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Shakopee awards OST $54,000 vehicle grant for medical patients PINE RIDGE- The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community awarded two grants which will help improve health care. A $54,000 grant will help the Oglala Sioux Tribe purchase a handicap accessible vehicle for transporting diabetic and wheelchair bound patients to medical appointments. A $15,000 grant will go to the Yankton Sioux Tribe to purchase five blood volume measurement units for the dialysis center at the local Indian Health Service hospital in Wagner. For the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the van purchase will help the transportation services program become self-sufficient because of an anticipated increase in potential reimbursements due to its purchase and use. Community health representatives and ambulances currently transport these patients in their own personal vehicles and in ambulances which cannot always safely accommodate those in wheelchairs. "We are striving for sustainability in the area of third party billing for our transportation services. However, with restrictions from Medicare and Medicaid our reimbursement rates would increase if we have an accessible handicap vehicle. Our primary concern is safety obligations to our clients along with insurance liabilities."
"A handicap accessible vehicle will be greatly appreciated by our drivers along with the handicap challenged community members that we serve," wrote Anne Eagle Bull, Assistant Director OST Health Administration in the request.
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