The Yakama Service Unit is located on the Yakama Indian Reservation on the edge of the town of Toppenish. The Yakama Indian Reservation is comprised of 1,371,918 acres. Although the tribe ceded 10,828,800 acres of ancestral homeland to the U.S. government, they reserved the right to hunt, fish, access and use traditional cultural sites, gather traditional foods and medicines, and pasture in all of our “usual and accustomed places” within this ceded area. The Yakama Reservation is primarily agricultural on the valley floor, with range or grazing in the foothills, and forested to the west and south.
The Indian Health Service operates a 40,000 SF facility located near Toppenish. User population in 1998 was 11,654. The AAAHC accredited facility opened in 1990 and houses tribal and IHS operated programs offering:
Ambulatory primary care, public health, dental services, mental health, optometry, and audiology,
Internal medicine, women’s health care, elder care clinic/pediatrics and In-patient services at a local private hospital facility.
The White Swan Health Clinic (satellite)
The Tribe owns and operates the White Swan Health Clinic which is located in the rural community of White Swan, 20 miles west of Toppenish. Itinerant health and social services are offered through the maternal child health, nutrition, WIC, CHR and alcoholism programs. The Tribe also operates a satellite MCH center with 1,585 SF, in the Apas Goudy Housing Project in Wapato. The Tribe’s Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA) is Klickitat, Lewis, Skamania and Yakima Counties.
The JCAHO accredited facility opened in 1990 and houses tribal and IHS operated programs that offer a full range of ambulatory health and dental services. General medical services are available daily in addition to special services for well childcare, internal medicine, women’s health care and diabetes. The Tribe and IHS employ eight physicians, six dentists, one physician’s assistant, and thirteen mid-level practitioners who are RN’s, NP’s or PHN’s. The 2,700 SF clinic offers limited primary care on weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, and operates a 24 hour, 7 day a week ambulance service using EMT’s and First Responders The health center bills Medicaid and other third party payers.
The Health Center had 16,990 primary care and 33,860 other visits for a total of 55,288 patient visits in FY 1996. The White Swan Health Clinic had 3,990 primary care visits and 199 other visits for a total of 4,189 total patient visits in FY 1996. The Apas Goudy Housing Project in Wapato had 82 primary care visits and 13 other visits for a total of 95 patient visits for FY 1996. The enrolled tribal population is 8,870 and the Indian population living on or near the Reservation is 13,741. The registered population for health programs in the Yakama Service Unit is 14,820 and the active health clinic user population is 11,311. The leading causes of death are heart disease, motor vehicle accidents, malignant neoplasm, cirrhosis of the liver, and accidents other than motor vehicle. There were 11,837 Active users in 2002.
Fort Road Transit (Free Fare) provides transportation to the Yakama Reservation. The East Bound Route begins at the Northwest Community Action Center, Yakama Nation Agency, Indian Health Center, Yakama Legends Casino, Adams View Housing, Cougar Den, Yakama Forest Products, and returns West Bound back in reverse at these same stops. The Fort Road Transit Begins at 6am to 6pm, Monday thru Friday except on Holidays. This Transportation Service is Free to the Public.
The Behavioral Health program will provide a range of high quality professional and confidential services to the Native American population. The focus is to strengthen and empower individuals and families. The program is located at 217 South Toppenish Avenue in Toppenish, WA.
The Community Health Representative Program – is providing improvement on health status, instituting health promotion and disease prevention. Networking other health providers in coordination resources utilization through casefindings, referral, screening, assessments, follow-ups, and monitoring other essential direct services.
Community Nutrition – The goal of the program is to educate community members and provide information and tools needed to lead a Healthy Active Lifestyle. This will help reduce the number of Native Americans suffering from obesity, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Comprehensive Community Alcoholism Program and Youth Treatment Program – The Yakama Nation Comprehensive Community Alcoholism Program seeks to promote the quality of life within the community through providing treatment and related services.
Contract Health Services Program – provides payment for medical services rendered to eligible patients who have fulfilled regulatory requirements at medical or hospital facilities other than those of the Indian Health Service Clinic. Contract Health Service is under the Deputy Director, Human Services Division and the Health, Employment, Welfare, Recreation, and Youth Activities Committee, Yakama Tribal Council.
Diabetes Program – Our mission is to prevent and manage diabetes and its complication in Native Americans and the Yakama Community by providing physical activity programs; nutrition services; financial assistance for shoes, eye glasses, and dentures; weight management services, and diabetes education and support services in a culturally sensitive environment.
Home Health Program – The Yakama Nation Home Health Program will promote elder and community health, safety, and independence by providing quality and culturally appropriate nursing services to elders, disabled adults, and children in need of nursing care in the home. The Yakama Nation Home Health Program will educate patients, families, and the community about health related issues to enable them to better care for themselves and their families in their home environment.