Northern Cheyenne I.H.S. Facilities crew recognized as best in the Nation

LAME DEER, Mont. – In December 2023, Bob Magpie, Northern Cheyenne tribal member and Maintenance Director for the Lame Deer I.H.S. Clinic went to Washington, D.C. The occasion was the annual I.H.S. Director Awards. Magpie accepted the National Award for Customer Service from I.H.S. Director Roselyn Tso, (Navajo) on behalf of his department which is staffed by an all-Northern Cheyenne work force.

The I.H.S. has 170 service units across America. Thus, to be recognized as the “best of the best” facilities crew in the nation is an outstanding accomplishment. Usually, the folks in the background only get noticed when they are not doing their job; otherwise, when things flow smoothly, it is largely taken for granted.

As Mr. Magpie explained, he and his five-man crew are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a 63,000 sq.ft clinic and twenty-nine employee quarters, a mixture of older houses and apartments, the surrounding grounds, roadways and sidewalks. 

A very important thing at Northern Cheyenne is compliance with National Fire Protection standards:  fire extinguishers; ensuring the generators are always ready in case of power outage; regular power checks; maintaining the sprinkler system, etc.  The Cheyenne are quite concerned about these matters because the former I.H.S., literally a lifeline on the remote reservation, burned to the ground in the late 1990’s.

Reginold Killsnight Sr., now a twenty-two veteran of the I.H.S. Maintenance crew, then served on Tribal Council. “I remember when William Walksalong, Tribal Chief Executive Officer and I traveled to Washington, D.C. to free up the funds,” he shared. “Little did I know that working at the clinic would become my profession.”

The current clinic opened for business in 1999. “We were so proud,” Killsnight recalled “wanting it to be a welcoming place. Planted lawns and trees, built a walkway which people enjoy. Sometimes, I, as a ceremonial man, smudge the place and conduct prayers when there have been too many deaths or sorrow there.”

There is a lengthy process to gaining such an esteemed award, starting with a nomination from the Service Unit level; forwarded to the Area office and finally to the National level.

“It started in 2022,” Mardel Nichols, Acting Deputy CEO explained. “We were reviewed by the Joint Commission (the gold star of accrediting agencies for health facilities). Normally, that is a three-year rotation, but they can show up unannounced and have the power to shut a facility down. There is a comprehensive list of things they look at. We passed, with only one tiny glitch – one fire extinguisher was not up to par. That got fixed in about ten minutes.”

Nichols went on to explain that the Lame Deer I.H.S. facility is a leader in the Billings Area for its quarters program, “so important,” she said for employee recruitment and retention. “I have served in many I.H.S. facilities,” she remarked, and none are finer than in Lame Deer.”

The huge Lame Deer Clinic hosts a myriad of programs: Urgent Care; Outpatient Ambulatory; X-ray; lab; pharmacy; optometry; dental; physical therapy; a wide variety of tribal health programs such as behavioral health; Public Health Nursing; Community Health Representatives; WIC; Veteran’s Advocates; Tobacco and Smoking Cessation and administrative offices.

Supervisor Magpie was quite modest about his role: “This has only been possible because of our dedicated crew,” he said. “They are committed to our community and our people, going over and beyond. You do not get into this type of job for the big money,” he added. “It is service to our people.””

“Our success in this building comes from these guys’ hard work. I get the tools and supplies, hire, and supervise the contractors and so forth. They care about this facility and do quality work.  They really make me look good,” he laughed.

For example, though the crew works a staggered schedule, normally four ten-hour days, when off duty there is a rotation of those who carry cell phones to respond to emergencies. “The furnaces always break down in the coldest weather,” Killsnight noted. “Yet, we get them going and call somebody else when extra help is needed. When it is blizzarding, we are out there at dawn, scraping sidewalks to eliminate slippery conditions. Many elders depend on that.”

Director Tso was so taken with the Lame Deer I.H.S. clinic that she personally came for a tour in August 2022. “I met her twice,” Magpie said. “Once at the Awards Ceremony and then again at Lame Deer. She is a nice lady, remembered me.”

Nichols commented “our guests and clients always note how nice the facility is. Not one weed is allowed on the lush grounds, the hallways, complete with new flooring installed under Bob’s direction to ensure more sanitation, are shiny and clean. Everything is sparkling clean.”

“We even planted trees,” Reginold said with satisfaction. “We like to see people enjoy the grounds, the walkway, and the facility. Sometimes going out to Mother Nature can ease you.”

Magpie suggested this article acknowledge support from the Billings Area Office Engineering staff headed by Jerry Smith, who most likely is from the Fort Peck Reservation, Smith a big family there. “Whenever we have a project, they give us an easy go-ahead. Guess we kind of earned that.”

The Lame Deer I.H.S. Facilities/Maintenance crew includes veterans: Reginold Killsnight Sr.; Jeremey Killsnight; Myron Bement; Steven Brien and a new recruit Ty Fischer.

Kudos guys. Job extremely well done. Your service and dedication are admirable. You make Northern Cheyennes look good.

(Contact Clara Caufield at 2ndcheyennevoice@gmail.com)

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