Published Bi-Weekly for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska • Volume 44, Number 3, Wednesday, February 10, 2016 Indians 3-Peat as L&C Conference Champions Bago Bits… The Heart and Soul of the Winnebago Lady Indians Basketball team on Par- ent’s Night last week; left to right: Coach Christine, Manager Charli, Kae & Isabel, and Coach O.C. “The Earths.” The Winnebago Indians this past Monday Night once again captured the Lewis & Clark Conference Basketball Tournament Championship, beating the Class D1 #6 ranked Randolph Cardinals, 58-55. The Indians once again banked on their determination and love of basketball to get them past 3 other opponents on their way to the Championship. On Saturday the Indians disposed of Class D1 #7 ranked Walthill Blujays, 83-72, Winnebago’s top scorer, #50 Junior David Wingett scored 39 against the Blujays for the W. The night before the Indians took care of the Creighton Bulldogs, 70-61. The Tournament opener was a home game against the Homer Knights who beat Winside to advance to the Winnebago home court game. Winnebago won that game, 75-32. This Saturday the Indians fl y to Grand Island, Nebraska to face off against Class C1 #9 ranked Gothenburg in the Heartland Hoops Classic. Go Big Blue! Winnebago IHS Hospital Update… From the Winnebago Tribe of Ne- ment shortfalls. Committee on Indian Affairs held an braska Tribal Council The Omnibus Appropriations bill oversight hearing in Washington, D.C. Winnebago Indians Head Coach, Jeff states "The Committees are concerned on "Reexamining the Substandard Berridge recently played in the opening Hospital Staffi ng about loss and potential loss of CMS Quality of Indian Health Care in the game of the fi rst season for the Sioux City Tracy Reed is currently the Acting Accreditation status at multiple IHS- Great Plains" followed by a Listening Hornets, the new local ABA professional basketball team. The Hornets won 104 CEO of the hospital. The CEO position operated facilities. These facilities are Session on "Putting Patients First: to 102 against the Topeka (Kansas) Avia- has been advertised and IHS is the all located within the same Service Addressing Indian Country's Critical tors. Jeff scored 19 points. process of scheduling interviews with Area, suggesting that the problems are Concerns Regarding IHS." Treasurer candidates. IHS has also been working systemic. Whatever the causes, the Victoria Kitcheyan provided testimony on advertising and fi lling many other Committees consider the loss of accredi- at the hearing, which is available for key management and medical provider tation to be an emergency." viewing online at http://www.indian. positions. Currently, the Winnebago IHS Hos- senate.gov/hearing/oversight-hearing- The Winnebago and Omaha Tribal pital is the only IHS hospital that has reexamining-substandard-quality- Chairpersons are now invited to partici- actually lost its CMS certifi cation, but indian-health-care-great-plains. pate in interviews of key management the Rosebud and Oglala Sioux IHS facili- Vice-Chairman Vince Bass and positions at the hospital. ties in South Dakota are also experienc- Tribal Councilman Isaac Smith also Regular Meetings with IHS ing CMS certifi cation issues. IHS has provided comments at the Listening The Tribe has continued to meet not yet provided details about how this Session on behalf of the Tribe, which with IHS on a regular basis to review money will be used. available for viewing at http://www. the status of operations and the IHS's Tribal Advocacy & Support indian.senate.gov/hearing/listening- corrective action plan (CAP) for the The Tribe has also been continuing session-putting-patients-fi rst-address- Winnebago IHS hospital. This includes its efforts to gain support and resources ing-indian-countrys-critical-concerns. The HoChunk Renaissance Project recent- weekly conference calls and monthly in at the Regional and National levels. Compacting ly hosted a “Family Game Night,” at the person meetings. The Tribal Chairwoman participates In the meantime, the Tribe is pro- HoChunk Center. A variety of games were The CAP was created by a 3rd party in regular meetings with the Great ceeding with development of a plan to played; Kasu, number bingo, clan match- consultant hired by IHS do a complete Plains Tribal Chairman's Health Board assume control over the hospital under ing game & HoChunk Jeopardy. Here are assessment of hospital operations to to discuss healthcare issues faced by all a PL 95-638 Indian Self Determination some of the participants playing Kasu. ensure compliance with all regulations Tribes in the Great Plains Region. Act compact. and accreditation requirements. As we reported before, Tribal repre- Various options are being explored The assessment identifi ed 97 items sentatives traveled to Washington D.C. to determine how and when this will needing corrective action. IHS staff have in September 2015 to discuss the issues take place. assured us they have been making prog- at the