Native American Press/Ojibwe News

Turmoil at IHB escalates

By Clara NiiSka - April 12, 2002
People concerned about the escalating turmoil at the Indian Health Board (IHB) Clinic packed the meeting room on the second floor of the Minneapolis American Indian Center on the evening of Monday, April 8th. Physicians, clinic staff, former clinic employees, and community activists addressed a responsive standing-room only crowd, and a number of patients spoke passionately about the impact that IHB’s problems are having on their lives.

Conflict between medical staff and administration at the south Minneapolis urban community clinic has apparently festered for some time. Several physicians and other health care providers have been fired or encouraged to resign during administration efforts at a clinic ‘turnaround,’ among them medical director Dr. Lydia Caros, who was suspended last October, reinstated along with two other medical staff during an emotional Board of Directors meeting on November 2, and was then fired again on February 12th.

Two other physicians, Dr. Carol Krush and Dr. Lori Banaszak, were fired on March 29th. According to both the physicians and interim director Penny Scheffler, the physicians’ publicly challenging the administration was, as Dr. Krush put it, “the straw that broke the camel’s back” and led to their termination.

IHB Board of Directors chair Kim Mammedaty spoke shortly after Monday night’s meeting began. She distributed copies of an open letter to community members, which stressed that resolving the longstanding problems at IHB “takes time,” outlined some of the actions which the “Governing Board of Directors’” intends to pursue in resolving the problems at IHB, and emphasized that “the financial condition of IHB was never in jeopardy.” Mammedaty then left, explaining that the Board had made prior commitments to meet in conjunction with their search for a permanent executive director at IHB.

Clinic physicians, medical staff, and terminated personnel who have been actively contesting the Board of Directors’ presentation of the situation at IHB gave a collaborative presentation to the crowd. Dr. La Combe – who at press time apparently still has his job – listed areas in which medical care at IHB has been, he says, adversely affected. Others addressed other issues, including “staff morale, which is at its lowest point in the history of the organization,” remaining staff overburdened by unfilled vacancies, and “Gestapo Tactics” including intimidation and allegations that the administration lies to the staff.

Several of the ‘core group’ of protesting physicians, medical staff and terminated personnel emphasized their strongly-held belief that the problems at IHB would be most effectively addressed by the resignation of the current Board of Directors, the seating of a new Board elected by the community, and that the unjustly fired physicians and other medical staff should get their jobs back.

Bill Means, who was hired as a consultant in an effort to resolve IHB’s problems, also spoke at some length, and alleged that recent administration of clinic finances includes serious co-mingling of federal funds in an effort to keep the organization afloat.

A number of IHB patients, former patients, and other community members spoke about their respect, trust, and patient-doctor relationships with Dr. Caros, Dr. Krush, and Dr. Banaszak – all of whom are presently fired and on the picket lines at IHB.

MUID
Monday night’s community meeting was followed by the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors’ (MUID) meeting on Tuesday, April 9th.

Both IHB acting director Penny Scheffler and board chair Kim Mammedaty attended the meeting. Scheffler was sharply questioned by both Pat Bellanger and Frances Fairbanks. “I want to know what they [the doctors] have done that is so bad that they are fired,” demanded Bellanger.

The MUID meeting eventually adopted two sets of recommendations. The first involved general policy and philosophy: 1) that restoration of IHB services is clearly needed by the community and IHB patients, and 2) supporting a process for selecting an IHB board that is reflective of the users of the clinic. MUID committed to forming a task force to address IHB’s problems.

The second IHB-related resolution adopted by the MUID group was action-oriented and included reinstating the fired doctors. It also included urging the resignation of IHB’s current Board of Directors.

As the meeting was winding up, Dr. Banaszak challenged Kim Mammedaty: “Will you agree to resign today?” “No,” Mammedaty responded, “I will go back [to IHB] and call people and let them know what happened.” She explained that she would not resign immediately because she thought it would be “irresponsible,” an abrogation of her fiduciary duty as Board Chair.

To be continued
Drs. Banaszak, Caros and Krush – aligned with what they have described as “most of the IHB medical staff” and community supporters – have planned a “Rally” at the Indian Health Board Clinic, 1315 E. 24th St., at noon on Monday, April 15th. According to their publicity flyer, they are urging that community members “come to the rally and support your community health center! Demand that: 1. The doctors are reinstated. 2. The Board and Administrative managers resign immediately.”

A number of Press/ON’s phone calls had not been returned by press time, and this newspaper is still waiting for documents, requested under the Freedom of Information Act, which will hopefully clarify some of the history and circumstances underlying the present conflict at IHB.