall and flooding, affecting millions in Texas and Louisiana. Hurricane Irma is currently moving across the Caribbean and expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend. The high winds are expected to cause water surges, flooding and additional rainfall ... Continue reading