The Nisqually Tribe operates a clinic as part of the Federal Indian Health Service (IHS). The IHS provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong
to over 562 federally recognized tribes in 35 states.
The Nisqually clinic offers limited primary care medical services and also employs a full-time dentist through its health clinic. The tribe bills Medicaid and Medicare for services provided to Medicaid- and Medicare-eligible patients, and private insurance for those patients with private coverage.
The clinic is operated in a single story, 3,000-square-foot tribal building constructed in the early 1980s. This building also houses the following programs, which operate under a self-governance compact:
Medical
Dental
Contract Health Services
Elders Program
Mental Health
Substance Abuse
Community Health Representative
Diabetes
The Nisqually Tribe offers limited primary care services three days a week from a nurse practitioner. The Tribe also employs a full-time dentist. The clinic is operated in a single story, 3,000 SF tribal building constructed in the early 1980’s. This building also houses the dental, mental health, social services, substance abuse, community health representative, WIC, seniors, and emergency medical services programs. These programs operate under a self-governance compact. The Tribe bills Medicaid and Medicare for services provided to Medicaid and Medicare eligible patients and private insurance for those patients with private coverage. The clinic had a total of 1,368 patient visits in FY 1996. The Tribe operates the CHS program under its compact. The Tribe’s Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA) is Pierce and Thurston counties. The enrolled tribal population is just over 500 and the Indian population living on or near the reservation is approximately 2,498. The active health clinic user population is 1,069. The leading causes of death are heart disease, malignant neoplasm, cirrhosis of the liver, accidents other than motor vehicle and cerebrovascular disease.
The Nisqually Health Clinic is moving toward the use of a better and more complete Medical Record. Some of the information about patient visits are stored in a computer system called the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS). The new system will be able to hold all of the medical information. This means we will no longer have to keep hand-written information in a paper Medical Chart. The healthcare providers began using the new Electronic Health Record in 2012. Gradually we will be able to serve you and your family much more quickly and accurately
