Nov 13 2024

Odehmenan Health Equity Center Signature Community Event – Compassion in Action: Delivering Medical Care in Navajo Nation

Hybrid attendance (online & in-person)

November 13, 2024

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Location

Odehmenan Health Equity Center

Address

Library of Health Sciences, Suite 220, 1750 W. Polk Street, Select

Calendar

Download iCal File
Community Event flyer

This all-day program will feature healthcare practitioners and community health advocates from Gallup, New Mexico who work exclusively with Native populations and will discuss various topics including, but not limited to, COVID-19, gender affirming care and substance use disorders. The goal of this program is to come together, listen and engage in dialogue with one another about what each of us can do to better educate ourselves on Native health and how we can be better healthcare advocates.

Program:

8:30 - 9:45AM | BREAKFAST

9:00 - 9:15AM | WELCOME + INTRODUCTIONS
Welcome - Dr. Robert Barish
Speaker Introductions - Adriana Black

9:15AM - 10:15AM | SESSION 1
Rural Medicine in Gallup, New Mexico and Navajo Nation
Mia Lozada & Jennie Wei
The goal of this session is to give a geographic/historical overview of Gallup, New Mexico, provide demographics information, education rates, status of water/electricity, medical conditions in higher prevalence, food desert consequences and lack of healthcare specialists.

10:15AM - 11AM | SESSION 2
Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Native Communities
Sheryl Livingston
The goal of this session is to give context to how approaches to treatment and maintenance that are both similar and different within Native communities, teachings, and cultures.

11:00AM - 11:15AM | BREAK

11:15AM - 12PM | SESSION 3
Covid-19, Structural Racism, and its Effects in the Native American Southwest
Marisha Leonard-Bitahy, Mia Lozada & Jennie Wei
The goal of this session is to explore the challenges of patient care during peak pandemic times, focusing on the burden of disease, etc. We will also discuss the culture of fear and lessons for future disaster and emergency preparedness.

12PM - 1:30PM | LUNCH
Catered by Aloha Wagon

12:30PM - 1:30PM | SESSION 4
Impact of Identities in Providing Care for Native Americans
Marisha Leonard-Bitahy, Mattee Jim, Sheryl Livingston & Mia Lozada
The goal of this session is to explore the joys and struggles of being Native and caring for Native communities, as well as the experiences of non-Native individuals in similar roles. We will also discuss the impact of blood quantum and historical trauma on healthcare within Native communities.

1:30PM - 1:45PM | BREAK

1:45PM - 2:45PM | SESSION 5
Gender Affirming Care in a Rural Native American Community
Mattee Jim & Jennie Wei
The goal of this session is to explore the development of subspecialty clinics to address the lack of healthcare access in rural Native communities. We will discuss the importance of integrating Native American views on gender and sexuality into healthcare services and highlighting cultural perspectives that influence patient care and well-being.

2:45PM - 3PM | CLOSING
Reflection - Cassandra Solis
Closing Remarks - Adriana Black

 

Please RSVP to attend online or in person!

RSVP

Contact

Cassandra Solis
cmsolis2@uic.edu

Date posted

Jul 22, 2024

Date updated

Oct 10, 2024

Speakers

Photo of Mia Lozada (she/her) Mia Lozada (she/her) | Medical Officer, Gallup Indian Medical Center, Indian Health Service

Mia Lozada, MD was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and has worked at Gallup Indian Medical Center (GIMC, Indian Health Service) in New Mexico as a General Internist (a mix of primary care and hospital/ICU medicine) since August 2012. She spearheaded the Readmissions Task Force and started the first Schwartz Center Rounds site in New Mexico at GIMC for staff well-being. She is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and coordinates the Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Buprenorphine prescriber program at GIMC. In addition to addiction care, her clinic interests include Hepatology/complex liver disease as well as elder care (IHS GeriScholar 2023-2024). She received a BA in Biology from Harvard College and attended the University of Chicago–Pritzker School of Medicine (Class of 2008). She completed Internal Medicine residency at UCSF in the primary care track based at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), and also spent her Chief Resident year at SFGH. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF.

