TRIBAL HEALTH CENTER

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TRIBAL HEALTH CENTER

Sault Ste. Marie Evening News - Sault Ste. Marie,MI*

Story created Nov 12, 2007

Witnesses share closure details

Tribal Health Center witnesses sketch multiple illnesses

http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articles/2007/11/12/news/news697.txt

SAULT STE. MARIE - Described by Sault Tribe officials at one point

as an " inconvenience " the late October water leak in the tribe's

Health Center was apparently considerably more serious than official

statements suggest.

A number of witnesses to events inside the building prior to its

closure on Nov. 2 indicate several people became ill and required

medical treatment while working in the three-story building.

One woman sickened, collapsed and suffered a number of apparent

seizures before tribal official decided to close the building for

repair of water and other damage to the building. That woman

remained hospitalized at War Memorial Hospital over the weekend

while she awaits room for specialized neurological and toxicological

treatment at University Hospital in Ann Arbor, according to family

members.

In an atmosphere of fear of tribal retribution, a number of

witnesses to the Oct. 27-28 water leak and Nov. 3 evacuation of the

building agreed to describe events to The Evening News provided

their names were withheld for their protection.

According to witness accounts the Health Center's water troubles

began with a faulty water connection associated with a counter

replacement project in the third-floor dental offices. Left over the

weekend of Oct. 27-28, the flooding worked its way downward from the

third floor to the ground level, bringing down ceiling material and

causing other damage unseen.

By Monday, Oct. 29, extensive water damage was apparent to early

arriving employees throughout the building. Staff members reportedly

cleaned up the wet mess that Monday and went about their business at

the Health Center.

Reports of employee sickness began on Tuesday, Oct. 30. A dental

assistant reportedly broke out in a rash, later identified as hives.

The following day a secretary reported difficulty breathing and left

the job to seek her own treatment. At the same time, a dentist at

the Health Center reported " heaviness " in the chest area and

instructed the staff to write up an incident report on the apparent

outbreak of strange symptoms.

At about the same time, a therapist at the Health Center reported

strong itching sensations, apparently associated with a hives

outbreak, witnesses say.

The number of staff members reporting symptoms continued to increase

through the week, according to reports. A physician reported

suffering her first asthma attack in 20 years and was forced to

leave the job site.

Others reporting breathing trouble, rashes, hives and the like were

located in the Health Center's x-ray and pharmacy departments,

according to witness accounts.

On Thursday, Nov. 1, the dental office at the Health Center was

closed, in part because of the water damage and by at least one

account because staff members there were ordered to get out of the

building.

Throughout the partial week of accumulating illnesses, afflicted

staff members were reportedly given antihistamines and steroids,

common treatments for hives and other presumed allergic reactions.

The culminating event apparently occurred on Friday, Nov. 2, when

another staff member reported feeling sick after suffering hives

earlier. When she sought treatment at a Health Center clinic, the

woman reportedly collapsed, suffering a number of seizures at the

same time.

She was taken by city ambulance to War Memorial for treatment and

Health Center officials who initially resisted a number of

suggestions that the building be closed finally decided to shut it

down.

Another female staff member was reportedly wheeled out of the

building with oxygen mask attached, suffering an unknown malady.

In official statements, Sault Tribe officials minimized the outbreak

of seemingly similar symptoms among Health Center employees.

One witness, who said at least 20 employees became ill after the

flooding incident, said other staff members " begged " Health Center

Director Bonnie Culfa to close the building, amid widespread fears

that the building was causing the outbreaks. That same witness and

one other both indicated they saw no evidence of mold formation in

the several days before the building was closed.

Another said new carpeting was installed in a portion of the

building two months before the flooding. However she said nobody

appeared to be sickened in the several weeks the new carpeting was

in the building.

Another denied the reported sickness was related to " construction

work " undertaken after the dental office and later the Health Center

building was closed. She said illness reports began coming in well

before contractor crews arrived to attempt repairs. " There was no

sickness before the water break, " another said.

" Everybody is steaming mad but they can's speak up, " she said,

referring to fear of retaliation by tribe officials.

She said a number of ill employees were contacted by supervisors and

explicitly told not to discuss their symptoms or experiences with

The Evening News.

An attempt to reach Sault Tribe public relations official Cory

for results of on-site toxicology testing inside the Health

Center building were not successful early today.

In the interim period while the Health Center building is closed,

tribal health operations have been scattered to other tribal clinics

and in a temporary office on the Shunk Road reservation.