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Page 6 Gila River Indian News January 2009New center for elderly eyes mid-April opening dateNew Skilled Nursing Center will accommodate 100 residentsand feature state of the art amenitiesBy Roberto A. JacksonGRIN Intern ReporterHoward Reno, GRIC’s SeniorProject Manager for Tribal Projects Developmenthas some good news in regardsto the new Skilled NursingCenter, “It’s going to be brought inunder budget, and it’s also going to bebrought in under time.”At the beginning of 2009, thebuilding is 95% complete. Summit, thecontractors, will turn over the buildingby end of February. The furniture is setto arrive in March, and the roads leadingup to the center will be completedin time for a grand opening set for mid-April.Gila River’s Skilled NursingCenter, located just east of the Governancecenter in Sacaton, is a state of theindustry facility that specializes inelder care and supervision. This extraordinarystructure, which houses onehundred rooms, is light years ahead ofthe existing building.“The current one only holdssixty beds,” exclaimed Paula Thompson,a member of Reno’s staff at TribalProjects Development. The new centersurpasses the present one not onlyin space, but also in sheer capacity tobetter serve and assist the community’smost heralded asset, the elders.There are two separate wingsfor Long Term Care with a total of 60beds. There is a Dementia Wingenough for 20 beds, which are split intogroups of ten to accommodate malesand females. The Sub-Acute wing willhave 15 beds, and the Hospice is preparedfor 5 beds. The Dementia, Sub-Acute, and Hospice areas signal asizeable upgrade from the present facility,“That’s really significant in thisbuilding compared to the old one,” saidThompson.The patients will also enjoyother abundant amenities which includea movie theater, library,beauty/barbershop, deli, multi-purposeroom, arts and crafts room, doctor’s office,exercise room, general store, andchapel. A delightful living room willgreet visitors at the main entry wherein the winter months visitors and residentsalike will be able to warm up nextto a fireplace.Each patient will have theirown television set, and if they desire,they can enjoy the vivid clarity of a 50-inch LCD TV designated in each wing.The Skilled Nursing Center will alsohouse an adult day care center, whichwill tend to the welfare of elders whiletheir caregivers are resolving dailybusiness.The actual groundbreakingwas on November 24, 2007 and projectedas a 16 month undertaking. Thejob has since been performed with expedienteffort, but Reno revealed somehistory about the plan, “It sat dormantfor eight years.” The initial preparationcan be traced back even further. “Theplanning process has been since before1996,” explained Thompson.Reno was handed a budget in2006, and the project began to takeflight. With a budget in tow, Reno andhis staff then initiated meetings withthe owner’s team. The owner’s teamserves as a committee, hand selected bythe Governor, with whom the TribalProjects Development department collaboratedwith on major decisions in relationto the work required to completethe project. The owner’s team consistedof, among others, two registerednurses, the current building’s administrator,and a doctor from the hospital.Once Reno and his staff, alongwith the owner’s team had a clear visionof what the center should be like,they sent out their findings as a “Requestfor Proposals” or RFP, whichalerts interested architects to submittheir proposals and budgetary projections.Securing an architect is a projectin itself, as the Tribal ProjectsDevelopment Department and theowner’s team eliminated candidatesthrough a rigorous selection process.“We score them, we rate them,we judge them,” said Reno of the thoroughselection procedure. After an architectis awarded the contract, thenboth sides meet once a week to developa design. After which, a contractor issimilarly selected to take part and workin tandem with the architect to ensurethat the design is a workable product.With financial concerns at a high levelduring a project of this magnitude, theTribal Projects Development departmentand the owner’s team were verykeen and precise when knowing whereto substitute various products withoutcompromising the integrity of thebuilding.The magnificence of the building’sinterior, also extends beyond thewalls. The Hospice contains a familycourtyard with the center piece being alabyrinth-like pattern designed by D6Councilman Villareal. The courtyardwill be a peaceful location for familiesto reflect and meditate during times ofsuffering and difficulty. Raised gardenswill bloom and accentuate alongthe Long Term Care section and fountainswill bring spring cheer in the outlyingpatios. The Dementia wingfeatures a tortoise enclosure, where patientsand visitors can occupy themselvesby spending time with the gentleand quiet creature.For the security of the patientsand the building itself, Reno assures,“There is definitely a watchful eye ofcameras all over the place.” Each winghas interior and exterior cameras, andthe footage will be recorded on DVR,should there be a need to review anymishaps.As the twilight of life dims theluster of youth, it is with peaceful reliefthat we should all enter the winterof our years. Thompson testifies to theimportance of this project, and for theelders that seek care in surroundingareas. “I’m really glad that it’s finallyhere, and that I’m apart of it.”From top to bottom: The corridor between the Long Term Care wing andthe outside courtyard which houses raised gardens. The courtyard forthe dementia will house a turtle pond. Below, Secretary III, Paula Thompsonand Senior Project Manager, Howard Reno have worked side by sidein making sure the Skilled Nursing project is working according to schedule.(GRIN Photo - Mihio Manus)
