The Klamath Tribes are located in southern Oregon in the Klamath Basin. The Klamath Tribes include three tribes in their membership: the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin Bands of Snake Indians. The Klamath Tribes were one of the tribes terminated from federal recognition in the 1950s and later restored to federal recognition in 1986. After thirty two years of persistent lobbying, tribal leaders were finally able to have the termination revoked through passage of P.L. 99-398, The Klamath Indian Tribe Restoration Act. In the restoration agreement The Klamath Tribes service area was designated as all of Klamath County.
Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services is a division of the Klamath Tribes and is responsible for providing healthcare services to the Native American population who reside in Klamath County.
Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services (KTHFS) operates a rural outpatient clinic that serves the local Native American population. The Klamath Tribes Health & Wellness Center opened in January of 2006; prior to its’ opening, the new center healthcare services were provided from two modular buildings in Chiloquin and a satellite pharmacy in Klamath Falls. The Klamath Tribes Health & Wellness Center is located in Chiloquin, Oregon, approximately 30 miles north of Klamath Falls. The center houses an outpatient medical clinic, a six chair dental clinic and a full pharmacy. Alcohol & Drug Abuse and Behavioral Health Services are provided in both Chiloquin and Klamath Falls.
At the Medical Clinic Primary care services are provided by a skilled team of licensed practitioners made up of family physicians, family nurse practitioners, and more. Additional staff may be added as the center grows.
General dentistry services are provided by a skilled team of providers made up of general dentists, registered dental hygienists, a pediatric dentist, and more. Their goal is to educate and improve overall dental health for the patients.
The pharmacy is located at the Klamath Tribal Health & Wellness Center which is located in Chiloquin, Oregon. This Pharmacy does home delivery for elders using the Courier position.
Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services’ total staffing runs at an average of 75 employees – including support staff, providers and temporary hires.
The majority of staff members are direct tribal hires. Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services also contracts with the Federal Indian Health Service to employ several Commissioned Corps staff members.
The majority of the healthcare providers commute from Klamath Falls to Chiloquin. It is approximately a 30 mile scenic drive along Klamath Lake from Klamath Falls to Chiloquin. The KTHFS Health Advisory Committee is a five-member committee appointed by the Klamath Tribal Council to advise and make recommendations to the Klamath Tribal Council regarding aspects of health programs and health-related matters affecting the services provided by Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services.
Websites to visit for additional information about the Klamath Tribes and the local area include the following:
http://www.klamathtribes.org
www.klamath.org; http://www.travelklamath.com