New details are emerging about the Native Women’s Health Clinic in Rapid City. That program has not seen any patients since April of 2023.
Those details include why two tribes are pulling their federal shares from the program.
Three West River tribes combine their funding for a native women’s health program for women who live in Rapid City.
The program is administered by the Oglala Sioux Tribe with help from shares from Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes through the Indian Self Determination Act.
In the resolutions obtained by SDPB, both Rosebud and Cheyenne River tribes pulled their shares for two reasons: failure to hire or contract with any providers and letters by a longtime Rapid City OBGYN detailing the “dismal state of affairs” of health care for Native women in Rapid City.
“I think I speak for the other providers of women’s health care in our region when I say the lack of access to prenatal care for Native American women in western South Dakota, compounded by the syphilis epidemic, is a major cause of maternity compilations and poor obstetrical outcomes,” wrote Dr. Marvin Buehner in a letter to CRST Chairman Ryman LeBeau dated April 1, 2024. “I hope that the stakeholders involved in this issue can come together to address this growing crisis in an expeditious manner.”
After OST assumed the contract for Native Women’s Healthcare Clinic, when providers left the clinic, positions remained vacant. When the last provider was gone, Dr. Buehner—who has worked in Native women’s health care since 1993—took on part-time contract physician work for the clinic half a day a week. That’s in addition to running his own private practice. He resigned in April 2023.
In a letter to the clinic director, Buehner said he resigned that part-time work with a heavy heart, “not because of any financial concerns, I resigned because I came to believe I was simply enabling a failed health care facility decidedly in need of a new contractual administrative entity.”
Writing in April 2023, Dr. Buehner said his unreimbursed work going back to October 2022 totals more than $23,000. He added wrote Native Women’s Health Clinic has lost respect of the medical and patient community.
“Many of our patients are experiencing high risk-pregnancies with serious complications, but often cannot get the appointments they need, or do not show up for the appointments they have. There is reason to believe this is at least partly due to a lack of trust in the clinic to provide adequate care.”
Now, Dr. Buehner said back pay is all paid up.
In January, OST President Frank Star Comes Out told SDPB the lack of funding makes the clinic program a "tough deal," but that the tribe is addressing it.
Both Rosebud and Cheyenne River are transferring their women’s health shares to the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, which operates Oyate Health Center on the grounds of the old Sioux San campus in Rapid City.
In a letter to the Great Plains Area Indian Health Service director, Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Scott Herman said the tribe is taking the step reluctantly.
"And only after multiple efforts over many years and meeting directly and through the Mni Luzaha Wicozani Advisory Committee, the advisory committee to the GPTLHD Board of Directors regarding the Oyate Health Center, to avoid having to take this action," Herman said.
"While we are grateful to OST for the work it did in managing the women’s health and CHR programs for the Oceti Sakowin, circumstances have changed and our women and children and their families deserve more than OST can offer," Herman added.
