On December 31, 2002 starting at 8:30 am until 11:30 am, the HCN Department of Health and Social Services will host a limited or soft opening to its new clinic in Black River Falls. The new expanded clinic is located behind the current HCN clinic on Guy Road, just off Airport Road in the Black River Falls industrial park area. On that morning, tribal members and employees are invited to preview the new clinic, which has 36,000 square feet and several new services over and above that of the present clinic. Clinic staff will give tours to all tribal members and employees interested in seeing their new clinic in its entirety that day. The official grand opening is planned for June 2003.

The clinic is decorated in soothing earth tones and is heated with radiant floor heating. The lobby will be equipped with a computer station so that waiting room patients can even look up common conditions and access health data on the internet. Special soundproofing in the nineteen examination rooms, up from the present six, will provide a high level of confidentiality and dignity to clinic patrons.

Additionally, the new building will house Dentistry, Optometry, Mental Health, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse (AODA) services. The building's flexibility of design will allow AODA and health education programs to run at night even when the clinic is closed. The new clinic will have two community education rooms, which will be open to groups who need space in the community for training or community education at night or on weekends.

Some of the new services will be phased in over time. The first services provided will be by the existing medical staff moving over in mid-December. Dentistry is expected to offer services in mid-January 2003. Mental Health and AODA services along with Optometry are expected to begin providing services from the clinic sometimes in the spring of 2003. Look for future announcements concerning the addition of these services.

Funding for the expansion is through a creative use of grants from HUD Indian Community Development Block Grant, a HUD Rural Health and Economic Development Grant, a USDA Community Facilities Grant, an IHS Small Ambulatory Program Grant, and another HIS Grant for Medical Equipment Allocation and Net Profit Distribution (NPD) monies. The grants totaled $3.9 million and the Nation through the Legislature contributed the other $2 million. The clinic size will meet the Nation's present expanded needs and, hopefully, provide room for growth as the Nation's population grows.

This aspect of seeing to the needs of tribal member's health needs has the clinic's staff pleased and proud of the Nation. Elliot Blackdeer a staff nurse stated that he was proud of the fact that the Nation and its Legislature was taking the lead in taking care of its people by building this state of the art building. He stated,"I hope other Nation's will follow our lead in taking care of Indian people."

In general the clinic staff is very excited and pleased by the new clinic. Dr. Walker stated that this will really help productivity in providing services and waiting times will be down. Besides, he said,"It's just neato!" Other staffers stated that the expanded space will allow them to work more efficiently in a patient friendly environment. An additional feature will allow clinic staff to mentor students in the health care professions.

Of course, the extra operating expenses of this new expanded and modern facility will come from HIS and NPD monies. However the efficiency and space in the new building will assist in increasing third party billing which will help pay for the new clinic's services. The health needs of Tribal members continue to be near the top of tribal priorities. With clinic expansion the Nation will be meeting these needs in both the Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells area at the House of Wellness and Black River Falls.

The construction of the clinic was a team effort, emphasized Hattie Walker, Health Director. This echoed by Eileen Decorah who stated that,"The clinic has been a great story of teamwork between the staff, the Legislature that believed in and funded the project, the grant writers, the architect, the MIS staff who surveyed our computer and phone and data needs, our patients who provided valuable input." The Tribe really put its gaming money to good use in providing for the healthcare of its members.

Come out and see it on December 31, 2002. A buffet of breakfast food will be provided to all those choosing to tour the expanded clinic during soft opening.

For additional information or background contact Mark Butterfield, HCN Public Relations Officer or Ms. Hattie Walker, acting Director of Health and Social Services at 284-9343 x1248 or 284-7548.