Winnebago IHS hospital. Meet- Community meetings are being held ress on the corrective actions. ings were held with congressional rep- to provide information to tribal and IHS currently projects that it will resentatives, the HHS Secretary's Tribal community members as well as current complete all necessary corrective actions Advisory Committee and the National IHS employees about this process. by March 2016. Whether this internal Indian Health Board (NIHB). The Tribe has a hired a consultant IHS deadline will be met is unknown at The NIHB is a national advocacy to assist with the planning and devel- this time. organization representing tribal govern- opment for the hospital operations, as Once all correction actions have been ments on health related issues, includ- well as special legal counsel to assist completed, IHS will work with CMS on ing policy formation and analysis, leg- with the negotiation of the compact the process for recertifi cation. islative tracking, research and technical agreement with IHS. Certifi cation assistance. And lastly, on January 27th, the In October 2015, Tribal leaders The NIHB meeting included a meet- Tribal Council sent a letter and an as- The Winnebago Lady Indians Dance participated in a fi eld hearing held by ing with Acting IHS Director, Robert sociated resolution to all Winnebago Team put on a show at the recent Home representatives from the U.S. House McSwain followed by a Listening Session Hospital employees stating the intent Games of the Winnebago Indians. Appropriations Committee in Sioux with IHS leaders where tribal attendees of the Winnebago Tribe is to maintain Thanks & Congratulations Girls! City, Iowa to learn about budget issues had an opportunity to voice questions the organizational health of the hospital resulting from termination of the CMS and concerns. The NIHB Board of Di- and retain eligible employees. certifi cation at the IHS Hospital. rectors adopted a resolution in support We are committed to keeping open In December 2015, Congress passed of the Winnebago and Omaha Tribes lines of communication with the IHS an appropriations bill that included $2 relating to issues at the IHS hospital. employees as we work toward tran- million in new, fl exible funding to assist In January 2016, Vice-Chairman sition. Quality healthcare for tribal IHS with taking actions necessary at Vince Bass attended another meeting members continues to be a top priority IHS Hospitals facing CMS accreditation with the National Indian Health Board for the Tribal Council. We continue to issues. The purpose is to ensure that in Washington, D.C. to provide the mem- hear concerns and questions from the CMS accreditation status is reinstated bers with an update on the status of the community. We are working hard to and retained, and once reinstated, to re- IHS Hospital issues. take action and make decisions in the store third-party insurance reimburse- On February 3, 2016, the Senate best interest of the Tribe. Indianz.com… Bernie Sanders won Democratic precinct on Meskwaki Reservation “45 years ago,” on January 14, 1971 the Winnebago Indian squeaked by the Wednesday, February 3, 2016 is what we’re doing globally now and ment shakeup at the Indian Health Homer Knights 47 to 46. Greg Bass had Democratic presidential candi- that has got to change,” Sanders said, Service on Wednesday, arguing that 20 points for the Indians and John Snyder date Hillary Clinton eked out a narrow according to his campaign. the last-minute changes are preventing chipped in 15 for the Indians win. This win in the caucuses in Iowa on Monday Despite the strong showing for Sand- Congress and the public from fi nding was published the same night the Win- night but Indian voters on one reser- ers on the reservation, the rest of Tama out the truth about the substandard nebago Indians played the Homer Knights vation showed a lot more support to County went for Clinton. She won 52.9 quality of care their people receive. in the fi rst round of the Lewis & Clark rival Bernie Sanders. percent of the vote, compared to 47.1 The IHS announced the removal Conference Tournament. According to the results from the percent for Sanders. Overall, Clinton of Ron Cornelius as the director of Democratic party, the Senator from won the state by just 0.2 percentage the Great Plains Area just two days Vermont won a whopping 83.3 percent points, according to the results. before a major Senate Indian Affairs of the vote at the Indian Settlement As for the Republicans, the party did Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. precinct in Tama County. Members of not put up a precinct on the reserva- But even though tribes have criticized the Meskwaki Tribe caucused at their tion this year. No one attended the GOP Cornelius's performance, they insisted tribal center and only gave 16.7 per- caucus when it was held at the tribal they weren't told in advance about the cent of their votes to Clinton, a former center in January 2012, Mark Trah- decision.