indian health service

[patrick t. cakes]

reading about the history of medicare just now,
i didnt know native americans received public health care.
anyone familiar with the indian health service?



<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Health_Service>

[Warpy]

1. Yes, I almost went to work for them in Boston

They're understaffed and horribly underfunded by too many GOP administrations. There are long wait times for just about everything.

It's the red headed step child of the Public Health Service in many ways.

However, it provides necessary care to a lot of people on the reservations with no other access along with understanding of their cultures.

[patrick t. cakes]

2. well i cant say im surprised its underfunded

i am glad to see it exists though.

[slipslidingaway]

3. PROMISES, PROMISES: Native American health care needs unmet ("Don't get sick after June!")

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5848776&mesg_id=5848776

rec for more exposure

[patrick t. cakes]

4. man thats a sad story....

thanks for the enlightenment

[slipslidingaway]

5. It sure is and imagine being the mother who was told it was all in

the girl's head and how many times she might have 'strongly encouraged' her to walk or eat.

Very sad.

[H2O Man]

6. Native Americans

comprise a large and varied group. There isn't any one system of care.

I worked with Chief Paul Waterman on health care issues at Onondaga. Sometimes, it was good, other times not.

[MissB]

7. I've worked with some of the IHS folks

thru my job in public health. Good folks, but I was occaisonally surprised by some statements.

The ones I worked with were in the middle of nowhere and working with few resources but good basic facilities.

I think they're part of the uniformed Public Health Service- with commissioned officers and all that. Or maybe it was just that some of the public health service officers were assigned to IHS. I can't remember which major agency they fall under, but I thought it would be a cool career for a single person, what with the possibility of being sent across the world to the next major disaster. But their uniforms really suck.