Dr. Vittor’s contract at Piñon Health Center not renewed
Sheila Judy and Sheilandria Kaye hold up "Keep Vittor" signs across the road of the Pinon Health Center on Wednesday morning. More than 30 people protested the health center's decision to let Dr. Vittor go at the end of the month. [photo by Karen Francis / Independent]

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

PIÑON — If it weren’t for Dr. Virginia Vittor, Priscilla Sage might not be alive today.

While Sage kept going to the same hospital for years only to be given Motrin for her pain, it wasn’t until she met Vittor at the Piñon Health Center that she was diagnosed with a tumor. Sage was able to have surgery in May 2007 and more than a year later, she was part of a group that was protesting the decision not to renew Vittor’s contract to continue working at the health center.

Protesters endured harsh winds on May 21 and again on Thursday as they walked from the Conoco gas station in Piñon to the turn-off to the health center.

Vittor is not an employee of Indian Health Services but is a contract doctor who has been at the health center in Piñon since October 2005 working in outpatient clinic care. In the time she was there, she made a huge difference for elderly patients, many of the demonstrators said.

“She’s the best doctor that ever came to Piñon. I don’t think nobody can match that and I really want her to stay. Never in Piñon history has a doctor came in and just really examine to find out what’s really wrong with you,” said Doris Claw, one of Vittor’s grateful patients.

“The whole community has come to trust her,” Anita Natonabah said. Natanobah said that the community has gathered more than 500 signatures on a petition expressing concern for the health center and asking it to keep Vittor.
Indian Health Services spokeswoman Genevieve Notah called it a “mutual decision” between the IHS and Medical Doctors Associates, the company that employs Vittor as an independent contractor.

The Medical Doctors Association said that it is routine for its clients to end relationships without notice.

“Typically doctors are in there for a small amount of time,” Gloria Parrish, vice president of marketing for MDA, said.
While clients of the Piñon Health Center wanted to know why Vittor was let go, Parrish said she did not know why the contract was not renewed.

“We don’t know why they’re pulling her out. She’s a good doctor. She cares for the patients,” Arnold Sonnie said during the May 21 protest.

“She’s the one that’s always there for us,” Mary Begay said about Vittor.

Alex Sage echoed the same sentiments.

While many outside doctors come and go through Indian Health Service on the reservation, Vittor is different because she tries to get to know the patient, he said.

“In the 27 years I’ve been on this earth I’ve never seen anybody take care of me the way she did,” he said.

Phyllis Gilmore, who was at the protest, said that Vittor helped her with her surgery and now her health is better.

“I know she helped a lot of people who went through their surgery. We’re glad our clinic is here. We’re glad that our good doctors are here,” Gilmore said.

She added that some of the doctors don’t have patience with the elders who go to the hospital for medical care and those are the doctors who should be leaving.

“Why take the good ones out?” she asked.

Gilmore said that health system administrator Carol Begay-Steele assured the community at the last chapter meeting that things at the health center were going well.

“She said everything was OK. That’s a lie,” she said.

“We want good doctors to work with us here,” she added.

Nellie Judy, another of Vittor’s patients, said that by letting Vittor go, the elderly are the ones being hurt.

“The other doctors, they don’t prescribe the best medicine for your health,” she said. “We love her. We don’t want her to go.”

Other people also said that many doctors don’t work as well with the elderly as Vittor does.

“She spends a lot of time with the elderly,” Carmen Redsteer said. “Others, it seems like they just stick up their noses when they get elderly patients. They just don’t want to deal with them.”

In an area where many people still don’t have running water, Redsteer said that Vittor was willing to work with any patient — “elderly, smelly, dirty, clean, rich or poor, she’ll deal with them.”

Beverly Matt, who is completely blind, said that other doctors she has had to deal with in the past don’t listen to their patients’ complaints the way Vittor did.

“You try to explain your situation to them, they just don’t listen to you, but Vittor gives you the time you need,” Matt said.

“She doesn’t have time to look down on us. She treats us like family,” Matt added.

When asked what she had to say to the elderly who say that Vittor is the only doctor they trust, Notah said, “There are a number of other personnel and staff in the health center that provide excellent quality health care. There are a number of elderly in all our communities and it is our hope that our staff are able to listen to their concerns and provide the health care that is appropriate for their needs.”

Notah said that the community members have been heard.