Other LanguagesCheck arrives before American Indian Day on Sept. 27
Seattle—Attorney General Bob Ferguson presented a $138,721 grant to the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) to develop its new Chronic Pain Management Project patient registry. The registry will help SIHB health care providers identify and create individualized service plans for patients with chronic pain and other diagnoses.
Attorney General Ferguson made this presentation as part of the week-long celebration of American Indian Day on September 27.
“The Seattle Indian Health Board serves urban American Indians and Alaskan Natives who otherwise may lack services—especially when it comes to chronic pain and diabetes,” Ferguson said. “The Attorney General’s Office is proud to provide grant funding for this important project and we thank the health board for their work to help underserved populations access the health care services they need.”
“We appreciate the Attorney General's recognition of the work Seattle Indian Health Board is doing to help our community members manage the debilitating effects of chronic pain,” said Ralph Forquera, Executive Director of the Seattle Indian Health Board. “Our American Indians/Alaska Natives patients have close to twice the diagnosis of diabetes than the general population. The Attorney General's support will improve the lives of these patients as well as all those we treat for chronic pain.”
The grant comes from a $42.9 million multistate settlement with Pfizer Inc. in December 2012 to resolve allegations the company unlawfully promoted the drugs Zyvox and Lyrica.
The attorneys general alleged Pfizer engaged in unfair and deceptive practices by making misleading and unsubstantiated claims about the drugs’ superiority to similar, better-known drugs. The bulk of Washington’s $1.3 million share of the settlement funds was granted to six non-profits and government organizations in Washington for projects that help people with chronic pain, particularly diabetes.
The SIHB is a non-profit, multi-service community health center chartered in 1970 to advocate for, provide, and ensure culturally appropriate, high quality, and accessible health and human services to American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the greater Seattle/King County region of Washington.
September 27 is recognized statewide as American Indian Day. SIHB will be hosting cultural activities throughout the week at the clinic. The public is invited to participate. More information is on the SIHB website: www.sihb.org.
A photo from the event can be found, here.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Janelle Guthrie, Director of Communications
Alison Dempsey-Hall, Deputy Communications Director
Rebecca Corpuz, Deputy Director, SIHB (206) 324-9360