May 2010: Historical malpractice and patient mistreatment, community members to fight for the rights of Native American Indians to receive their Treaty Rights for adequate health care at the Sioux San Hospital/Rapid City Service Unit (RCSU).
December 2010[1]: The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs publishes a report, “In critical condition: The urgent need to reform the Indian Health Service’s Aberdeen Area.”
May 2011[2]: Community members report they would rather go to Rapid City Regional Hospital and “Rapid City Indian Health Service was criticized for administering Band-Aids and Tylenol, and Indians would rather get their health care elsewhere.”
Spring 2012: Community members, Jim Boyd and Jim Shaw, bring their concerns about care provided by the Sioux San facility to the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board (GPTCHB).
2012: Unified Health Board (UHB). Concerned community members approached the Rosebud Health Board with problems they were facing at Sioux San which led to the formation of the Unified Health Board of Rapid City. A group comprised of representatives from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe organized to help people who utilize the Sioux San IHS facility/Rapid City Service Unit provide feedback regarding the quality of care.
December 2012[3]: Rapid City Indian Health Committee, a grass roots organization created to respond to individual complaints about inadequate health care at the Sioux San Hospital.
April 15, 2014: Winnebago IHS Hospital Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey results in “Immediate Jeopardy” conditions.
April 29, 2014: Winnebago IHS Hospital complaint results in a letter indicating Winnebago facility’s inability to bill to Medicare.
May 15, 2014: Winnebago IHS Hospital remains in noncompliance with CMS standards and “Immediate Jeopardy” conditions persist.
July 17, 2014: Winnebago IHS Hospital surveyed by CMS again but still resulted in “Immediate Jeopardy” conditions.
July 30, 2014: Winnebago IHS Hospital received a full statement of deficiencies from CMS and announcement of a final survey before the hospital’s final CMS termination date.
February 2015: UHB responds to community member concerns for lack of adequate patient complaint portal. Devise tribal advisory board for the Rapid City Service Unit and engage GPTCHB to provide technical assistance to tribal leaders to address ongoing problems.
2015: Rosebud Indian Hospital was inspected.
May 2015: Winnebago Service Unit subject of “immediate jeopardy” findings from CMS.
July 2015: Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to Winnebago Service Unit are suspended as a result of findings.
August 12, 2015: IHS issues a Dear Tribal Leader Letter announcing the settlement in Oglala Sioux Tribe v. Secretary Burwell. “The settlement resolves claims by IHS employees for overtime compensation for work they performed in federally operated hospitals and clinics for which they were not adequately paid.
January 20, 2016: National Indian Health Board (NIHB) resolution calls for Indian Health Service accountability and creation of an oversight task force.
February 3, 2016: Senate Oversight Hearing “Reexamining the Substandard Quality of Indian Health Care in the Great Plains.” held in Washington, DC. NIHB Billings Area Board member, Mr. Charles Headdress, provided testimony.
March 2016: GPTCHB begins series of tribal education opportunities related to Title I (Self-Determination) and Title V (Self-Governance) about P.L. 93-638.
March 23, 2016: IHS announces new Nursing Director at Omaha Winnebago Hospital.
April 8, 2016: The Pine Ridge IHS Hospital is found in violation of two provisions of Medicare Conditions of Operation and loses ability to bill Medicare or Medicaid.
April 29, 2016: Tribal Management Grants become available for Tribes and Tribal organizations to prepare for assuming all or part of existing IHS programs, functions, services and activities, and further develop and improve their health management capabilities. Deadline for applications was June 1, 2016.
April 30, 2016: Pine Ridge Public Health Service Indian Hospital signs a Systems Improvement Agreement with the CMS to facilitate the delivery of quality health care services and promote consistent compliance with all of the applicable Medicare Conditions of Participation.
April 30, 2016: Rosebud Public Health Service Indian Hospital signs a Systems Improvement Agreement with the CMS to facilitate the delivery of quality health care services and promote consistent compliance with all of the applicable Medicare Conditions of Participation.
May 5, 2016: IHS begins seeking proposals to expand telehealth services in Great Plains.
