Copyright © 2006 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved
News from the Cherokee Nation, OK
Copyright © 2006 CNO
TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – In what Bob Hurley, Sr., calls “one of the best community partnership actions” he has ever seen, the Cherokee Nation has donated, through Bob Hurley Ford of Tulsa, a specially equipped and modified Ford E-350 12-passenger van to the Bedouin Shriners of Muskogee to help them transport special-needs pediatric patients to Shriner hospitals across the country.
The Cherokee Nation officially presents a new passenger van to the Bedouin Temple Shriners of Muskogee. Pictured are Jim Bushnell, Johnnie Bonham, Steve Wright; Bob Hurley, Sr., CN Principal Chief Chad Smith, Tribal Councilors; Don Garvin, Bill John Baker and Paul Thomas. 
The van, priced at over $24,000, was modified by the dealership to carry 15 passengers, including the patients being transported.
“I think it’s awesome that Cherokee Nation is making this donation,” said Hurley.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith said the Cherokee Nation is pleased serve as a partner in the community in the true spirit of Ga-Du-Gi, the Cherokee word for “working together.”
“We are pleased to assist good community partners such as the Muskogee Shriners. They provide a vital service by providing access to quality health care to our most valuable resource, our children,” said Principal Chief Smith.
Johnnie Bonham, hospital chairman for the Bedouin Temple—Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in Muskogee, said that the Muskogee Shriners take care of pediatric patients in a 17-county area of southeastern Oklahoma, from just north of Pryor, all the way south to the Texas border and west to the Tulsa Shriners’ boundary. Most of the 14 counties within the Cherokee Nation’s tribal jurisdiction fall within the Shriners’ 17-county area.
“This van is very, very important in helping us get our kids to the right hospitals,” Bonham said. “Our current vans are old and have high mileage on them, so this new van is very, very important.”
Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Don Garvin, who was instrumental in helping secure funding and facilitating the transaction, said the Cherokee Nation is always glad to help those organizations who provide good service to the communities.
“We are glad to be able to help people who are helping our people,” said Garvin.
According to Bonham, the Muskogee Shriners currently have 899 active patients, with approximately 45 patients added per month. Among the 17 counties, Cherokee County currently has 68 active patients; Mayes County has 43; Sequoyah County has 61; and Muskogee County has 169.
The most common medical complaints the Muskogee Shriners deal with are cleft palates, burns, orthopedic problems such as scoliosis and spinal problems such as spina bifida.
Orthopedic patients in the Muskogee Shriner region will most likely be sent to Shreveport or St. Louis. Cleft palate patients usually go to Chicago, while the Galveston hospital usually takes burn patients.
If these hospitals are unable to take Muskogee patients, the Shriners must look to other hospitals, such as those in Los Angeles or Cincinnati. If a patient is critical and has to reach a hospital more quickly than a van could provide transportation, then the Muskogee Shriners will fly the patient and his or her parents. The Muskogee Temple currently has patients in both L.A. and Cincinnati hospitals.
When a child is born with or develops any of these problems, the procedure for getting assistance from the Muskogee Shriners is for parents to call the Shriners, says Bonham. After the parents call, they will be sent an application that requests help from the Shriners. The Shriners then forward this paperwork to the Shriner hospital that specializes in the child’s particular problem. Usually it takes a hospital at least one month to reply to the Muskogee Shriners with an appointment date for a patient. The Shriners then transport the patient and his or her parents to the hospital for the scheduled date.
Shriners do not charge for any of the services they provide, which includes van transportation, airfare to hospitals further away, and free lodging for a child’s parents for the duration of the child’s stay in the hospital. Food expenses will also be provided if a child’s parents need them. All expenses are covered by the Shriners through direct public donations or through fund-raising events and activities.
Bonham illustrates the importance of the donated van in miles driven. He says on average, a Shriner van is driven 2,000 miles per week, with Muskogee vans being driven to Shreveport approximately five times per week. From Muskogee, a trip to Chicago is 1,400 miles round-trip and a journey to Galveston is 1,090 miles round-trip.
“We appreciate very much the generosity of Cherokee Nation in giving us this van. We will put it directly to use to transport our patients to our hospitals,” said Harvey Johnson, Shriner recorder.
For more information on the Muskogee Bedouin Shriners, call 918-682-2761 or 1-888-782-8117, and/or visit Bedouin Shrine.
| Related Cherokee Nation contact information: |
|
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 |
Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org
Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation |
