Smoke signals., April 15, 2012, Page 5, Image 5

Smoke Signals 5
APRIL 15, 2012
As DnDey Tm irani imamed execwittiiwe doiirecttor
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Ashley Tuomi,
who turned 28 in February, has
been named executive director of
American Indian Health and Fam
ily Services of Southeast Michi
gan. She came to AIHFS from United
American Indian Involvement Inc.
in Los Angeles where she served
as associate director of Health
Services.
"I think I really have a passion
for Indian health services," she said
recently in a phone interview. "All
throughout school, everything I did
was Indian health services. I was
dedicated to learning the services
and jumping right in."
As executive director, she over
sees clinical services, behavioral
health, youth programs and preven
tive health programs. AIHFS takes
on the challenges of being an urban
Indian with scant federal funding
from Indian Health Service.
More than half of American Na
tives live in urban settings nation
wide, but the agencies serving them
receive about 1 percent of federal
funding, she said.
The group also receives other
federal allocations as well as state
grants, private funding and medi
cal insurance.
One of the challenges of serving
the urban Native population is that
ft
Ashley Tuomi
clients represent a wide range of
Tribes. "It's not just one culture,
but all the Native cultures across
the country," she said.
Members of federally recognized
Tribes receive more and better ser
vices from their Tribes, she said.
Tuomi still sees value in her
work. "We provide. a home for
them where they can get all of the
services that they need, including
youth programs and cultural activi
ties. We create a second home for
urban Indians."
"Urban Indians experience a lot
of the same challenges as on the
reservation," she said. But urban
Indians also face other challenges.
"A lot of the challenge for them
is being away from their homes,
their own cultural teachings and
advisers. The actual ceremonies
are different. They don't always get
access to their Tribes. Some don't
have the digital presence where
they can be as involved, and they
can feel secluded."
AIHFS serves 975 active patients
with about 2,000 visits a year.
The biggest challenge she faces
today is fgetting more experience
with behavioral health," she said.
She attends conferences showing
ways to integrate behavioral health
into the clinic.
"One of the other things we're
doing is the medical home (within
clinic) model, making sure that
patients are receiving care and
all of the services they need and
seeing the same people all the way
through.'
With a master's degree in hospi
tal administration from Washing
ton State University, Tuomi did an
internship with the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
on a project called "Reach 2010," ad
dressing health needs in minority
populations.
She ensured that federal guide
lines regarding screenings for can
cer and diabetes and guidelines for
care were met.
"I was working with individual
Tribes who had grants under the
CDC program; I helped in assist
ing with data and grant require
ments. The other big thing is they
didn't have any Native staff on
that program. So I got to provide
information about Indian health
services."
She wasn't always interested in
the line of health care where she
has landed, she said.
"As a kid and through under
graduate school, I was going to be
a plastic surgeon. I just kind of hit
this point and decided to change
and went in for a master's in Health
Administration. I got the Indian
Health Service scholarship and
switched my whole focus."
She applied for the Indian Health
Service scholarship for extra fund
ing in 2006, halfway through her
master's program.
Part of the change came because
there was a payback requirement to
the scholarship: one year of service
for every year of the scholarship
with a two-year minimum.
She finished her two years back
in 2009, but her work in IHS-re-lated
fields continued.
Today, she is working on her
doctorate in Health Sciences and
anticipates finishing the work next
year.
"I'm on the Leadership and Or
ganizational Behavior track. And
that will help me in continuing my
health administration and policy
role."
She also expressed gratitude for
scholarship funding she received
from the Tribe "throughout all of
my schooling, all three degrees,"
she said.
"My family is really big to me,"
she said, and remembers "the crafts
I learned at the Eugene satellite of
fice" when she was back home for a
year in 2011-12.
When she was younger, she par
ticipated in Royalty, and that, she
said, was what "gave me the confi
dence and experience for where I'm
at today." B
Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m.
wi:h Dara Dickinson (Simmons)
Lccrn cppliquo doiirrn techniques
Girls Jingle, Fancy & Traditional Dress styles.
Boys Grass, Fancy Traditional & Chicken
Open to the first 1 0 to register
For more information or to sign-up call:
Brian Krehbiel at 503-879-4639
brian.krehbielgrandronde.org
f
fTJj
L
Ad created by George Valdez
wtjjuu - c if um i y-rv
1 W ' w
I
WW :
A
... Exhibit and lunch meal of traditional foods
j , Lunch atNoon i r it
Activities for the children (accompanied by adults) 4
including a coloring contest , t r-
door prizes and gifts
Ad created by George Valdez
I Elder's bingo held at activity center I
Bingo at the Elders' Activity Center will be held on Saturday, April
14, and 6 p.m. Friday, April 27.
For more information, contact Elder Activity Assistant Daniel Ham
at 503-879-2233. a