Another federal agency accused of mismanagement

   

It is supposed to provide health services to about 2 million American Indians and Alaskan natives. But the Government Accountability Office charged Monday that the Indian Health Services, which often runs out of funds to pay for health care, managed to lose more than 5,000 pieces of equipment worth about $16 million in the period from 2004 to 2007.

Think $700,000 worth of IT equipment ruined by "bat dung" while in a storage room. A computer stolen from a New Mexico hospital -- and this was a desktop! -- containing 800 Social Security numbers and sensitive health information about Indians working in the uranium mines. To top it off, auditors found false purchasing documents created to mislead investigators.

The GAO blames mismanagement at the agency,

"IHS management has failed to establish a strong 'tone at the top,' allowing property management problems to continue for more than a decade with little or no improvement or accountability for lost and stolen property and compromise of sensitive personal data."

Officials at the agency disputed the findings, saying some items were later recovered and others were outdated anyway.

North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, promised hearings next week. "It's disgusting what's happening at the Indian Health Service," he said. "We have people dying because they can't get health care and then we get a report like this.

The report also represents something of a triumph for whistle-blower protection laws. The investigation was launched after one unnamed insider — identified in the report as a "cognizant property official" — called the GAO's fraud hotline.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Portrait of Mary Frank, whose husband died of lung cancer at the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Credit: Gail Fisher / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Thomas M. Wabnum]

July 22, 2008

For decades and centuries, Tribes have testified to Congress about federal services to Indians under federal trust responsibilities that stems from treaties.

In my responses to your articles of July 10 concerning OIG’s investigations into OST questionable contractual services cover up IHS is no different. Contemporary termination efforts exist by special federal employee appointments, under Indian preference, designed by the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. This actually extended the historical corrupt Indian agent syndrome into the present government Indian manager. It’s intent was to get Indian people from the field with real experience into management positions to develop and improve services to Indians. This intent started from the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887, its failure that caused permanent damage to Indians found in the Miriam Report of 1928 or “The Problems of Indian Administration.” Termination by federal employees.

The American Indian Policy Review Commission of 1977 reported to Congress in 12 volumes of books about conditions of Tribes from failed federal programs. Once again, the lack of an Indian Trust policy, the appointment of specific federal employees, Indian and non-Indian, and the ever decreasing federal budget of Indian services point to termination efforts but federal lip service that federal services are successful and resolving problems for tribes. Untrue. It’s termination by mismanagement. We need to protect the courageous IHS whistleblower because they place themselves in harm’s way and become targets for dismissal. Most importantly, why are the Tribes and NCAI not getting involved and letting a few whistleblower Indian employees take all the heat?

GAO, OIG, U.S. Court cases, Senate Panel Investigations, Congressional appointed Indian Commissions and many, non-government investigative reports all confirm failed federal trust services to Indians at the expense of the American taxpayers, the loss of Indians’ own money and natural resources and the general painting of Indians as a dysfunctional race.

Now the media is alerting this Country in the way our political powers systems; federal government (the President), Congress and the Courts, are consisting playing hot potato to escape federal and congressional responsibility, financial liability and the undeniable and perpetual mismanagement of federal trust services to Indian people. It’s an expensive appearance of Trust totaling billions to destroy a culture of people, American Indian, the original caretakers of this land. Why?

Thomas M. Wabnum
IIMAccountholder@comcast.net
Prairie Band Potawatomi
IIM Accountholder
Former Federal Programs Relocation survivor
Former Indian Boarding School survivor
Former Tribal Councilperson
U.S. Navy Viet Nam Veteran
BIA/OST retired

[Thomas M. Wabnum]

July 22, 2008

This is my second response to this article to include 2 recent reports concerning Indian Health Services.

In July 2003, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submitted another report to the long list of Indian reports called “A Quiet Crisis” federal funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country.

Also, in September 2004, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submitted another report to the long list of Indian reports called “Broken Promises” Evaluating the Native American Health Care System.

Both of these reports were presented to the President, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Once again, these reports give notice to our elected leaders the failures of federal programs under treaty and federal contractual agreements for services.

The Commission made 11 Recommendations and Recommendation 1 said this about accountability.

“Recommendations

1. The Native American crisis should be addressed with the urgency it demands. The administration should establish a bipartisan, action-oriented initiative at the highest level of accountability in the government, with representatives including elected officials, members of Congress, officials from each federal agency that funds programs in Indian Country, tribes, and Native American advocacy organizations. The action group should be charged with analyzing the current system, developing solutions, and implementing positive change.”

Why is it still being reported to Congress that mismanagement prevails in federal agencies administering Indian services? Decade after decade and century after century.

Thomas M. Wabnum
IIMAccountholder@comcast.net
Prairie Band Potawatomi
IIM Accountholder
Former Federal Programs Relocation survivor
Former Indian Boarding School survivor
Former Tribal Councilperson
U.S. Navy Viet Nam Veteran
BIA/OST retired

[Nena Phillips]

The problems within the Indian Health Service does not stop with property loss and damages, it continues with the unethical treatment of full blood Native American Indian women who work within this agency. I have knowledge of two Indian females forced to retire rather than be removed for non-prohibited personnel actions they were accused of. Now IHS is preparng to remove another full blood Native American from the Navajo Nation who is employed in the Rockville Headquarters IHS site. I have reported these practices to the Office of Special Counsel and to Senator Bryon Dorgan without any resolution or without any response. Is there someone I can go to to get this activity stopped? IHS is destroying lives for minor alleged infractions. I need advice. Thank you.