Harry Reid: “I thank the Senator. The tribes in my State are supportive of efforts to improve health care for tribes in Phoenix. They…”

“I thank the Senator. The tribes in my State are supportive of efforts to improve health care for tribes in Phoenix. They have told me that--of all the challenges that confront tribes today--health care is by far the most urgent, and perhaps the most daunting. I thank the Senator and the members of his subcommittee for realizing the importance of Indian health care and providing resources for it. However, the tribes in my State face another challenge in terms of the replacement of this medical center system. The current plans call for the replacement of three out-patient clinics in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and will provide for the eventual renovation of the in-patient medical center. These are important projects. However, tribes in Nevada cannot realistically make use of these centers. Tribes in Northern Nevada, for instance, are more than a day's drive from Phoenix. I am told that the Indian Health Services' plans to replace the Phoenix Indian Medical Center system were developed without adequately accounting for the health care needs of eligible beneficiaries in outlying areas, like Nevada, Utah or rural Arizona. I am also told that should those plans move ahead, the resulting health care delivery system will disadvantage eligible beneficiaries that reside a distance away from the Medical Center.…”