| CHEYENNE
RIVER SIOUX TRIBE
PRESS RELEASE
Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe, Chairman Harold Frazier to host
visit from Senator Tim Johnson and Dr. Grimm of
Indian Health Services to bring awareness to the
crisis in health care on the Cheyenne River Indian
Reservation
August
4, 2003
CONTACT:
D. Alice LaClaire, Public Relations Coordinator
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Ph. (605) 964-4155
On behalf of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Chairman
Harold Frazier will host a visit on August 22, 2003
from Senator Johnson and Dr. Grim of Indian Health
Service to address the current health care on the
Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Eagle Butte,
South Dakota. Senator Johnson, his staff, and Dr.
Grimm will visit the hospital and the Cherry Creek
Clinic during their visit to the reservation.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is extending their
invitation to all the other Tribal Chairmen in the
Great Plains Region to provide Senator Johnson and
Dr. Grimm with testimony on behalf of their Tribes.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe began a series of
Tribal Health Hearings in March and April 2002 in
the communities of Eagle Butte, Dupree, Cherry Creek,
La Plant and Bridger. The Health Hearings were a
very important part of the initial efforts to bring
awareness to the lack of adequate health care on
the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has continually made
efforts to provide better health care for its tribal
members. The Tribe is experiencing a crisis in health
care that is not currently being addressed by the
Federal Government. There are only three doctors
to serve 7,000 tribal members, only two hospital
beds open due to the lack of staff, and the birthing
unit was cut from the service unit although there
are over 200 hundred births every year.
A new health care facility has been approved for
the Eagle Butte Service Unit and plans are underway
to plan for and design the facility. The timing
of the completion of the new facility depends on
when Congress approves funding for this service
unit in the Department of Interior budget. The Tribal
Health Committee and Tribal Health Department are
working closely with the Service Unit Director,
Don Lee, and the Clinical Director, Dr. Sophie Two
Hawk to improve services in the current facility
and to plan for a new facility with additional staff.
It
is the Tribe’s goal to improve and provide
adequate health care for all the tribal members
on the reservation. This visit from Senator Johnson
and Dr. Grimm is one of the steps taken by the Tribe
to bring awareness to the United States Congress
and Department of Indian Health Services about the
current health care problems faced by residents
in this area.
Tribal leaders who need assistance or information
on making reservations and travel plans may contact
Alice LaClaire, Administrative Assistant/Public
Relations Coordinator at (605) 964 - 4155 or (605)365-7106.
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