Copyright © 2003 NLThomas
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TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - The Cherokee Nation recently received an additional $4.7 million dollars for healthcare from the United States Congress. The additional funding will be used to provide basic health services, including specialized care and alcoholism prevention.

"Health care is an important issue to the Cherokee people", said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "We have been able to work with the federal government to help meet the health care needs of Indians in northeastern Oklahoma. This money will help treat cancer victims, diabetics, our parents, grandparents and children."

The additional money, which was part of the 2003 federal budget, is not a single year of funding, but instead money that can be budgeted from now on for health care for Cherokee people. The additional money will also help offset the rising costs of providing medical care.

"We can now rely on these new dollars year to year", said Chris Walker, executive director of the health services for the Cherokee Nation.

The $4.7 million dollars includes $2.6 million dollars for the Federal Disparity Index (FDI). That money goes to tribes whose health care systems are currently most underfunded by the federal government. FDI funding can be used to fund Cherokee Nation’s health care priorities.

"Now we know we can do some long-range planning for our health facilities and services", said Buel Anglen, who represents Tulsa and Washington counties on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council. "The funds are going to be spent to keep our facilities going and provide more services directly to the people."

"We’ve been fighting for this money for years", Smith said. "It doesn’t get us to where we need to be to provide health care to our people, but it is a step in the right direction."

The Cherokee Nation will also receive $1.1 million for contract health services. Contract health services are specialized treatments that are not provided at Indian Health Service hospitals or Cherokee Nation clinics, but are essential to health care. These services include treatment for cancer and other urgent, life-threatening diseases.

The $4.7 million in additional funding also includes $1 million for a community based alcohol prevention program.

"With these new recurring funds we are developing a comprehensive alcohol prevention program that will be community based", said Dr. John Gastorf, director of behavioral health for the Cherokee Nation.

The Alcohol Prevention Program will hire five community health partnership specialists who will cover the areas of methamphetamine abuse prevention, alcohol abuse prevention, a drug court, HIV/AIDS education and an outreach program for high school students.

"This program will be community based using the strengths of each community to form a coalition with existing community programs", Gastorf said. "We can then begin to target specific community issues and bring about measurable outcomes."

"While we did get new funding, we are still below the 40% level of need", said Chris Walker, executive director of health services for the Cherokee Nation. "For contract health services we are still severely underfunded and must refer care through a medical priority system."

"It took a lot of hard work by Chad Smith and his staff to get this done", said Barbara-Starr Scott, chair of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council’s Health Committee. "Some of us on the Council worked extra hard to get this extra money, too, and we’re happy it’s here."

The Cherokee Nation operates health clinics in Jay, Muskogee, Salina, Stilwell, Sallisaw, Nowata, Bartlesville and Vinita. These patients served by these clinics will benefit from the additional funding.

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma Attn: (Department Name) P.O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465 Telephone: 918-456-0671 (Toll Free OK) 1-800-256-0671