Indian Health Service makes changes ahead of big Senate hearing

On the eve of a key hearing on Capitol Hill, the Indian Health Service is making a number of changes in a troubled region of the agency.

According to a letter posted by The Sioux Falls Argus Leader, the Great Plains Area will get a new acting director. Kevin Meeks, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, temporarily replaces Ron Cornelius, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin who has been reassigned elsewhere within the agency.

The IHS is also sending four Commissioned Corps Officers to the Great Plains to assist as "medical and quality assurance personnel." Facilities in the region, which includes Nebraska and South Dakota, have been repeatedly cited for serious deficiencies. Additionally, a "team of agency senior staff" will also address management issues in the region, according to the letter.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2016/020260.asp