The Indian Health Service of the USA & us

As the inventor of Medical Onshoring (patent-pending), one of the first questions I get is, "what about the Indian Health Service (IHS)?"

My response: "I welcome them as a partner in trying to make health care worldwide better. We're national -- IHS is local. We should work together, not at cross-purposes."

Plus -- I've already improved conditions for IHS (see following).

MedOn (pat. pend.) began as a logical alternative to "medical tourism" -- why burn all that jet fuel?

Knowing our logical, caring beginnings -- to think MedOn (p.p.) would want to directly compete with IHS is "illogical," as Star Trek's Mr. Spock would say. And wasteful and financially-crippling for everyone involved.

MedOn (p.p.) wants to work with IHS -- not get into a zero-sum game with no winners.

MedOn (p.p.) is national -- IHS is local.

We're different. Really different.

Now .. back to caring for patients ..

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Did MedOn spur federal action for a new IHS facility?

Well ..

First this on 5/15/08, in the "Minot Daily News" --

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – An engineer in North Carolina has filed a patent for a new medical-care system that he says would be a good business fit with the Minot area.

C. Alex Chien said Wednesday that Minot has the technology, transportation and environment to host a prototype “medical onshoring” clinic.

Chien, a self-employed engineer, is a former rural economic developer with RochesterTel, former owners of Minot Telephone Co. SRT purchased Minot Telephone Co. in 1994.

Then this on 11/11/08 in the "Minot Daily News"

NEW TOWN, N.D. -- The design plans for a $20 million health-care facility for the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation are moving forward.

"We're looking at a groundbreaking next spring or early summer, with a completion of 2010," said Jim Foote, project manager for the Three Affiliated Tribes' Elbowoods Memorial Health Facility.

In September, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had awarded a $1.48 million contract to launch the design phase to build the health-care facility on Fort Berthold.

Nice coincidence that a long-delayed IHS project accelerates -- or separate matters? You decide.