Porcupine dialysis unit eases burden

By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer | Monday, November 01, 2004

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PORCUPINE -- American Indian patients have one more dialysis center at which they can receive treatment on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

After the South Dakota Department of Health issued a Medicare number to Porcupine Clinic, it is now allowed to open its doors to more dialysis patients for treatment.

The clinic opened on a provisional basis on Aug. 23. On that date, the South Dakota Department of Health inspected its policies, procedures and the facility to ensure that the unit was in compliance with state regulations to be licensed.

According to Allen Rada, Dialysis Management Group chief executive officer and a registered nurse, Aloysius Tail was the first dialysis patient to go through treatment at the center so that the state could observe procedures and begin the review process.

The state ultimately gave their approval and issued a license, Rada said.

"We can start accepting more patients now," he said.

"We anticipate that we're going to have a full house very shortly."

The new unit has seven stations with the ability to supply 14 treatments a week. Currently, the center is open from 6 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"We have plenty of room to grow," Rada said.

Paul Iron Cloud, Porcupine Clinic's health board executive director, watched the quality of Indian lives decline when Porcupine Clinic closed its dialysis unit a few years ago.

With the need to use dialysis machines three to four times a week, area diabetic patients had the added hassle of traveling to distant dialysis units in Pine Ridge village, Rapid City and Rosebud.

Nearly two years ago, Iron Cloud sought help from the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health in Rapid City.

"They knew we had to get dollars from different sources to get the Porcupine unit open," Iron Cloud said. "It happened."

"There's a lot of doctors involved in this," Iron Cloud said. "That makes me feel confident about the operation."

Dr. Jeff Henderson, Black Hills Center of American Indian Health president and chief executive officer, said his organization acted as a catalyst for Porcupine Clinic to reopen its dialysis unit.

"I contacted the Medical Associates Clinic of Rapid City, and they were very interested. They immediately got on it," Henderson said.

He said significant changes were made to the Porcupine unit. The waiting area was enlarged and separated from the dialysis area. More storage space was added, the water system upgraded, the sterilization system improved and equipment refurbished.

Tail, of the Evergreen Housing Community, spends an average of 12 hours a week connected to the machine that cleanses his blood.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the 68-year-old tribal member charts out four hours for the day for dialysis.

"I'm really glad they've opened it," he said of the Porcupine unit.

With Porcupine only eight miles from his home, Tail has scheduled his weekly dialysis appointment at the new center. After his appointment is finished, Tail has to travel only minutes to his home. That compares to an six extra hours of weekly travel time he endured when he received treatment in Pine Ridge.

A diabetic since 1987, Tail finally had to go on dialysis in February 2003. At that time, his daughter drove him to Pine Ridge village for his dialysis appointments.

"They send a van out, but you have to wait for everyone to get done before they bring me back home," he said. "This way, I can get home sooner."

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8481 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.