Our View: Montana's Native health care crisis is a scandal

Montana is looking for a new Indian Health director whose job it will be to close the gap in life expectancy between Natives and whites in the state.

A study showed that Native men live 19 years less than whites in the state, which is surpassed by a 20-year gap for Native women.

The figures are alarming, and it is up to every Montanan to work on a solution to the problem.

Crow Tribal Health Director Todd Wilson said the problems are many and complicated and, thus, won’t be easy to solve.

But difficutly should not be an excuse for not starting a full-fledged effort to solve the problem right now.

The life expectancy gap is a disgrace to the entire state and must be addressed.

Lifestyle issues are a part of the problem. Drug use is rampant on reservations, though they certainly don’t have a corner on the market. We are so pleased that Rocky Boy’s and Fort Belknap Indian reservations are tackling that problem head on. Reducing the problem on reservations will increase the life expectancy and improve the quality of life for reservation residents.

Like most of us, Natives could improve their diet. They could reduce smoking.

School districts are doing a good job of providing healthier food in the school lunch program, but these choices are important at home, too.

The biggest problem that remains, though, is the quality of health care for Natives.

Indian Health Services is notorious for being unable to provide good care for its clients. The program is underfunded, and local clinics often run out of money before the end of the fiscal year.

It is hard to attract doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to reservations, which are often in rural, remote locations.

Efforts to attract doctors, nurses and other health professionals to the reservations ought to be expanded.

As part of his legacy-building efforts, we hope President Barack Obama launches an all-out effort to cure this intolerable disparity in the life expectancies of Natives.

And we hope the entire health care community in Montana jumps on the bandwagon.

Montana is depriving itself of a lot of talent by letting some of its residents die a way-too-early death.