Photo of Jennie Wei (she/her) Jennie Wei (she/her) | Chief Clinical Consultant for Internal Medicine, Indian Health Service Medical Officer, Gallup Indian Medical Center, Indian Health Service

Jennie Wei, MD, MPH was born and raised in Skokie, Illinois, and has worked with the Indian Health Service at Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup, NM since August 2012. She works half of her clinical time on the inpatient side/Intensive Care Unit and half in the outpatient/primary care clinics, which include a transgender/gender-affirming care clinic. She received her undergraduate, master’s in public health and medical school degrees at Harvard. She completed Internal Medicine residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the San Francisco General Primary Care Track, and spent an additional year at San Francisco General Hospital as a Chief Resident. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine and is the leader of a community-wide Alcohol Task Force in Gallup. Since 2019, Dr. Wei has served as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Internal Medicine. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF.

Mattee Jim (she/her) | Supervisor for HIV Prevention/Harm Reduction Services

Mattee Jim is of the Zuni People Clan and born for the Towering House people clan, this is how she identifies as a Navajo. Mattee has been active with Transgender Advocacy and the HIV prevention field for the past 20 years. Mattee currently is employed with First Nations Community HealthSource as a Supervisor for HIV Prevention Programs. She is also a Community CoChair and decision making member for the New Mexico Community Planning and Action Group which addresses HIV Prevention within the State of New Mexico, Board Member(Emeritus) for Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Council member for the SWIWC Native LGBT Two Spirit Advisory council, Peer Faculty member for IHS Trans Affirming Care ECHO, Transgender Advocate, Trainer, Consultant, and Extraordinary Person. Mattee’s Journey has been a Blessed one since she started her sobriety several years ago.

Photo of Marisha Leonard-Bitahy (she/her) Marisha Leonard-Bitahy (she/her) | Intensive Care Nurse

I am Dine or Navajo. I am of the Many Goats clan, born for the Coyote Pass clan. My maternal grandfather is the Salt Water Clan, and my paternal grandfather is the Redhouse Clan. I’m originally from Pinon Az, but I grew up in a very rural community on the reservation, called Lukachukai. (Luke ah choo kai). I graduated from Arizona State University in 2007 with a BS in Family and Human Development, and then again in 2009 with a BSN in Nursing. I initially pursued nursing in hopes to travel around the world, however I’ve yet to aim for that goal. I’ve been a nurse for over 14 years. 7 years with medical surgical and the remaining 7 in the ICU. All at Gallup Indian Medical Center. I plan on expanding my education and hopefully becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. I’d like to work in PICU or Peds Hem/Onc in the future. While not working, my daughter and I are always out and about. We travel quite a lot around the states. However our favorite places to travel to are Disneyland, the Grand Canyon, or hanging out in the mountains by my home. My family, my culture, our beliefs and traditions are very important to me.

Sheryl Livingston (she/her) | Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Therapist, Substance Abuse Counselor

Sheryl Bahe Livingston was born and raised on the Dine reservation, outside of the Gallup, NM city limits. Sheryl is of the Towering House clan, born for the Meadow People. She is licensed as a Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC) in the state of New Mexico. Sheryl has worked with Gallup Indian Medical Center (IHS) since 2012. At GIMC, she facilitates SBIRT sessions with patients referred by medical providers throughout the hospital. Sheryl received her Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelors Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Gerontology and Medical Care from Northern Arizona University. She has taught special education, early intervention with children from birth to 5 years old, and has worked with New Mexico State Probation and Parole in providing clinical counseling for clients reintegrating into their community. Sheryl shares one of her favorite quotes “Your mental health is everything- prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it, because it does.” – Mel Robbins.