Urges New Mexico governor to launch the Indian managed care entity

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - The Navajo Nation Council unanimously passed emergency legislation 0069-20 March 20, requesting the Governor of New Mexico activate the Naat’áanii Development Corporation - Molina Healthcare, Incorporated Indian Managed Care Entity to gain access to Medicaid dollars to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation.

“In this time of crisis, we need all the available resources we can get to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus on the Navajo Nation. The Council was wise in fast-tracking this initiative - Congress passed legislation increasing Medicaid by 6.2 percent to fight the...

Last month, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services organized and hosted a Valentine’s Day fundraiser for Battered Families Services at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Guests got to enjoy a meal provided by the hospital’s Behavioral Health Services’s culinary staff and dance to music provided by Marvis Wynn, aka DJ Marvelous, a KGLP disc jockey.

Cassandra Lopez, administrative director for outpatient clinics at RMCHCS, reflected on the benefit dinner March 25.

“It was a lot of fun. We had probably about 50 to 60 people there,” she said. “We would have liked a better turnout, but what we had was great.”

She added she thinks a lot of people were happy to...

Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services will end their agreements with 15 contractor nurses from various nursing agencies. The nurses' agreements are 13-week contracts which can be renewed or canceled every two weeks.

 

"We are mandated by the State of New Mexico to end elective surgeries as are all the other hospitals in the state," RMCHCS CEO David Conejo said. "With this new rule in effect, it affects our finances. As we approach the difficult financial challenges COVID-19 imposes on us, like many other businesses across the globe, we are taking prudent financial steps which make sense.”

 

RMCHCS announced plans last week to reduce elective hospital admissions by...

VIRUS CLAIMS 7 LIVES

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — According to the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center, the number of positive tests for COVID-19 has reached a total of 174 for the Navajo Nation as of Tuesday. In addition, there are now a total of seven confirmed deaths related to COVID-19.

The 174 cases include the following counties:

Navajo County, AZ: 85

Apache County, AZ: 17

Coconino County, AZ: 40

McKinley County, NM: 10

San Juan County, NM: 15

Cibola County, NM: 1

San Juan County, UT: 6

“We are very sorry to hear of the loss of more lives due to the virus – we offer our prayers for the families...