Pace 6 December 7,1982
Training provided fot' in-field health care
by Pat Leno
The Confederated Tribes of
W arm Springs is p resen tly
meeting a goal in the health care
field by training tribal employees
as para-professionals. This fall,
four different training programs
w e re a tte n d e d by tr i b a l
employees. The four training pro
gram s w ere the com m unity
health advocates, nurses aide
training, em ergency m edical
technician and first responders.
In having tribal members and
employees trained to do field
work as para-professionals the
Tribe is taking a giant step in
self-determination in the field of
health care.
During the mid 50’s health care
on the reservation was provided
by the Indian Health Service, a
federal government program.
The model for the medicine prac
ticed here on the reservation by
IHS has been the w estern
Medical Model which is to heal
and cure the body.
The leaders of the Tribe felt
th is lack ed th e tra d itio n a l
m edical belief, a belief of
treating the mind and spirit as
well as the body. So the Tribe
began to develop a plan to incor
porate the traditional medicine
idea.
At this time, the Tribe and IHS
work together in a partnership in
the health care of people of Warm
Springs. It is through this part
nership that the many training
programs have been pursued.
The Tribe is having people train
ed to work in an area of health
care which has been negelected,
the field of health care in the field
by para-professionals.
This new field will allow the
IHS doctors expanded knowledge
with which to work with the pa
tients. All para-professionals will
be working with the doctors in the
g a th e rin g of“ ^ n f o r m a t io n
necessary to give the best treat
ment possible.
It is a new field and a major
step for the Tribes. In the out
come the people of Warm Springs
will be the benefactors.
Nurses aide training students learn about systolic and diastolic blood
pressure. Angie Stacona uses a stethescope and blood pressure cuff to
measure those pressures on student Joanna Lytle. It’s just a part of the
many things that must be learned to become certified as a nurse’s aide.
Spilyay Tymoo photos
by
Shewczyk andLeno
Learning the skill of dealing directly with patients in the clinic setting is a
large part of the training in the Community Health Advocate program.
Wilson Wewa, Jr. takes the blood pressure reading of Clarence McKinley
as a part of taking information during a Senior Citizenclinic.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is essential in keeping circulation active in some cases where an in
jured victim is unable to do so himself. EMTI student Eldon Tom practices on a dummy made specifically
for that purpose.
The weeks of training and studying for cert
ification as a first responder are climaxed
with the written test and practicum. Charlene
Garcia intently pours over the final test.