Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Benewah Medical Center
P.O. Box 388
1115 B Street
Plummer, ID 83851
Phone: 208-686-1931
Fax: 208-686-1035
Toll Free: (800) 325-7371
Webpage: http://www.bmcwc.com/
Wellness Center
PO Box 700
1100 A Street
Plummer, ID 83851
(208) 686-9355
(208) 686-2833 Fax
About the Clinic
The Benewah Medical and Wellness Center (BMC/WC) is located in Benewah County in the Panhandle of Idaho on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation. This county has the highest number of minorities of any county in the State of Idaho. Poverty, unemployment, and geographic isolation initially characterized the service area. Almost a third of our users are below 200% of t he Federal poverty guidelines. Clinic users are about 50% Indian and 50% non-Indian. Approximately 40% of our patients have no insurance. Benewah County also typically has the highest unemployment rate in Idaho, and over double the national unemployment rate. Eleven percent of BMC patients are 65 or older. There has been significant economic improvement to the service area in the last 5 years, although conditions continue to exist that warrant continued access for the underserved population. Many in the community continue to be underinsured or have no insurance at all.
The Benewah Medical Center opened in 1990 with 14 staff and 800 patients. It now employs 160 with an annual budget in excess of 12 million. Currently approximately 8,000 patients account for 35,000 visits each year . BMC/WC has experienced a consistent growth pattern of both patient registration and service use. During the past year there has been an average increase of 112 new patients each month. This growth has been considerably larger than initial projections. Early on, this unprecedented growth required planning a renovation and expansion to the new facility after only 12 months of operation, and once again we are beginning preparations for a new expansion.
The medical team consists of five Board-Certified Family Physicians, one Physician’s Assistant, and one Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. The goal of our medical team is to provide high quality medical care to each patient of the Benewah Medical Center.
Location
After careful deliberation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the City of Plummer innovatively collaborated in a joint venture to address the health care needs on the Reservation. A community-based rural health outpatient care delivery system was planned and developed in 1987. A commitment was made to provide health care services to both the Indian and Non-Indian population. This collaboration between the Tribe and the City of Plummer is believed to be the first joint venture in the United States between a tribe and city municipality for the purpose of providing health care for all residents. The Tribe and the City collectively secured State and Federal funding which led to the construction of a 6,750 square foot building that opened on June 4, 1990. This became known as Phase I in the development of the Benewah Medical Center complex, establishing primary medical care to the local community. 
10,000
IHS Facilities/Services Planning
MISSION
To promote and facilitate engineering planning and construction support for the IHS national facilities program by developing and enhancing relationships among Tribes, area offices, and Service Unit engineers and related professionals dealing in building health care systems.
Attainment of the IHS and DHHS missions
The DFPC mission is achieved by:
* Maintaining a priority list based on relative need.
* Supporting tribes when they choose to assume facilities-related responsibilities.
* Planning health care and associated facilities to minimize facility life-cycle costs.
* Planning, promoting, & constructing improvements to exist. Facilities where they are not optimally functional.
* Planning & constructing new facilities when existing facilities do not exist or cannot be effectively improved.
* Developing state-of-the-art facilities with efficient and effective facilities planning.
* Targeting the unmet need with limited resources for maximum effectiveness.
DFPC Vision
To be a Global Health Care Facilities Engineering Division leading cutting edge professionalism in support of Public Health advances and development of solutions to the Indian Health Service challenges.
About the Tribe
History
The Coeur d’Alene people lived a hunting, fishing, and gathering existence among high plains and forested mountain regions, powerful rivers, and lakes. The Coeur d’ Alene Reservation covers 345,000 acres in North Idaho, spanning the rich Palouse farm country and the western edge of the northern Rocky Mountains. “The Rez,” as the locals call it, includes the Coeur d’ Alene and St. Joe Rivers, and Lake Coeur d’ Alene itself, considered to be one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the world. The Coeur d’Alene were originally bound to their reservation by a treaty negotiated in 1855. The Coeur d’Alene constitution provides for a general council form of government. They operate under a constitution written subsequent to the Wheeler-Howard Act. Much of the land is now in non-Indian hands due to the after-effects of the Dawes Act. Less than 10% remains in individual or tribal trust.
Geography
The Reservation is 33 miles south of the city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on US 95. Tribal headquarters at Plummer, Idaho. The city of Plummer has a population of 780. Located on US 95. The Reservation lies in two counties: Benewah with a population of 8,500, per capita income $11,044 and Kootenai county population 67,300, per capita income $11,910. Rainfall (Coeur d’Alene, elevation 2,157) 26.2 inches, average temperatures 27 - 70. Principal industries: Forest products, tourism and mining (abrasive garnets in Benewah and silver, gold, copper, lead and sand and gravel in Kootenai).
To find out more about the Coeur d’Alene Tribe please call (208) 686-1800 or visit their web site.
Other Information
Members
1,753 Enrolled Members. To Top
Other Offices and Programs
There are 20 other tribal buildings which house the following tribal programs: Forestry, Planning, Tribal Court, Substance Abuse Program, Veterans HQ, Youth Shelter, Food Distribution Center, Education Department (two buildings), Tribal School and gym, Community Hall, (two: Worley and DeSmet locations), Automotive Center (tribal business), Development Corporation Office, Senior Citizen’s Hall, Benewah Market Center on Main Street, Plummer ID (grocery, Post Office, beauty parlor, arts and crafts, laundry), HUD Complex, Tribal Farm Buildings.
Employees
40 FTE, some seasonal part-time, about 10.
Housing
Housing is located in both the urban and rural areas within one hour of the facility. Housing availability is limited in the area immediately surrounding the clinic.
