U.S. INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES HOSPITAL PRESENTED A VERBAL REPORT TO THE NAVAJO COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL DELEGATES ARE NOW COMMENTING ON AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IHS REPORT.

IHS FACILITES PROGRAM DIRECTOR JENNY NOTAH
Delegate Edmund Yazzie’s legislation for federal funding for construction of a new Gallup hospital does not “leap frog” over the proposed construction of other hospitals. It does not state that it would move up on the priority list.

there has been a lot of activities on IHS facilities construction.

and when tribes ask to be 638 contractor, they are entitled to shares from headquarters which involve the federal funding of those shares. and there are smaller IHS facilities at DENVER, FLAGSTAFF, BALTIMORE, NEW YORK, ETC.

WE WORK closely with Navajo officials on their position papers, especially Navajo division of health on “hot topics” regionally and nationally.

also in the area of research, IHS has contracted for Institutional Review Board. We agree that the research should be shared with the reservation communities. Several years ago, IHS published a bibliography of research over the past 100 years and that definitely needs to be updated.

We also recruit Navajo medical professionals.

And we agree that the Affordable Health Care Act is difficult to understand and we understand what it means for a family to have a medical bill of thousands of dollars for medical costs not covered by IHS. WE have asked Congress for more contract health care funds. And this is why it is important to find out if your constituents qualify for the Health Care Act. This will go on for another year. There are application staff to help individuals at the hospitals and they gone to chapters, tribal colleges, University of NM, Navajo Technical Colleges, the United Mine Workers Union, veterans. But the continuing education will be there. Everyone will have to file an exemption and they will qualify for using IHS. Exemption for domestic violence, in prison, etc.

DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
One of efforts to access additional resources thru IHS is for grant application for safe drinking water projects. There is infrastructure task force for safe drinking water and includes US Department of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, IHS. Contract health continues to be supplemented in the area in western Navajo that I represent and so I ask IHS for assistance in lobbying Congress for supplemental funding of contract health.

DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
Navajo Nation has provided funding for 75 homes for veterans and there is need for septic systems for these homes. Can IHS provide funding? Veterans have access to build homes through their veterans benefits so how can rural development funds for housing grants and grants for those with disabilities to obtain assistance with septic systems. IHS has wrap around assistance so how can they collabrate with Navajo Nation’s efforts regarding housing for veterans.

DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
I don’t want to steal away from projects and I know we don’t have quorum but I want to say I don’t want the proposed Gallup hospital to go ahead of any of the reservation projects that are already on the IHS priority list.

DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
The water project will go from Rock Point to Tsaile and Red Mesa and where will it go from there?

IHS WATER PROJECTS BRIAN JOHNSON
IHS working on Dilkon water projects for water line from Leupp to Dilkon and cost was $25 million. but we understand that the cost will increase. one of the things that are headquarter office facilities construction states is that waterlines for new facilities construction comes from different pot of money than waterlines for housing construction.

COUNCIL CALLS FOR QUORUM. THERE ARE 12 DELEGATES AND 13 ARE NEEDED FOR QUORUM. IT IS NOW 5:39 P.M. AS QUORUM IS BEING RE-COUNTED, DELEGATE MEL BEGAYE WALKS OUT OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBER AND SPEAKER PRO TEMP BATES RETURNS. BATES ASKED DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE TO BE SPEAKER PRO TEMP.