PHOENIX – Rochelle Chee went diligently to the Phoenix Indian Medical Center for pregnancy exams for months. She knew a midwife and other staff there well and was confident that she would go to the facility to give birth to her first baby to grow up, in the 90th percentile for its gestational age. That’s why the Navajo woman was shocked when she was 40 weeks pregnant when she learned that the hospital had shut down obstetrics without notice. When I saw PIMC throughout my pregnancy and at the last minute, I had to go elsewhere, ”said Chee, 30 “My baby and I felt abandoned.” 26 has left dozens of expectant mothers like Chee looking for obstetrics elsewhere – and faced some at unexpected, high costs. Some say they received conflicting explanations and unclear directions on what to do next. The Indian Federal Health Service said in an email to Indian Country Today on Friday that the closure is temporary and related to “facility infrastructure, equipment and staffing challenges.” There was no reopening date. “PIMC is working to resume obstetric services when they can be provided in a safe environment,” the statement said. The hospital continues to provide specialized prenatal and gynecological care and will facilitate patient care in the near future. said the agency. “Patient safety is a top priority for the Indian health service.” He didn’t answer questions about how he advises expectant mothers in need of his obstetrics .——— ‘UNSAFE CONDITIONS’ Located near downtown Phoenix Indian Medical Center provides health care to more than 140,000 people in the greater Phoenix area. “The tribal identity of the eligible beneficiaries who are cared for at the PIMC is representative of 67 percent of the 573 nationally recognized tribes,” states its website, the umbrella of the health service, which cares for tribal citizens under federal obligation. It has provided prenatal and childbirth services for decades. The Phoenix Indian Medical Center passed all questions to the Indian Health Service, which did not provide details on the number of patients affected. However, a source familiar with the inner workings of the hospital said nearly 200 patients have been referred in the past few weeks. The person was not allowed to speak publicly and only spoke to Indian Country Today on condition of anonymity. The decision to close the midwifery services was an abrupt one and was made by the PIMC board of directors in response to an internal review recommending the closure due to “unsafe conditions,” “the source said. In its statement, the Indian Health Service identified aging facilities and said its Phoenix office had embarked on a master planning project that will include the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. “Our healthcare facilities are on average 39 years old. “Was the statement. “That of course means that many, such as PIMC, are even older. The industry average is 11 years. Facilities built 40 or 50 years ago were not designed to meet current standards. ”The source said more than a dozen doctors, nurses and midwives have been reassigned. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent out A letter to Indian Health Services Director Michael Weahkee seeking answers after being informed of the closure in September. “Given the significant impact this could have on Indigenous American families in our state and across the region, we ask for.” more information on the closure and when the Indian Health Service (HIS) expects to resume these services at PIMC or an alternative facility, ”the October 21 letter stated. It was signed by Rep. Ruben Gallego, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples; Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally; and reps. Raúl Grijalva, Tom O’Halleran, David Schweikert, Greg Stanton and Ann Kirkpatrick .——— PREPARING Colleen McKelton, 39, started a Facebook group called “We Care Coalition to Restore PIMC OB Services” for expectant mothers like them who are affected by the closure. It has about 50 members. McKelton, Navajo, is 38 weeks pregnant and due October 31. She was going to Phoenix Indian Medical Center for prenatal care until September 10th when a nurse told her that her birth plan had changed. McKelton said she was told that obstetrics was closed for renovations. “It was kind of a bomb that was dropped on me during my appointment that I thought was just a regular appointment,” said McKelton, who has been using PIMC as her primary appointment doctor since 2016. McKelton said, she thinks it is a high risk pregnancy and “then all of a sudden I have to go somewhere else and start over.” In addition to finding a new birth plan, she had to figure out how she would manage to pay birth-related fees. The Phoenix Indian Medical