Native Sun News Today: Two tribes renew effort to manage Indian hospital

Wednesday, May 1, 2019  

RAPID CITY – Sioux San employees and Rapid City Indian community members are in for another rollercoaster ride as the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board continues efforts to take control of Sioux San Hospital via an Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Title I contract.

According to employees of Sioux San Hospital, on April 18, CEO of the GPTCHB, Jerilyn Church met with staff outlining procedures to carry out what has been termed a 60/40 split, 60 percent to be managed by GPTCHB and 40 percent management retained by Indian Health Service.

In a memo to IHS employees Church states: “GPTCHB is honored to have been asked to carry out the programs of the Rapid City Service Unit (RCSU) on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. It updated its proposal to IHS on February 14 and expects to assume operations this summer. Negotiations have started between GPTCHB and IHS with the face-to-face negotiations occurring this week and next.”

A court case filed in the mid 90’s broke up the former Rapid City Indian Health Board, giving three tribes “administrative” oversight of Sioux San Hospital. Oversight was split between the Cheyenne River, Rosebud and Oglala Lakota Nations because according to IHS “The three authorizing tribes…make up nearly 80 percent of the [Service Unit’s] active patient population.”

In April of 2018 all three tribal councils passed identical resolutions authorizing the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board to seek management of Sioux San via a PL98-638 Title I ISDEAA contract.

Local residents who utilize Sioux San Hospital voiced concerns that they were essentially left out of the consultation process. They also believe they are disenfranchised and marginalized by their own tribes and denied their constitutional right to equal representation by not being allowed to vote in tribal elections. They state they did not elect the tribal leaders who claimed to represent them and authorized the GPTCHB’s takeover of Sioux San.

Rapid City Indian leaders point out ISDEAA regulations for the Title I 638 contract:“Any legally established organization of Indians is controlled, sanctioned or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian Community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of Indians in all phases of its activities: Provided, that in any case where a contract is let or grant made to an organization to perform services benefitting more than one Indian Tribe, the approval of each such Indian tribe shall be a prerequisite to the letting or making of such contract or grant.”

Then on Dec. 18, 2018, the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council voted to “reconsider and rescind” their resolutions 2018-116 and 117 which originally authorized the GPTCHB to enter into ISDEAA agreements on their behalf.

On January 29, 2019, after the Rosebud Sioux Tribe rescinded a resolution of support, IHS sent leaders of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe as well as the CEO of the GPTCHB letters announcing their “final” decision of a proposal by GPTCHB to take control of the Rapid City Indian Health Service Unit via a ISDEAA 638 contract.

IHS stated that they “fully decline the proposal” because it no longer satisfies Indian Self- Determination regulations “based on the grounds that the proposal could not be lawfully carried out” due to the rescinded Rosebud Sioux Tribe resolution. However the GPTCHB and the other two tribes continued to move forward without Rosebud’s shares by amending their resolutions and authorizing the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board to continue its efforts to assume “programs, services, functions, and activities” of Sioux San.

The GPTCHB issued the following statement: “On January 10, 2019, the GPTCHB sent a letter to the Great Plains Area IHS Acting Director, Jim Driving Hawk, to notify IHS of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s and Oglala Sioux Tribe’s intent to contract their portions of shares of the Rapid City Service Unit on behalf of their Tribes and to remind IHS that it would still have an obligation to ensure Rosebud tribal members receive services.”

“The authority for GPTCHB to assume services and related funding of the Rapid City Service Unit is dependent on tribal authorization, which changed when IHS construed the Rosebud Tribe’s December 18 action as a rescission of its resolution. There had been an enormous financial investment by the GPTCHB, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribes for the planning and negotiations on behalf of the three Tribes, which were days away from being finalized when Rosebud acted."

"After the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Councils each met with the GPTCHB in January, each decided they wanted the GPTCHB to proceed with the assumption on their behalf," the statement continued. "When notice of their latest actions was given to IHS, GPTCHB wanted to be sure IHS was reminded of its responsibility to use resources IHS would retain on behalf of Rosebud to ensure healthcare for Rosebud beneficiaries.”

Contact Ernestine Chasing Hawk at staffwriter@nativesunnews.today

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today