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Introduction and Background of the Sioux Valley Health Centre
In 1987, the federal government adopted a recommendation
for an administrative change to local, on-reserve health services.
this federal policy change was intended to enhance First Nation
self-government through Health Program Transfer to local band control.
The goal of his new policy was to enable bands to develop and administer
local health programs that would address band council health care
priorities.
As a result, of this initiative, the Sioux Valley
First Nation #290 undertook the process necessary to transfer their
on-reserve health services to band control during the years of 12988 to
1992, withy actual transfer occurring in 1995. this transfer is
essentially described as First Level Transfer and consists of the
administration of on-reserve services such as public health programs,
chronic-elder care and primary care thought the on-site clinic.
Second Level Transfer refers to the services provided through the Zone
Medical Services Branch Office and the Third Level Transfer refers to
the services offered at a Regional Medical Services Branch Level.
Second and Third Level Transfer would include such things as health
education, nutrition, environmental health supervision, medical
officers, and dental prevention services. Although the agreement
is fairly clear on the transfer of First Level Services, it is less
clear on what 2nd and 3rd level services were transferred to Band
control. The Medical Officer for Health, a Second Level Service,
for example, has been transferred to the community. There is
suggestion in the agreement that the community would assume other 2nd or
3rd level services in future years. (Memorandum of Understanding between
Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and the Department of National Health and
Welfare, Medical Services Branch, Manitoba Region, 1995 (Draft Only #1))
Since 1995, the on-reserve services have evolved and
adapted tot he perceived needs of the community. Table 1 indicates
the current programs administered through the Sioux Valley Band and the
number of personnel in each program as of January 1999.
Since the transfer process, a Health Committee has
been in place to assist with the overall governance of the Health
Centre. The current committee ahs been in place since May of 1997.
This Health Committee determined that a review of the Health Centre
would be an important step in assessing whether the Centre is meting the
needs of the community it serves. To that end, the committee
requested proposals from several organizations to assist with
coordination of a review process.
WESTARC Group inc. was awarded the contract to
coordinate the review and the process began in June of 1988 when WESTARC
met briefly with the health staff and Health Committee during the course
of a Sioux Valley Health Centre planning meeting. |
