Health Center A Game Changer For New Town

Where some see an impressive building, MHA Nation Tribal Chairman Mark N. Fox sees a game changer, maybe even a life extender.

The Community Health Resources Center opening next year in New Town will be a major leap toward healing for the tribal community on Fort Berthold.

“Our native people suffer a greater level of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease,” Fox said. “We can put ourselves into the position not to just treat diabetes, but to possibly cure it. These are leaps and bounds we’ve identified for ourselves. You must have the physical structure to do that. That’s what this new medical campus is shooting for.”

Health is simply the highest priority, according to Councilwoman Dr. Monica Mayer.

“As a doctor working in tribal government, my job is improving the health of the nation,” she said. “If we aren’t healthy, we can’t work, we can’t do anything.”

An effort to consolidate and improve health services for all six communities on Fort Berthold into one campus in New Town has been ongoing over a handful of years, according to Jared Eagle, tribal health administrator.

“In 2021, we opened the Diabetes Education Center. Last year, the new kidney dialysis unit,” he said.

The Community Health Resource Center opening in May will have three floors and centralize key health services, including physical, speech and occupational therapy, public health, a community health representative, infant and toddler programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and more. Optometry and dental services will also get updated facilities.

The best part?

“All of these will be in one building, so patients can access all of their health care in one place,” Eagle said.

Mayer called Eagle a driving force for the effort.

“We are thankful for Jared and his strong commitment to the community. That’s what it takes – people who are  educated, committed and not afraid of hard work,” she said.

It’s one thing to build and centralize the services the community needs. Fox said their ambition goes even further – to a higher level of healing. He pointed to the slated state-of-the-art Regenerative Clinic, which is designed to treat pain and restore health without surgery or oral medications.

“It’s about getting to the root of their ailments using science and technology, not pills. Getting to the cause of what makes people susceptible to these illnesses,” Fox said.

The new buildings and services will also help with another rural challenge – recruiting health care professionals.

“It’s difficult to get them into a rural area,” Eagle said.

The tribe has already built housing for medical staff.

“We’ve finished a significant number of housing units,” Fox said.

The entire effort is tribal council approved and 90% tribally funded.

“It shows the emphasis tribal leadership has put into our health care,” Eagle said. “It’s better for the community as a whole.”

The Diabetes Center’s indoor walking track, gym and healthy cooking classes are already open to any community member in New Town. Eventually, more services will extend to non-tribal residents.

“That’s the long-term goal, once the facilities are done and we’re able to increase capacity,” Eagle said.

“Many of our workers are non-tribal,” Fox said. “The long-term answer is to build such a good facility where we can offer services outward, too.”

Currently, local residents travel as far as Minot or Bismarck for many health care services.

Eagle says partnerships with cooperatives like Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative have been instrumental in getting this work done.

In rural areas, it can be difficult getting access to all the utilities needed.

“Fortunately for us, our local cooperatives provide all the needed utilities and we do not have that issue here on Fort Berthold,” Eagle said. ”Access to electricity and telecommunication fiber allows us to offer telehealth appointments, improving access to care in our rural areas.”

Fox said the time is right to think big and credited the tribe’s decision to move into energy and develop oil and gas trust assets. Mayer cited PL638, which allows the tribe to manage health services.

“We have managed the health care since 2008,” Mayer said. “The tribe spends $40 million a year for members of the Sanford Health plan, which includes 7,000 members.”

Her goals for this four-year term are to build a hospital with an emergency room, add nursing home and assisted living facilities, as well as continue to address drug abuse and mental health by investing in infrastructure.

“Overall, I’d like to see improved quality services for everybody and anybody who comes into our community,” Mayer said.

“It’s not just treating disease, but recovering wellness. That’s why this is so important,” Fox said.

Progress is already being made, though there’s still a long way to go. Mayer pointed to a lifespan for Native Americans of 51.9 years for males and females – 20 years less than the rest of the nation.

“In order to improve quality of life, we must have access,” Mayer said. “The only way to do this is through partnerships. It’s amazing what we can do when we work together.”

 

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_{Photo: Aerial view of the Elbowoods Memorial Health Campus (EMHC)}