Pine Ridge Spring Break Immersion Trip Pine Ridge, SD March 410, 2006

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Pine Ridge Spring Break Immersion TripPine
Ridge, SDMarch 4-10, 2006

• Michael Anderson
• Jessie Barnum
• Gabe Harris
• Hoang Pham
• Danielle Potter
• JoAnna Slobodnjak
• Emilio Volz
• Mee Yang

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Why Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?

• Rich historical relationship between Creighton
  University and Pine Ridge
• Jesuit connection between Creighton and Holy
  Rosary Mission since the founding of the Mission
• Currently, Creighton has top rated Native
  American undergraduate programs in the country.
• Arts/Sciences, Pharmacy, PT, OT existing
  connections with reservations.
• Existing connections with doctors and
  administrators at IHS

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Why Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?

• Rich historical relationship between Creighton
  University and Pine Ridge
• Jesuits arrived at the Pine Ridge Agency in the
  1880s and set up Holy Rosary Mission
• Third-World living conditions in Southwestern
  South Dakota

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Background on Pine Ridge

• Population 20,000-40,000
• Shannon County is the poorest county in the
  United States
• Per capita income 4,000
• Unemployment rate 75-85
• Major employers School systems, Bureau of
  Indian Affairs, Casino
• Alcohol and drug abuse affects 9 of 10 families

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Healthcare on the Reservation

• Lifespan 48-52 yrs (male), 50-54 (female), the
  lowest in the western hemisphere next to Haiti
• Nearly 50 of the population over age 40 are
  diabetic
• Infant mortality is twice the national average
• Suicide rates are the highest in the nation
• Indian Health Services is the main source of
  healthcare on the reservation

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Why Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?

• CUSOMs Mission Statement
• the mission of the School of Medicine is to
  improve the human condition through excellence in
  educating students, physicians and the public,
  advancing knowledge, and providing comprehensive
  patient care.
• CUSOMs Vision Statement
• We will be distinguished for preparing
  graduates who achieve excellence in their chosen
  fields and who demonstrate an extraordinary
  compassion and commitment to the service of
  others.

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Father BuckoCreighton professor and
anthropologist
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Red Cloud Indian School / Holy Rosary Mission
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Cultural Experiences
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Speaker Linn Cross Dog
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Pine Ridge Hospital
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Tour of Pine Ridge Hospital
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Speaker Dr. Butterbrodt
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Porcupine Clinic
Dialysis Clinic
Main Clinic
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Speaker Paul Iron Cloud
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Pine Ridge High School
Helping current high school juniors with the
Gates Millennium Scholarship
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Pine Ridge Middle School and High School
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Historic Lakota Sites
Badlands
Stronghold Table
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Wounded Knee
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Results

• Lakota people all thanked us for coming and
  expressed their gratitude for the time we gave to
  them.
• Attended a sweat lodge ceremony with local Lakota
  people.
• IHS doctors have expressed interest in helping
  CUSOM start an externship at IHS.
• IHS has a externship set up with the University
  of South Dakota School of Medicine.
• The 8 of us were challenged, grew, and learned a
  lot about Lakota culture as well as ourselves.
• We had some solid group bonding experiences and
  lots of fun!
• So where do go from here????????

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Hopes for the future

• We have an Unique Opportunity we can be the
  first generation from CUMC and CUSOM to have a
  connection medically to Pine Ridge, to establish
  a relationship and to have a presence in the
  poorest county in USA.
• Establish a yearly Spring Break Immersion Trip to
  Pine Ridge through Project C.U.R.E for M1s.
• Work to establish a 4th year externship at the
  Pine Ridge Hospital. Benefits
• Learn how to be a caring and competent physician
  in a culture different from our own.
• Gain hands-on experience in a population with
  unique healthcare needs
• Personal and professional growth through working
  within a rural impoverished population.
• Living CUSOMs mission and vision statement
  working to improve the human condition while
  demonstrating an extraordinary compassion and
  commitment to the service of others.

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• Never underestimate the power of a small group
  of individuals to change the world, indeed it is
  the only thing that ever has.
• Margaret Mead

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Thank youQuestions?