Post by Okwes on Feb 1, 2006 10:50:46 GMT -5
Congress of American Indians list health care as top priority
Congress of American Indians list health care as top priority
www.webcenter11.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ffd4e177-
6285-48f0-bf3c-e34a983ab275&rss=200
(01/31/06) With a new Congressional year now underway, a major
American Indian and Alaska Native organization is calling for
improved health care in villages. The National Congress of American
Indians says it's imperative the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
finally be reauthorized.
Here's Newscenter 11's Seth Linden with this Washington Report:
Every political organization in Washington has its pet causes. But
for the National Congress of American Indians, there's one issue at
the top of the list this year.
"The number one must do priority, I think, is the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act. We need to address this," said Jacqueline Johnson,
National Congress of American Indians.
Jacqueline Johnson is a Tlingit from Southeast Alaska who is now
NCAI's executive director. She says Congress needs to reauthorize the
Health Care Improvement Act so that villages can tackle additional
health care needs.
"It's just gone far too long, 30 years since this act originally
passed, and Indian health care has got to be modernized," Johnson
added.
For one, Johnson says, reauthorization means having greater ability
to deal with needs of elders. And, she says, substance abuse needs to
be addressed too. Right now, because the health care act has not been
reauthorized, the old Indian health care legislation is simply
extended.
"Extended without any new provisions to be able to address the mental
health issues, and actually even in substance abuse. When the act was
originally passed, it only addressed issues of alcohol, and yet we
know our communities are plagued with drugs and meth," Johnson
explained.
Transportation is also an issue. Even though Congress passed the
transportation bill last year, there's still concern that not enough
is being done to meet the needs of villages. Johnson says a proper
inventory must be done of rural roads.
"I think we'd have a better assessment of what the needs are for
particular communities," Johnson said. "We'd have a better assessment
about how many roads are dirt roads and the qualities of those
roads."
Which she believes is necessary to improve the level of service.
Johnson says it's also a goal to make sure villages are given
vaccinations to deal with threats like a possible bird flu pandemic.
Congress of American Indians list health care as top priority
www.webcenter11.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ffd4e177-
6285-48f0-bf3c-e34a983ab275&rss=200
(01/31/06) With a new Congressional year now underway, a major
American Indian and Alaska Native organization is calling for
improved health care in villages. The National Congress of American
Indians says it's imperative the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
finally be reauthorized.
Here's Newscenter 11's Seth Linden with this Washington Report:
Every political organization in Washington has its pet causes. But
for the National Congress of American Indians, there's one issue at
the top of the list this year.
"The number one must do priority, I think, is the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act. We need to address this," said Jacqueline Johnson,
National Congress of American Indians.
Jacqueline Johnson is a Tlingit from Southeast Alaska who is now
NCAI's executive director. She says Congress needs to reauthorize the
Health Care Improvement Act so that villages can tackle additional
health care needs.
"It's just gone far too long, 30 years since this act originally
passed, and Indian health care has got to be modernized," Johnson
added.
For one, Johnson says, reauthorization means having greater ability
to deal with needs of elders. And, she says, substance abuse needs to
be addressed too. Right now, because the health care act has not been
reauthorized, the old Indian health care legislation is simply
extended.
"Extended without any new provisions to be able to address the mental
health issues, and actually even in substance abuse. When the act was
originally passed, it only addressed issues of alcohol, and yet we
know our communities are plagued with drugs and meth," Johnson
explained.
Transportation is also an issue. Even though Congress passed the
transportation bill last year, there's still concern that not enough
is being done to meet the needs of villages. Johnson says a proper
inventory must be done of rural roads.
"I think we'd have a better assessment of what the needs are for
particular communities," Johnson said. "We'd have a better assessment
about how many roads are dirt roads and the qualities of those
roads."
Which she believes is necessary to improve the level of service.
Johnson says it's also a goal to make sure villages are given
vaccinations to deal with threats like a possible bird flu pandemic.