Challenges In Rural And American Indians

With the advancement of medical technology and increasing self awareness of both mental and physical well being, the health of most Americans has increasingly improved. However, the same cannot be said of the health of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Health improvements for American Indians and Alaska Natives have not improved, with health disparities still existing in areas such as:  infant mortality, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, cirrhosis and liver disease, arthritis, smoking, and cancer

People living in rural areas are experiencing highly limited excess to health care facilities either because they are not aware of the disease symptoms as a

Though American Indians are enjoying an independent public health system with above $3 billion funds provided by Congress annually for delivering healthcare services to them, still figure and facts on health status of American Indians reveal that they are facing many difficulties and have to suffer from diverse type of illness and disease at a misappropriate level. Since long it was identified by medical communities that there are wide spread diseases diabetes, alcoholism, tuberculosis, suicide, unintentional injuries, and other health conditions among American Indian and they are dying of these diseases at shocking rates (American Heart Association [AHA], 2010). Through this essay I want to discuss the healthcare status of American Indians in the perspective of their culture as how it impacted and lead to develop mistrust between amongst the medical community and American Indians.

Native American poverty is a social problem in the United States. For historic, political, sociocultural, and economic reasons, this issue affects not only those impoverished but American society as a whole. The most impoverished Native American communities are frequently within the boundaries of reservations. The rates of unemployment, low wages, and infant mortality are among the highest in the country on several reservations. Disease, mental illness, alcoholism, and fetal alcohol syndrome are also prevalent within the Native American population. To improve these conditions, strategies should be put into place to build stable economies in the otherwise isolated reservations.

The IHS, which is part of the Affordable Care Act, issues some health care benefits to assist Native Americans on reservations (“Health Coverage For”). But people fail to identify loopholes in the ACA that prevent Native Americans from gaining proper access health care. For example, health care provided by the IHS only applies to federally recognized tribes. Although there are 567 federally recognized tribes today, there are also 460 tribes that still lack government recognition (Olife). This means that those who are not federally recognized are ineligible for Medicare needs that could be available to them if they were government recognized. In addition to that, medicaid has not expanded to at least 20 states (Norris). So even if Native tribes are government recognized, medicaid is not available to those who live in those states. In other words, Natives will have to find other means for helping themselves until more states expand on Medicaid. But do medical emergencies have time to wait? So in the case of Native Americans on reservations, even if they are entitled to health insurance under the ACA, if they are not federally recognized or live in a state that accepts medicaid, Natives will be forced to support

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma (CN) is one of the many Native American tribes that place a great emphasis on health care. There are noticeable efforts and investments in improving the health care system in the Cherokee Nation. Through the building of health care centers, launching health programs, and individually engaged tribal members in the health field, the Cherokee Nation is striving to improve the overall health care of their people.

"Man corn", warfare and atlatls were not the only interesting aspects of the Anasazi culture. The history and lifestyles of the Ancestral Puebloans may have contributed to their mysterious disappearance. Their societies were more complex than most humans realize.

The effect of being Plains Indians located on a reservation in Oklahoma during the 1900. Between 1865 and 1900 there have numerous events that have occurred for the plains Indians that changed their way of thinking, and their way of life here in the United States of America. It all started with as a simple introduction of the horses, buffalo, boarding schools, loss of land and major attacks on the Indians.

Johnson in 1965 and was designed as a social programs to provide medical services and hospital care to those with low incomes, fewer resources, and those with disabilities (CMS.gov, 2015). High unemployment, cramped living conditions, distances from modern health facilities, and lack of public transportation has caused many barriers for American Indians and Alaska Natives to access the services of modern medicine (Giger, 2013). This has caused these groups of people, though eligible for these federally funded health services, to seek treatment, care, and services from the Indian Health Service

Thirty-Five Native American tribes exist in Washington State. The Tulalip tribe resides in Marysville, Washington bordering the town that I live in. The Tulalip Tribes are the state’s second largest tribal group. In the past Cascade Midwives & Birth center, where I plan to practice my skills, has conducted mini prenatal clinics for expectant Tulalip mothers. While, in recent years it has not been as prevalent. Midwives have been integral for many underprivileged women to get quality healthcare throughout pregnancy. These women are typically marginalized in society but can be well served by midwives. Midwives are less threatening and believe in informal consent, they allow people to make their own decisions. This helps avoid the stigma of a

Rural health professionals represent a diverse set of individuals seeking to meet the main goals of public health. Their desire to promote health and prevent disease is blocked by many barriers, due to the geographical position of their target population; yet they still persevere to serve their specified communities. Approximately twenty percent of America is rural, and rural counties are more likely to report fair to poor health. This particular population cannot be compared to its urban counterparts due the sheer amount of obstacles health care providers and patients face. Rural Americans are shaped by geography and tradition which creates a combination of factors that create disparities.

The experience of growing up in a small rural town in Minnesota which borders the Prairie Island Indian Community is the first experience which gives me a unique identity. Every year Prairie Island Tribal Council members came to educate students about their culture through lectures, dance, and band performances. These experiences gave me a better appreciation and understanding of my Mdewakanton classmates. As a result, I see the commonality between people, I am interested in learning about other cultures, and I believe experience rather than merely ethnicity defines diversity. The rural aspect of a small town meant farming and factory work provided employment for many citizens. Therefore, the concept of a strong work ethic was continually modeled.

Alaskan Tribal Members are a prime example of just how difficult it is to provide accessible healthcare to Native Americans. In a study about improving the oral health of Alaskan Natives, published on PubMed Central of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it was stated that “Disregarding the 3 largest population centers in Alaska [Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau], the state has a population density of about 0.5 people per square mile,

Rural Americans face an exclusive combination of issues that create disparities in health care that are not found in urban areas. Many complications met by healthcare providers and patients in rural arears are massively different than those located in urban areas. Financial factors, cultural and social variances, educational deficiencies, lack of acknowledgement by delegates and the absolute isolation of living in remote rural areas all combined to hinder rural Americans in their struggle to lead a normal, healthy life. Rural hospitals located in rural areas faces many disadvantages, such as; minimum resources, shortcoming or unprepared professionals, and financial disparities. Although many of these challenges could be solved

Many of the individuals who live within these communities are elderly, immigrants, farmers and migrants. They work and live off their land and lack the needed funds to purchase health insurance, because it is not affordable and they do not have transportation or a way of getting on bus routes, because they live so far out. The nearest local hospital is about 50 miles away and if they get seriously injured they must wait for an ambulance or life flight to arrive with an additional ride of about an hour before they receive adequate care in case of an emergency.