January 2009 Gila River Indian News Page 7GRIC Urban Members call meetingto address 11%, annual paymentsBy Jeri ThomasGRIN Office ManagerPhoenix - The grassroots group whowas instrumental in passing the 2007Per Capita Initiative met on Sat. Dec.27 at the GRIC Urban Members AssistanceCenter. Heading the meeting werePhilbert Soroquisara and Harland Barehand.The crux of the discontentmentwas reports that the Community Councilvoted on Dec. 11 to “. . . [E]stablishper capita payments equal to 11% ofgaming revenue and to make per capitapayments annually” as reported by theGRIC Public Information Officer in theDec. issue of the Gila River IndianNews.The general consensus was thatSand and Gravel go a full year without injuryAt the close of 2008, The United States Department of Labor, Mine Safetyand Health Administration awarded The Gila River Sand and GravelCorp., a certificate of Achievement in Safety for its outstanding safetyrecord in 2007 where in the corporation worked 72,672 employee hourswithout a lost workday injury. The certificate was awarded through aSentinels of Safety program for a large bank or pit group. Congratulationsguys. (GRIN Photo - Mihio Manus)audience members were unsupportiveto the fact that the Council changed theintent of the 2007 Per Capita Initiative,the language of which called for quarterlypayments of net gaming revenueand corporation income. “This [annualpayment] is not is not what I voted for,”stated Teresa Wall. Myron Schurz D3addressing Wall, explained “Comingfrom a health care background, you willunderstand that annual payments wouldmake it easier to manage eligibilityqualifications with ALTCS and AHC-CCS plus there will be less administrativecost.”Devin Redbird D7, offered thathe was in Washington, DC on Dec. 11but explained that the Dec. 11 vote wasnot a final vote for the base of the RevenueAllocation Plan and that discussionson the issue would be addressedat the Jan. 7 meeting of the Council.General group reaction was that thegroup would be attending.Schurz also offered that it hasbeen difficult in the past to get financialinformation out to Community membersbecause that information is somewhatprotected, not, as in the case ofpublic corporations, and further suggestedthat maybe a GRIC town hallwould be an efficient way to handle thematter.An audience member from D4voiced her discontentment that thePhoenix Suns, Diamondbacks andPhoenix Cardinals reap benefits of ourgaming revenue, “. . . [W]hen it is hardto feed our own kids.” referring to theGila River Gaming Enterprise sportsmarketing contracts and also called intoquestion the decision to build two brandnew gaming facilities “. . . [W]hen wehave to travel a dirt road to get to ourhouse.”Redbird offered that the responsibilityto build casinos was withinthe purview of the Casino ExpansionOwner’s Team and that the decision toexpand was made years ago, well beforethe economic downturn.At the onset of the meetingBarehand made it clear that the groupinitially intended to recall all membersof the Council. “I see three [Councilreps] here who have concerns. We donot see 17. They all were invited.” Towhich he held up the Parameters, thepolicy document often deferred to bythe former Chief Elections Judge,Kristina Morago, in recent voter recallattempts. Reference was made to theParameters because signatures appearingon recall petitions had been strickenby the Chief Elections Judge due to addressesoften times listed post officeboxes.Barehand often referred to theUS and GRIC Constitution stating hisrights were violated by the Parameters.Redbird offered efforts to recall GovernorWilliam Rhodes and the then LieutenantGovernor Jennifer Allison-Rayoccurred twice within the past threeyears and in addition the Chief Judgeand two Associated Judges resigned.“We are attempting to clean up the[voter recall] system.”Near completion of the afternoon-longmeeting, the group agreedthat they would stave off recall effortsuntil the group looks into the matter ofcivil relief in connection with the waypost office addresses are treated in theparameters.Tribal Legislative Day pushedback to FebruaryThe Arizona Commission ofIndian Affairs (ACIA) is statutorilyrequired to host the Arizona IndianNations and Tribes Legislative Day(INTLD) on the second Tuesday ofthe legislative session. This year thatdate falls on Tues, Jan. 20, 2009,which happens to be the same dateas the Presidential inauguration inWashington D.C.Anticipating the fact thatmany tribal leaders will be attendingthe inaugural festivities in WashingtonD.C., and based on the input oflegislative staff and tribal leaders,the ACIA has moved Indian INTLDto Wednesday, February 25, 2009.This move will enable tribal leadersto attend this year’s INTLD.The theme for the 2009INTLD is Leader to Legislature.The focus of this day will be to buildon and strengthen the relationshipbetween tribal leaders and state legislators,the office of the Governorand state agencies. Over the pastseveral years this relationship hascontinued to grow and with manynew legislators and a new Governorthis year it is especially importantthat tribal leaders attend.This year, the ACIA is structuringthe day differently in responseto governmental changes and budgetaryconstraints. The 2009 agendaincludes a special joint session of theArizona Legislature, an invitationonly Tribal Leader-Legislator lunch,and a limited number of agency informationalsessions.Also, this year the ACIA willnot have vendor booths along 17thavenue as in previous years and therewill be no complementary publiclunch.However, food items will beavailable for purchase. For more information,go to www.acia.gov.
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