Upstate Medical University and Federal Indian Health Service are teaming up to improve the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaska Native communities across New York state.
The two signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday to provide resources, knowledge and support to address health disparities for the Native American and Alaska Native communities.
“As a family practitioner, we’re about prevention. And I think it’s been difficult to do a lot of preventive care when you’ve had limited resources,” said Dr. Eva Gregory, an Upstate assistant professor of family medicine and the health director for the Onondaga Nation Health Center.
She said the partnership will help them expand services.
“Allow us to hire another full-time nurse practitioner who can help with providing that care," Gregory said. "Also, a nurse manager who can then help coordinate activities in the community with other organizations to do more preventive care and wellness for the community.”
Gregory said they got an extra year of funding to help with renovations for the first time since they opened the clinic back in 1997.
“Health care is not just the doctor visit, it’s not just the pharmacy, 'what medications do I need to get?' It is far more than that,” said Roselyn Tso, the director of Indian Health Service.
Tso said social drivers of health like housing challenges, transportation and food security impact the environment that people live in.
“My job with the federal government is to make sure that we look at all of the government’s approach to how we address the needs of our people out in the Indian country,” said Tso.
“So this is a good partnership and allows for many more resources to hopefully come into the community,” said Gregory.
The memorandum of understanding will strengthen Upstate’s ties with the American Indian and Alaska Native Community. Upstate Medical University offers an annual workshop for college students from those communities across the country who are interested in pursuing a career in health care.