Trust and visibility are keys to effective health care, but not everyone feels the same way walking into the doctor’s office. That’s why some look to increase representation in those who wear the white coats and scrubs.
The new Great Plains Native Health Hub in Rapid City aims to create a safe space for indigenous patients, but it also wants to be a resource to aspiring health care professionals.
Dr. Donald Warne is the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, a key piece of the new Native Health Hub.
“What we’re excited about is bringing together many of our people who have studied in different parts of the country or have worked in different parts of the country, but have roots here in South Dakota, and bringing our team back here is very exciting," Warne said. "So, what we’re hoping is we’ll link research opportunities to educational opportunities, and by doing that we’ll create programs that are much more holistic and comprehensive.”
Warne said indigenous-first health care makes a tangible difference for Native patients.
“I know that we are from communities that have less resources but know that we can do this," Warne said. "I was very fortunate to grow up in a family that had a lot of medicine men and traditional healers. In truth, I was afraid some of my relatives would be disappointed in me for going to the “dark side” of modern medicine, but in truth I had a lot of support. I think what we’re recognizing when we blend together the best of our traditional cultural values with the best of modern science, we create all kinds of opportunities and synergies to improve outcomes.”
Warne’s colleague, Dr. Courtney Claussen, said while it’s a difficult path, Native students shouldn’t write off health care as an unachievable career field.
“Incredibly strong community ties and community connections are very, very strong pillars of success for those who are seeking higher education, and certainly helped myself,” Claussen said.
The leadership team at the Great Plains Native Health Hub is made up entirely of indigenous peoples and is connected to the prestigious Johns Hopkins medical program.