Center informed her that future hospital bills would depend on her dollar. The average cost of vaginal birth without complications before health insurance in Arizona is $ 19,093 health insurance for pregnant women who meet income and basic needs such as residency, according to CBS News. For example, a single person household with gross monthly income of $ 1,659 will qualify. Every additional person in the house increases the monthly income limit by $ 583, according to the AHCCCS website. There are no monthly rewards for those who qualify. Another insurance option is the Affordable Care Act health insurance market. Citizens of nationally recognized tribes have a special matriculation status and can enroll all year round. McKelton has no insurance and applied for AHCCCS but was refused because of her income. McKelton said the hospital recommended St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center about 3 miles southwest of PIMC, which means it may be cheaper than other options. McKelton has gone for prenatal exams three times since September and already has a $ 1,200 bill, she said. McKelton said she believed PIMC or the Indian Health Service would take the bill because the Phoenix Indian Medical Center referred her to St. Joseph, which it doesn’t. “I don’t know how much it will cost,” she said. “It’s like some unknown financial burden I’m going to face, then I tried to be positive because I don’t want to endanger my unborn child because it caused a lot of stress.” ——— FEELING HELP Briana Almond, Navajo, began Going to the Phoenix Indian Medical Center for prenatal care at 18 weeks of age. Her due date is November 24th and she is not yet sure where she will be born. Almond, 25, also learned on Sept. 10 that the hospital had hired its obstetricians but said it was closed due to poverty management, and earlier this month Almond was denied AHCCCS over income claims. After that, “I was advised to take out my husband’s insurance, but we missed the open enrollment,” she said. Almond said the Phoenix Indian Medical Center referred her to MomDoc, an obstetrics practice with more than a dozen locations in the Phoenix area. MomDoc does not deny access to services due to insolvency and, according to its website, offers a discounted or sliding payment plan. Affordable services for native mothers-to-be in Phoenix are also offered by the nonprofit Native Health, which works with an outside health service to provide pregnancy, obstetrics, and obstetrics. Almond is still receiving pregnancy care at PIMC, so she said the MomDoc recommendation didn’t make sense. Another option recommended by PIMC, Almond said, was to travel north to the Navajo Nation from her home in Buckeye to visit Tuba City Regional Health Care, another Indian health facility more than 200 miles away give birth. But Almond said her relatives on the reservation were exposed to COVID-19. “I don’t feel comfortable staying there, who knows how many weeks, leaving my family here just to deliver. And then possibly come back and bring COVID home, “Almond said. “Do I choose the COVID risk for myself or do I choose the hospital bills according to it? I’m in between. We can’t afford those hospital bills. That’s why we decided to go to PIMC. ”Almond said she felt helpless. “It’s ridiculous how they can leave us all stranded because of their crap,” said Almond. “Like the other women in my situation, we have our plans and we rely on them. Once you’ve set your birthing plan in stone, you may be able to feel a little more comfortable giving birth. And out of nowhere they say, ‘We won’t accept,’ and they want you to plan to go somewhere else and a baby may come any minute. ”——— NEW MOTHER, NEW BILLSON September 3rd, less than one One week after learning of the closure, Chee gave birth to a healthy boy by caesarean section at a Scottsdale hospital eight miles east of the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She named her son Theodore. “I prayed for a safe birth in a new care facility I didn’t know anyone like I did at PIMC,” said Chee, who lives north of Phoenix in Anthem. Indian Medical Center also recommended her for obstetrics to return to Navajo. “I couldn’t imagine being 40 weeks old and going back to my room,” said Chee. “That’s a five-hour drive.” Chee said she received hospital bills of about $ 18,000 and is expecting more. She also applied for AHCCCS and was refused before and after the birth. She said PIMC initially told her that her hospital bills would be covered, but later said it was her responsibility. “The bill is outrageous because I don’t have to pay more than $ 20,000,” said Chee. “I should relax and not worry.” ——— Information from: Indian Country Today, https://indiancountrytoday.com/
[ad_2]
