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Polson THHS clinic revealed at open house

By B.L. Azure

THHS Director Kevin Howlett welcomed the public to the Polson clinic and told of the new philosophy of the CSKT directly providing healthcare to its eligible clientele. (B.L. Azure photo)

POLSON — The equation for reaping the financial benefits of providing health care for the Indian people eligible for treaty-based healthcare has always been there. However, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the providers - a critical component of the equation - were more often than not filled by medical providers outside the tribal system.

Consequently, the Tribal Health and Human Services Department had for much of its existence passed funds it received from the Indian Health Service onto the medical providers for the services they rendered to eligible Indians. One of the main reasons for that was the lack of adequate healthcare facilities to house a full-fledged medical clinic. Not any more.

For a few years now the THHS has been upgrading, expanding and now building new its clinical service facilities throughout the reservation. There are now THHS clinics in Arlee, St. Ignatius, Ronan, Polson and Elmo.

Nancy Vaughan, THHS division manager, addresses the public at the Polson clinic open house. (B.L. Azure photo)

The April opening of the new Polson THHS clinic is heretofore the biggest indication of the philosophical operational change at THHS. It is an example of how THHS is reaping the financial benefits of providing in-house clinical services. It is a huge change in the THHS healthcare equation. Healthcare funds now, for a large part, stay within the THHS system and can be used to provide jobs as well as new facilities for the people they serve.

Last Wednesday afternoon THHS swung open its doors to let the public get a glimpse of the innards of the Polson clinic.

"Some of us have been waiting a long, long time for this, our brand new clinical facility," said Nancy Vaughan, Tribal Health and Human Services division manager in her welcoming greeting to folks at the open house. "Enjoy."

It was a joyous occasion. Scores of people took part in the open house tours all through the afternoon. "Ooohs" and "aaahhs" wafted through the clinic hallways as the tourists gazed upon the latest in medical technology throughout the new facility.

"This is big," said THHS Director Kevin Howlett about the new clinic and the philosophy behind it. "It is a testament to how far we have come, as a tribe. We can confidently manage our own affairs. Health care is a primary part of that. We are committed to perpetuity and this building represents part of that."

Howlett said that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have more roads to travel on their way to providing in-house healthcare.

"This is not the end, this is the beginning of a re-evaluation of our capacity as a tribe to provide quality healthcare and to respond to the issues we face doing that," Howlett said. "We are still pushing money out the door."

But not as much as before and the Polson THHS clinic is a testament to that.

"This building was paid for before we turned a shovel of dirt," Howlett said. The funds for the $2.7 million clinic came from THHS billing third parties for the services they provided to people on programs like Medicare and Medicaid as well as private insurance companies.

Doreen Vallee, THHS elderly care coordinator, visited with folks while encouraging them to sign in the grand opening book. (B.L. Azure photo)

Contaminated soils discovered during excavation of the site required $300,000 to clean up. The clinic has $1 million in new equipment of which the IHS provided $400,000 in funding. There is an additional $1 million for staffing that will be paid for with revenues generated from the THHS clinics.

Howlett said THHS is currently seeking a fulltime physician for the clinic.

Presently 40 percent of the 11,000 people eligible for treaty-based healthcare use the THHS services as their primary provider.

Howlett said that young people - Indian children in particular - should look towards healthcare when choosing career paths. Healthcare is one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the nation and with the aging Baby Boomers sauntering towards retirement the field is predicted to continue to grow.

The new THHS clinic could be a carrot that lures some local young people into the healthcare field.

"Little kids should dream of becoming nurses, doctors, dentists, healthcare technicians, physical therapists, optometrists," Howlett said. "They are all here."

Prior to its April opening, the clinic was blessed by Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille traditional people.

"This place is a very special place of healing," Howlett said.

The 23,000-square-foot clinic - located catty-corner to the Lake County Courthouse - replaces the far less than optimum 1,800-square-foot clinic facility. The latter building was demolished and its footprint paved over. The area will be used for parking the mobile MRI and mammography vehicle when it pays its regularly scheduled visits to the clinic.

The former clinic could only provide emergency dental work; there wasn't a fulltime medical physician on staff; the pharmacy lacked privacy amenities; the waiting room was small and crowded; there wasn't physical therapy.

Scores of people took part in the Polson THHS clinic open house. (B.L. Azure photo)

The first floor contains: the main desk check-in; X-ray; six exam rooms; medical records; pharmacy and medical clinic.

The second floor contains: the dental and dental support center; optical office; administrative offices; and staff offices.

The third floor contains: physical therapy; behavioral health; community health; conference center; and THHS director's office.