Bemidji Area
The Bemidji Area Office (BAO) provides service and support to 34 Federally-recognized Tribes and 4 Urban Indian Health programs located in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Tribal Health services are provided through 11 P.L. 93-638 Title V compacts and 23 Title I contracts. Urban Indian Health programs are located in Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI; and Minneapolis, MN. Tribes in the Bemidji Area include Ojibwe (Chippewa), Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Mohican, Oneida, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Sioux.
The BAO operates 3 Federal/direct service programs on behalf of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians of Minnesota. These Federal/direct service programs, Cass Lake Hospital, Red Lake Hospital, and White Earth Health Center, are staffed by approximately 500 federal civil service employees and Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officers. These federal employees are comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians, behavioral health practitioners, dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, optometrists, optical technicians, dietitians, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physical therapists, engineers, sanitarians, equipment technicians, health information managers, administrators, acquisition, supply, finance, information technology and clerical staff. In addition, there are numerous specialty clinics provided in our Federal/direct service programs by local private health care specialists.
Tribal and Urban programs directly employ a multitude of health care providers and allied staff such as, mental health, substance abuse counselors, and community health nurses and representatives. Services not available through Tribal or BAO Federal/direct service programs may be delivered through Contract Health Services (CHS).
