GREAT FALLS — Ensuring healthcare access to the Blackfeet tribal community, Operation Walking Shield was an Innovative Readiness Training event that took place from July 18th to July 27th of 2024.
The medical mission brought together approximately 200 service members from more than 50 units including the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, US Air Force Reserve, US Army Reserve, Air Force and US Navy Reserve to provide a multitude of medical services to Browning and the surrounding region.
Blackfeet Director of Tribal Health Garland Stiffarm said that there was a definite need for services. “Indian Health Service, you know, they probably get half of the money they should be receiving to provide quality health care. We have people that have been waiting for months and maybe even up to a year to get these services. So, they were just thankful.”
Department of Defense medical professionals provide no-cost services to the local community including primary care, counseling, dental services, vision care, behavioral health, nutrition services and even veterinary care.
Stiffarm said that more than 100 appointments were made each day for the various services, and surrounding community members from Babb, Heart Butte, Star School, Seville, and East Glacier were able to get access to transportation and receive care.
In light of the impact that was made, the IRT a part of the Department of Defense will be holding a conference in Washington D.C., acknowledging good programs on similar missions throughout the country. Garland Stiffarm will be accepting the award.
“It was a community effort,” Stiffarm added. “I’d like to acknowledge, you know, the Blackfeet tribal council and the Blackfeet tribal health, but also some other programs within the tribe. It was a huge step in the right direction for providing care.
The tribe will get another chance to apply towards the end of September. The success of the operation made Stiffarm hopeful for the future of Native American healthcare. “I hope that other tribes around the state can look at the success of this and try it out for themselves. It really was a good project for the Blackfeet.”
(JULY 15, 2024) On July 18th. Operation Walking Shield will begin at Browning High School, where U.S. military personnel will provide no-cost healthcare services to anyone who needs it.
Medical services including dental, optometry, behavioral health, and veterinary care will be provided at no cost by the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program.
“This is an opportunity to get out and help people in our own communities here in the United States and its territories,” said Captain Heather Edsall, Medical Program Manager for IRT program. “It's one of the most fulfilling, heartwarming, and probably impactful things that most of our service members will get to do for a very long time."
“Innovative Readiness Training is an office of the Secretary of Defense Training initiative that brings servicemembers from across the country together from different branches of the military to provide no-cost health care services in an environment that allows us to train,” Edsall explained.
Blackfeet Tribal Health applied for the program about a year ago, and they are excited to see it coming to fruition.
“This is a huge opportunity for everybody to get these free services,” said Garland Stiffarm, CEO of Blackfeet Tribal Health. “Not only Blackfeet, but also surrounding areas.”
The service members arrived at Great Falls International Airport on Monday, and were shuttled up to the Blackfeet Reservation.
The medical clinic will be available from July 18 through July 27, where they will train and treat patients, benefitting not only themselves, but the community as a whole.
“So typically when we train on a mannequin, we just kind of do our procedure and walk away and there’s no long-term lasting effect,” Edsall said. “Here, we get to not only get the training that we need and the collaboration that we need, but the long-term effect is that patient walking away with a pair of glasses that they did not have to pay for, or a spayed or neutered cat or dog they may not have been able to get otherwise.”
There will be special access days for tribal elders, Heart Butte and Babb, and Seville and East Glacier communities with transportation provided.
July 18 is Elders Day, July 22 is Heart Butte and Babb, and July 23 is Seville and East Glacier.
The clinic will be located at Browning High School (105 US-89) in Browning.
From the event Facebook page:
- This is open to the PUBLIC and all surrounding communities
- No ID needed to receive care
- No appointment needed for medical, vision, dental, or behavioral care
- No fees charged
- One service per check-in
- Pet services NEED an appointment, email 7359vetdet@gmail.com to schedule
- Under 18 need a guardian at all times
More information can be found here, or by calling 406-338-5606.
