JANUARY
Newest Peel Net Fer Swimming
8, 1979 PAGE 7
In its third week. Tribal vehicle
pool proves to be economical
addition to Tribal operation.
by Donna Behrend
The Tribe’s newest enter
prise has three fuel pumps, three
employees and plenty of room to
grow. The newly finished vehicle
pool is now open and ready for
H business but the services offered
|| are only for vehicles owned by
S the Tribes.
Delford Johnson is the
|| manager of the pool and is a
H veteran mechanic with ten years
IB of work on domestic cars and
■ diesel engines to his credit.
Lubeman Bob Quinn worked
Hg for the Tribal Garage for two and
P a half years until he made the
|| move to the vehicle pool in
mid-December. He does most
minor service work, brakes and
wheel packs. Bob is in hopes that
his boss will soon be training him
H to do some of the tuneups that
H come into the shop.
Vehicle pool secretary Delo-
■ res Kersey has been with the
U Tribes for a year. She keeps
careful tab of the mileage and
gas consumption of all tribally
owned vehicles and issues the
monthly bill to the Purchasing
department.
The vehicle pool idea was
conceived to help management
better control the seventy-plus
cars, trucks and vans in the
tribal fleet. And because each
pool vehicle gets fuel at the new
facility, Johnson can concentrate
on preventative maintenance
and help forestall any major
mechanical problems.
The garage area is cozy,
clean and well-lighted. The shop,
Johnson feels, is crowded al
ready, but is well equipped to do
all minor work. Johnson has the
right to seek competitively
priced services for any major
repairs such as overhauls and
body work.
Gas is supplied to the fleet
via three “gas boys” which
pump regular, unleaded and
diesel fuel. Each vehicle has its
own lock on the pumps and the
number of gallons of gas is
electrically tallied, then read
and recorded. The keys to the
individual locks enable drivers to
pump their own gas at any time
of the day or night. If a key is lost
or stolen the loss is reported
immediately to Johnson who in
turn replaces the lock with
another, leaving the original key
worthless.
Adjoining the garage is a
well-supplied stock room which
■has everything from air filters to
whitewall tires. There is also
covered parking for vehicles that
require longterm space.
Enterprise manager Ed
Manion hopes the vehicle pool
idea will “reduce the cost of
maintenance” for the tribal
fleet. “Also, I’m very happy with
Delford’s work and enthusiasm.”
Manion stated. “He’s the right
man for the job.”
PUMP YOUR OWN - A Kah-Nee-Ta shuttle bus driver gassed up while
vehicle pool head Delford Johnson recorded gallon totals. Operators of
tribal vehicles can fill their own tanks and are billed monthly.
Spilyay Tymoo Photos by CDS
Tank Develops Break
Over 3,000 gallons of fuel was
lost at the new Vehicle Pool when
a 6,000 gallon tank containing
regular gas developed a break
sometime last week.
Pool employees discovered
the break last week when alerted
by a Standard Oil Company
driver. He reported that when he
filled the tank every other day
Health Needs, coat'd
and what isn’t being provided by
the existing health and social
services, plans will begin to
wards bridging the gap. In bridg
ing the gap, priorities will be
established on what the people
feel is the right way to provide
good services to the community.
“It’s a community plan, not
Sal Sahme’s, or Tribal Council,
or management, but the com
munity,” Sahme said.
“If our community feels that
alcoholism is our biggest health
problem, then we need to put this
at the top of our list, and this
being the most important, then in
I turn, that tells our branch and
I department management, super-
I visors, and workers, that this is
I where most of our dollars, re
sources, and emphasis will be
I placed,” explained Sahme.
“I want as many people to be
aware (of the needs assess
ment),” said Sal, “people begin
to get misconceptions when not
, informed.”
Senior Lunch Set
Health Planner Sal Sahme
| announced this week that a
| luncheon will be held to inform
[ the Sr. Citizens of the upcoming
| health needs assessment survey.
