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August 2, 2002
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Three fired I.H.B. doctors to establish new
Phillips Health Clinic
Three physicians fired from jobs they loved by an
administration they despised are planning to open a new clinic in the
Phillips
neighborhood of south Minneapolis in September.
The three doctors, Lydia Caros, Carol Krush and Lori
Banaszak, were fired from their positions for what Indian Health Board
officials described as “insubordination.” Firings
and resignations have been common
occurrences at the IHB in
recent years. The clinic at 1315 E. 24th
St. was the scene of angry picketing this spring as Caros was fired in
February, followed by the firing of Krush and Banaszak in April.
Community members and Indian activists directed charges of
mismanagement and financial waste at the Indian Health Board. Clinic patients and others in the
community
called for the members of the board of directors to step down and for
the
doctors to be reinstated. The doctors
had hoped that the [federal] Indian Health Board would respond to the
call but
the response from that board and from any other public entity were
strangely
silent. In the meantime, there have
been more painful departures from the clinic in recent months. Except for the resignation of IHB treasurer
Stephanie Autumn, calls for resignation of the board have met with no
response
and it appeared that the board of directors were firmly entrenched at
the
clinic.
In June, the three physicians, buoyed by the support they
received from a number of Indian organizations, began talking about
opening a
new clinic. The idea of opening a
nonprofit clinic advanced from the talking stage to what appears to be
quick
action. They plan to open a clinic in
September in a strip mall at 13th and
Franklin Avenues, only a few
blocks from IHB.
Dr. Caros says there are too many serious health issues in
the Phillips area to worry about rivalry. It
was her hope that someday the two clinics could
work together. However, Dr. Terril Hart,
who has been IHB
chief executive officer since February, did not share that view. “It’s hard to believe we could ever have too
many services in Phillips,” Hart said. “I
also believe that competition is good for
everyone.”
When Hart was asked if any thought was given to rehiring the
fired doctors, He responded, “The only thing I can do is express the
point of
view of the board and they have never expressed any desire to revisit
their
decision.”
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