Committee OKs $2.3M in health subsidies

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Health and Social Services Committee passed three resolutions that will accept grants totaling nearly $2.3 million for Navajo Nation programs after final approval is given by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

The resolutions went before the Health and Social Services Committee on Tuesday and then go to Intergovernmental Relations Committee next. The first will give $58,329 to the Navajo Area Agency on Aging from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Older Americans Act.

Hank Haskie, senior nutritionist from NAAA, said that the grant money will benefit 1,300 individuals and 275 people who require home delivery in communities that include Aneth, Cove, Red Mesa, Sweetwater, Teec Nos Pos, Cameron, Dennehotso, Navajo Mountain and Oljato
Committee member Evelyn Acothley, Bodaway-Gap/Cameron, Coppermine, who was the chair pro tem for sponsor Thomas Walker Jr., Birdsprings/Leupp/Tolani Lake, wanted to know if the program could use the money up within the required time frame since it expires in March 2009.

“We can probably use it up in three months,” Haskie said.
He also said that the money is needed especially because nutritional standards have increased.

The second grant that the committee recommended approval of comes from the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department for $15,000 to the Navajo Tobacco Prevention Project.

Walker said that the funds will go to develop material to conduct training and workshops for tobacco prevention.
The Navajo Department of Health will target youth using a survey that was conducted by Southwest Navajo Tobacco Education Prevention project, Walker said.

Acothley sponsored the resolution seeking approval for the next grant, which is for more than $2.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration of Children and Families. The money will go to the Division of Social Services for prevention of family violence during fiscal year 2009, Michelle Jones said.

“This grant has been very important to victims of domestic violence,” Jones said. The grant goes to fund twelve staff for DSS and to contract with domestic violence shelters on the Navajo Nation.

The committee also supported a $100,000 supplemental appropriation to be used as a grant to Dineh Optical and another $100,000 to Southwest Optical for eye examinations and eye wear for Navajo children. Omer Begay, Cornfields/Greasewood Springs/Klagetoh/WideRuins, sponsored the request for appropriations.

A resolution to request the Indian Health Services from assigning Dr. Gary Escudero to health care facilities within the Navajo Area Indian Health Services was tabled to the HSSC’s next meeting.