Today we went to the Cherokee Indian Hospital to observe the nurses on the flood and see how they care for the patients. The health care system is run by the people. Health care costs are completely covered at the hospital for native Americans and the only service in the hospital that is available to non-native Americans is the emergency department. This works well because the hospital houses an inpatient unit pharmacy, primary care, ancillary cares, etc...
I was fortunate to sit in on patient report for the day on the the inpatient unit. Their report includes all members of the health care team; RN, MD, crisis prevention, social work, PT, RPH, etc... What was really amazing about this was the face to face interaction that the different specialty’s could have to provide the best care for the patient. At one point the provider discussed medication for a patient based on the specific type of infection and that is something I have never seen. Something that really pulled on my heart strings was watching the crisis team case manager advocate so passionately for a patient. She was clear and concise, and expressed her concerns to the entire team. There was no back and forth phone calls, no secondary messages, and no miscommunication. I was in awe with her passion and how well she delivered her message. Later I ran into her in the hall and expressed my gratitude for being an advocate. This is what I got into health care for. Seeing this reminds me why I’m here and it really drives me to keep going.
Given my 12 years of pharmacy experience I feel like I am always curious about medicine, and not just pharmaceuticals but also natural remedies, herbals, and holistic medicine too. We are so advanced with technology and science that sometimes we tend to over do it...sometimes it’s wise to listen to grandmas ol’ tips and tricks. The Cherokee have their own healing practise that have been passed on from generations and a lot of it involved using plans. Something I saw in one of the shops yesterday was yellow root. Today I found out that it can be used to make a tea to treat some sort of illness. However, it has to be made just right and those who know how to not share that information.
The more I learn about the history of the Native Americans the more appreciation I have for them, and even a bit of envy. I wish that I knew more about my ancestry before settling in America. This experience has been so humbling and amazing but I can’t help but feeling cheated. What the Cherokee have provided for their people is so amazing and despite the flaws, having free health care and education is something that so many people would benefit from yet it’s all so out of our hands. Despite feeling failed over and over again by our system I will never stop fighting for what I believe in and I will continue to work hard and educate as much as I can.
Stay tuned for more blogs...next time I plan to dabble a little more in the mental health side of the Cherokee Nation.
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