May 12, 2016: Congress Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) calls for a system-wide audit of the IHS through the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
May 10-12, 2016: Sioux San Hospital/Rapid City Service Unit (RCSU) placed on immediate jeopardy following a CMS inspection about the hospitals ability to bill for Medicaid/Medicare services.
May 13, 2016: Announcement of new IHS and CMS partnership for IHS hospitals to receive assistance from a CMS-supported Hospital Engagement Network. The purpose is to help health care facilities deliver better care and to spend dollars efficiently.
2016: The Pine Ridge Indian Hospital was inspected by CMS and given a notice of termination. CMS is closely monitoring the relocation of Medicare and Medicaid patients to other facilities.
2016: Cheyenne River Service Unit placed on similar Service Improvement Agreements with CMS for similar negligence.
May 23, 2016: The IHS Sioux San Hospital in Rapid City, SD is found to have “immediate threats to the health and safety” of patients by CMS.
June 1, 2016: Announcement of consultation with Tribal leaders on a draft policy statement that proposes an expansion in the use of community health aides at Indian Health Service facilities across the country. Facilities operated by Tribes and the IHS could see expanded opportunities under the new draft policy for these aides, which could also include dental health aide therapists. Deadline is October 27, 2016.
June 2, 2016: IHS announces to Great Plains Tribal leaders a 90-day comment period on the restructuring of the Great Plains Area Office.
June 13, 2016: Tribal leaders call for the closure of the IHS Great Plains Area Office.
June 17, 2016: The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an oversight field hearing in Rapid City, SD. The NIHB provided official testimony for the record, along with the William Bear Shield, Chairman the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Tribal health directors from the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Spirit Lake.
June-December 2016: Rapid City Service Unit community engagement reveals numerous concerns regarding inability to bill for services and respond to patient complaints.
June 2016: GPTCHB’s Board of Directors and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association pass joint Resolution 2016-01, calling for supporting “the closure and removal of all funding and personnel from Great Plains [Area] Office of the Indian Health Service”, decentralizing Area activities in favor of local oversight.
June 2016[4]: Indian Health Service Principal Deputy Director Mary L. Smith requests comments and recommendations on the organization and structure of the IHS Great Plains Area Office: GPTCHB responds by developing a work-group resulting in Tribal leadership requesting an independent analysis of the IHS Great Plains Area Office operations and recommendations for its restructuring.
July 12, 2016: The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resource Committee’s Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing on “Helping Ensure Accountability, Leadership, and Trust in Tribal Healthcare Act” (H.R. 5406) in Washington, DC. NIHB and GPTCHB both provided official testimony at the hearing.
July 14, 2016: Rosebud IHS Hospital Emergency Room reopens.
July 20, 2016: Sixty-day consultation period opens on the IHS draft Quality Framework. The Framework focuses on federally operated facilities to align with the following quality priorities: 1) Strengthen organizational capacity to improve quality of care and systems; 2) Meet and maintain accreditation for IHS direct service facilities; 3) Align service delivery processes to improve patient experience; 4) Ensure patient safety; and 5) Improve processes and strengthen communications for early identification of risks.
July 20, 2016: IHS launches a new pilot project to increase Medicaid and Medicare enrollment of IHS patients at 6 facilities in 4 states (Phoenix, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana). The Pilot is expected to increase resources available for IHS to spend on patient care.
September 2016: Indian Health Service decides to temporarily close the Sioux San Hospital Emergency Department and Inpatient Services, decreasing their ability to bill for those services, and focuses on providing outpatient and urgent care services.
October 2016: Tribal leadership workgroup convened to formulate recommendations for restructuring the Indian Health Service Great Plains Area Office via formation of five subcommittees: Budget & Finance, Third-Party Billing, Behavioral Health, Purchased and Referred Care, and Human Resources.
January 2017: Initial “immediate jeopardy” status at Pine Ridge Hospital is lifted entering them in a Service Improvement Agreement to improve services provided to tribal members.
