The Latest: IHS head, tribal leaders testify before Congress

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Latest on a U.S. House subcommittee hearing that is discussing legislation aimed at fixing shortcomings at hospitals serving Native Americans (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

Tribal leaders and health care advocates have resumed testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee in Washington regarding proposed legislation aimed at fixing shortcomings at Indian Health Service facilities.

Victoria Kitcheyan is secretary of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. She says the complaints that fellow tribal members expressed over the poor quality of care offered at the IHS-run hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska, for years “fell on deaf ears,” until federal inspectors uncovered serious deficiencies at the facility over a year ago.

The testimony from tribal leaders before the House subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs is focusing on a measure that would allow the agency to offer incentives to recruit well-trained health care providers. It would also force the agency to change how it allocates funding used in part for specialty care.

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2:15 p.m.

Tribal leaders and the head of the federal agency responsible for providing health care services to Native Americans across the country have begun testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee in Washington.

Indian Health Service principal deputy director Mary Smith once again has admitted that her agency faces severe operational and staffing challenges.

The agency has been under scrutiny from Congress since February after federal inspectors found severe quality-of-care deficiencies at some IHS-run hospitals in the Great Plains.

Smith says her agency welcomes the attention that Congress is giving the facilities. She says the agency also welcomes the “momentum” that the publicity creates “for lasting quality improvements for these facilities.”

The hearing has been suspended until members of the committee vote on other legislation. The hearing is expected to resume in an hour.

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1:04 p.m.

Tribal leaders, health care advocates and the head of the federal agency responsible for providing health care services to Native Americans will testify Tuesday before a U.S. House subcommittee.

This will be the second time in less than a month that Indian Health Service principal deputy director Mary Smith testifies before members of Congress regarding proposed measures to overhaul the embattled agency.

The proposed legislation in the U.S. House would allow the agency to offer incentives to recruit well-trained health care providers. It would also force the agency to change how it allocates funding used in part for specialty care.

The agency is already implementing a series of reforms, some of which are in response to severe quality-of-care deficiencies inspectors recently found at IHS-run hospitals in the Great Plains.