Community Support Letter

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_DATE_

To:       U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
            U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee
            U.S. House Appropriations Committee
            Senator Tim Johnson
            Senator John Thune
            Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth

Dear U.S. Congressional Members:

On Behalf of AGENCY/PROGRAM, I want to acknowledge South Dakota Urban Indian Health’s strong impact on health care for Indians living in the communities of Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and Pierre/Ft. Pierre.   South Dakota Urban Indian Health is well established in these communities (since 1977) and has grown in services, staffing and facility structure to become an essential community health care provider.

AGENCY/PROGRAM strongly supports the efforts to oppose the President’s FY 2007 proposed budget that would eliminate the Indian Health Service budget line item that funds the Urban Indian Health (UIH) programs.   Lack of accessibility and affordability to quality primary care providers would almost assuredly be the results these patients would suffer, if South Dakota Urban Indian Health clinics and services were eliminated.  An alarming result may also be that many patients may not seek care elsewhere at all, which would result in an increase in the health care disparity of Indians living in urban areas, along with placing a greater financial burden on the remaining facilities of care, especially hospital emergency rooms.

In the last year South Dakota Urban Indian Health provided direct patient care services to over 2,500 (unduplicated) Native Americans. Aside from primary medical care services, South Dakota Urban Indian Health provides critical health care services in a variety of areas including, alcohol/chemical dependency, mental health, immunizations, STD/HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, family planning, diabetes screening and case management, nutrition/exercise, transportation and community activities, such as home foot care, home fire safety and Native women’s wellness groups.  Additionally, South Dakota Urban Indian Health is an out-reach application center for the State Medicaid Program.

South Dakota Urban Indian Health provides a unique and non-duplicable health service to Indians living in urban areas that face extraordinary barriers to accessing mainstream health care.  South Dakota Urban Indian Health has the medical and cultural knowledge to address the unique cultural and medical needs of the urban Indian population. South Dakota Urban Indian Health is also better able to address the fact that movement back and forth from reservations to urban life has an impact on health care. Their direct relationship with tribes and Indian Health Services allows a better opportunity to develop continuity of care for these patients.

It is essential to continue South Dakota Urban Indian Health program services provided in the state of South Dakota.   INSERT  NAME OF AGENCY /PROGRAM would urge Congress to support a $12 million increase for Urban Indian programs in the FY 2007 budget.  Thank you for your time and attention to this very important matter.

Respectfully,

Name
Title