FORT HALL — The Community Health Representatives are assisting the Snow Removal Committee with the medical priority list.
The Snow Removal Committee was established for Fort Hall Indian Reservation residents that have chronic medical conditions and require snow removal from driveways to attend medical treatments, care or have medical personnel come into the home to assist during winter months.
There are two priority levels utilized for local community members requiring snow removal while undergoing chronic life-saving medical treatments.
Priority 1: Patients that are at home and require life-saving treatments and follow-up appointments by a medical provider. These patients include dialysis treatments, cancer treatments and transplant patients each with follow-up appointments; chronic medical conditions that require daily or weekly appointments with a medical provider; patients that are on hospice and dealing with end-of-life situations; patients that require home healthcare staff to visit several times per week; patients that are on a medical schedule and require the ability to get in and out of their home driveways.
Priority 2: Patients that do not attend treatments, but may have nurses or other medical personnel or providers that assist with dressing or medical delivery, or have a weekly home visit; some may be homebound, have chronic heart problems or are on schedules that do not need immediate roadway opening. This priority may not be everyday, but limited to when a nurse or other medical personnel or provider is scheduled to come in.
Requirements to be placed on snow removal list: patient must have life threatening medical needs; patient with dialysis treatment; patient with treatment for cancer like radiation therapy; patient with heart condition; prenatal patient that is due in winter months or have an emergency; patient under doctor supervision for a healthcare need or treatment; signed authorization for use or disclosure of protected health information.
The primary objective is the protection of people, property and the environment. Extensive teamwork and coordination of different tribal programs and departments with assistance from Indian Health Service is required to complete these tasks with limited resources and funds.
Fort Hall Reservation District Transportation map.