Day 3: 6/12/18

The health care system in the Cherokee community is run by the tribe, so essentially the health care system is run by the Cherokee people themselves. The hospital has a governing board that is consists of members appointed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribal Council which includes community leaders, tribal member health care professionals, and more. The hospital receives funding from donations and the casino on the reservation, and they are also reimbursed for services that go through Medicare and Medicaid. 

The members of the health care team include physicians, nurses, nutritionists, physical therapists, case managers, case manager assistants, licensed practice nurses, certified nursing assistants, diabetes specialists, and other healthcare professionals. Before arriving at the hospital, I had the preconception that the health care team was going to consist of mainly Cherokee people, but I was wrong. There seemed to be an even amount of non-Cherokee and Cherokee on the staff, and the non-Cherokee staff that I spoke to each had their own story and reason for being there and becoming dedicated to the hospital and the Cherokee people themselves. 

I was given the opportunity to observe in pediatric primary care unit, and I was able to see how each patient's needs were handled as they came in. They were immediately seen and taken into an exam room. The staff was very efficient at communicating the patient's needs with each other, and this was made possible because every member of the healthcare team was in the same area. The case manager, licensed practice nurse, physician, nutritionist, behavioral health specialist, and diabetes specialist all in the same general area. This is also beneficial so the patient does not have to make a follow up appointment if they need a consult with another member of the health care team. This increases compliance and therefore improves the patient's health.

Besides the healthcare team being close to each other at all times, the healthcare system that I observed today was very similar to our health care system. It is composed of the same healthcare professionals as our healthcare system, and they go through similar if not the same training. Although, they may be more trained on how to provide culturally competent care for the population in this area. I really enjoyed "the right way" method that is practiced in this hospital. Everyone has their own story and reason for being there, and it is not our place to judge them or treat them any differently. I hope that every hospital will seriously work toward a philosophy that is similar to "the right way," and that every employee will act on it.

The complementary therapy that I witnessed in this culture is the use of different plants and herbs. There was a young man rubbing a green leaf on his skin where he was bit by ants. He told us that the plant was called "touch me not" and that it helped with the itching and inflammation caused by the bites. I also saw a few different books that were about medicinal and complementary herbs and plants within this region. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of alternative and complementary therapies that are used by the Cherokee people still today. This is a part of their culture and their history.