The luncheon win be held at
I the Agency Longhouse on Janu-
ary 10, starting at 11:00 a.m.
the gauge would fluctuate very
little. In his opinion, the gas was
either being stolen or there was a
leak somewhere.
The cause of the break will
not be determined until late this
week when the tank is dug up.
The tank is still under warranty
and all work that has to be done
to repair-replace it, will be done
free of charge.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS - Mechanic Bob Quinn opened the door of the vehicle pool to take a tribal pick-up
for a test drive - Routine maintenance is done in the two available bays.
Eligibility for I.H.S. Health Services Explained
Individuals of Indian descent
who are members of a Federally
recognized Indian tribe and who
are not excluded from service by
other provisions of law may be
served by the contract health
service program in the Portland
Area when resources permit if
they meet the following condi
tions of eligibility:
(1) Reside within the States
of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, on
a reservation within a contract
health service delivery area.
(2) Do not reside on a reser
vation but reside within a con
tract health service delivery
area and (a) are members of
that tribe or tribes for which the
reservation was established, or
(b) maintain close economic and
social ties with that tribe or
tribes for which the reservation
was established. The close social
and economic ties must be certi
fied in writing by the certifying
official of the tribe for which the
reservation was established. An
Indian tribal employee is con
sidered to have established eco
nomic ties.
(3) If all other conditions for
contract health service eligi
bility are met, the non-Indian
wives and non-Indian dependent
children, under 18 years of age or
totally disabled, of eligible In
dian males will be eligible if
living in the same household and
are dependent on that household
for subsistence. Non-Indian de
pendent full-time students will be
treated as Indian students.
STUDENTS
Full-time students (vocation
al, technical, or academic) if
eligible under (1), (2), or (3)
above will be eligible for con
tract health services while at
tending school away from the
reservation, if they were eligible
for contract health services im
mediately prior to leaving for
school.
Eligibility will continue for
180 days after completion of the
course of study.
FOSTER CARE
Indian children who are
placed in foster care outside of
the contract health service de
livery area by either an order of
a court of competent jurisdiction
or by a signed consent for
placement (recognized in that
particular State) will be eligible
for contract health services.
MEDICAL PRIORITIES
When funds are insufficient
to provide the volume of contract
health services indicated as
needed by the population resid
ing within the contract health
services delivery area, priorities
for service shall be determined
on the basis of relative medical
need. The medical priorities
shall be determined by the Area
TRANSIENTS
Chief Medical Officer.
Persons who are temporarily ALTERNATE RESOURCES
employed away from their ser
Contract health services will
vice area, such as seasonal or not be authorized by Indian
migratory workers, shall be cov Health Service when, and to the
ered for contract health services extent that, alternate resources
as long as their temporary for the provision of necessary
employment requires absence medical services are available
from their service area.
and accessible. Refusal to apply
and complete the application
180 DAY RULE
Persons determined eligible process does not mean the re
per preceding paragraphs (1), sources are not accessible or
(2), or (3) will continue their available.
eligibility for 180 days from the PRIVATE INSURANCE
When an individual is enroll
date they leave the contract
ed in a private insurance plan,
health service delivery area.
the Indian Health Service will
pay the deductible balance of
covered services when such ser
vices are within existing priori
ties.
AUTHORIZATION FOR
CONTRACT HEALTH
SERVICES
Prior approval for nonemer
gency medical care must be
received by the provider before
treatment begins. Exceptions
may be made if the treatment is
performed on week-ends or holi
days. Otherwise payment will be
denied. Exceptions to prior ap
proval may be made by the
Service Unit Director, (1) if prior
approval was impracticable, or
(2) other good cause exists but no
exceptions may be made for
notices received more than 72-
hours after treatment is initiat
ed. Once an exception is made
and the provider is notified of the
policy, no further exceptions will
be made for that individual
and-or provider.
In emergency cases, author
ization will be given provided
notification is received within
72-hours after the beginning of
treatment. The 72-hour period
may be extended if the ordering
official determines that notifica-
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