TEB Approves IHS Resolutions
The Fort Peck Tribes’ Tribal Executive Board approved two resolutions regarding services provided by Indian Health Services during its meeting on Monday.
The first resolution was for the tribes to take over the Fort Peck Service Unit Pharmacy Program starting on or about Nov. 1. The motion passed by a 7-5 margin with board members Rita Weeks, Roxanne Gourneau, BJ Johnson, Wayne Martell, Carolyn Brugh, Stacey Summers and Terry Rattling Thunder voting in favor.
The other resolution regarded the Wesley Medical Staffing Inc. to provide competent and qualified supplemental staffing to the tribal health department. The motion passed 8-4 with Weeks, Gourneau, Dana Buckles, Johnson, Martell, Brugh, Summers and Rattling Thunder voting in favor.
Board members said the Tribes didn’t receive $78 million because they did not take over IHS. The $78 million remains with IHS. A portion, about $35 millioin, will be used to renovate the Chief Redstone Clinic in Wolf Point.
TEB made the decisions after a motion to contract all of Indian Health Services’ programs beginning on Dec. 1, failed in June. That 6-6 deadlock vote was broken when vice chair Charles Headdress decided against the motion.
During Monday’s meeting, board member Bryce Kirk questioned whether Robert’s Rules of Order were being followed by addressing the issues again.
Kirk said that only the prevailing side of the previous motion could bring up a new resolution.
Gourneau said the decision in June regarded full assumption of the IHS. An earlier vote was approved by TEB to have the tribes take over pharmacy, labs and radiology along with purchased and referred care. Tribal chairman Justin Gray Hawk Sr. noted that just because the full assumption failed, it doesn’t mean that those four other areas weren’t already and still covered.