June 2017: Oglala Sioux Tribe calls for joint meeting of representatives to seek consensus on moving forward, resulting in requesting GTPCHB to assume management and construction contract on behalf of the three tribes.
July 2017: Indian Health Service gives notice to Congress that it intends to permanently close the Sioux San Hospital inpatient and emergency departments decreasing their overall third-party billing/revenue capacity.
November 2017: Pine Ridge Hospital is again placed on “immediate jeopardy” status, and participation in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement is again suspended.
December 2017: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST), Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) and Rosebud Sioux Tribe (RST) adopted resolutions authorizing GPTCHB and Dr. Donald Warne to explore feasibility of developing a tribally managed health system consisting of RCSU serving as a specialty care referral site for CRST, OST and RST.
December 2017: IHS released a Request for Information to conduct market research regarding the design, construction, equipping, and startup of a new 200,000 sq. ft. outpatient health facility at 3200 Canyon Lake Drive.
January 4, 2018: Indian Health Service begins soliciting proposals for the design, construction, and equipping of the proposed outpatient facility to replace Sioux San Hospital.
January 20, 2018: Unified Health Board passes motion for GPTCHB assistance in drafting resolutions requesting GPTCHB assume management of RCSU on behalf CRST, OST, RST.
January 30, 2018: GPTCHB hosts Rapid City community and CRST, RST and OST Joint Council Session to discuss Sioux San Resolution Action.
February 14, 2018: IHS releases a Request for Qualifications as an unrestricted two-phase design build construction procurement in support of the Rapid City Outpatient Facility Design Build Construction project.
March 2 2018: IHS solicits proposal for a design build contractor. Direct indication that IHS has already begun expending funds thus diminishing opportunity to switch to a PL 93-638 proposal; expedites process for GPTCHB.
March 19, 2018: Deadline for tribal firms interested in being considered as a prime contractor for an IHS-managed Design Build project
April 4, 2018: OST passes resolutions requesting and authorizing GPTCHB to assume programs, services, functions and activities and construction of Sioux San IHS.
April 5, 2018: CRST passes resolutions requesting and authorizing GPTCHB to assume programs, services, functions and activities and construction of Sioux San IHS.
April 19, 2018: RST passes resolutions requesting and authorizing GPTCHB to assume programs, services, functions and activities and construction of Sioux San IHS.
April 20, 2018: GPTCHB issues a press release regarding GPTCHB’s proposed assumption of Rapid City Service Unit.
April 20, 2018: GPTCHB requests an informal review of its eligibility to participate in self-governance under Title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 or 638 Act.
May 10, 2018: The Bush Foundation has approved the GPTCHB a grant of $150,000 and additional $150,000 toward startup costs to equal $300,000.
May 11, 2018: Formation of the Mni Luzahan Wicozani (Rapid Waters Health) Advisory Committee. The UHB met at the GPTCHB and designated three representatives from Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe and three Rapid City Community members who use Sioux San hospital form the Advisory Committee. Monthly meetings fluctuated between Sioux San employees and community engagement.
May 11, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani meeting with Rapid City Service Unit
June 2018: Rosebud Hospital is removed from “immediate jeopardy” status but findings by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require corrective action by November
June 14, 2018: GPTCHB hosts Community Advisory Committee Member recruitment Meeting at GPTCHB Conference Center
June 15, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani Community meeting
July 27, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani Sioux San employee engagement meeting
August 1, 2018: GPTCHB is funded for Bush Foundation grant to develop a tribal medical center
August 15, 2018: GPTCHB hosts RCSU Advisory Committee to answer questions at the GPTCHB Conference Center
August 16, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani Community meeting
August 30, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani site visit to Cherokee Indian Hospital
September 2018: GPTCHB submitted Title I program proposal to IHS
September 25, 2018: Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender expresses support for the proposed relocation of Rapid City Service Unit
October 18, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani and GPTCHB supports Rapid City concerned community members in discussion forum at Mother Butler Center
October 24, 2018: Mni Luzahan Wicozani Community meeting and presentation at the Journey Museum
February 2019: Assumption of PSFAs for Rapid City Service Unit