Indian Health Service Online Submission, Consultation, and Reporting (OSCAR) System for Evidence Based and Promising Practices, Local Efforts, Policies and Resources. (logo: A Circle of Healthy Initiatives for American Indians and Alaska Natives)

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Health Care Center Health in Action

Program Type: Local Effort - Programs and/or activities that have not been evaluated but are identified by local programs as producing positive results.

Description:


This submission was collected as part of the Community Wellness Champion project.


About the Champion:
Over the years Dr. Erdrich and Dr. Patel have lived in many different areas and have formed many relationships, but their passion continues in each community. They believe chronic health problems could be prevented with healthy patterns of eating and exercising and paying attention to mental health and social needs in childhood. Because of this belief, they are always finding ways to make the lives of their patients and community members better. Dr. Erdrich and Dr. Patel love what they do; they love the people and they wouldn’t have it any other way!

Program Goals and Objectives:
The objective of this program is to educate the people in the area on a variety of health and wellness topics. All of the projects Dr. Erdrich and Dr. Patel have done and continue to do, change the lives of all those who come in contact with them. The main goal is change the current patterns and prevent what can be prevented.

Health in Action-Physicians Promoting Health via Community Outreach Projects is a variety of projects that reach and hopefully touch the community into living healthier lives. The projects consist of the healthy lifestyle calendar, 2002 flu shots, reach out and read, gardens and posters. Dr. Erdrich and Dr. Patel believe projects like these are the way to reach the community as a whole instead of just individuals. The success of these projects comes from finding different ways to reach, teach and information the community.

The healthy lifestyles calendar started in 1998; each month show cases an individual and tells their story but at the same time provides the community with different health messages. The calendar is also a positive way to promote the community and the culture. Part of the outreach projects were posters that were designed to boosted the number of individuals who receive flu shots. Because of the connections the community made to the posters, the turn out was much better than years past. With most of our reservations being remote, we also find that there is no access to public libraries or books. The reach out and read program is a nation program that was brought in to help with this situation. The program provides new and used books to every child and helps bring each student success in reading. By providing all of this valuable information and hope to the community, it’s also important to help provide some of the resources. This is why gardens were started. The gardens allow the community to grown its own veggies and to be in control of what they eat. It is also very cost effect, since these foods tend to be expensive in the reservation grocery stores. The garden is also a learning tool for the younger individuals who are learning about vegetables and how they can stay healthy. The out reach project also uses posters to show case different individuals with different messages on how to stay healthy. All of these projects and programs join the community together and help the community members to stay healthy.

Target population:
All ages are targeted through the Health in Action-Physicians Promoting Health via Community Outreach Projects. This includes the local community, Indian Health Service Employees and folks employed with youth on the reservation. This project involves the communities of the Onedia Nation, the Navajo Nation, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate.

From the Champion:
“The success of these projects is their local appeal. We are working on sustainability for all of these projects so that their success is long lasting.

We are most proud that we have helped create something beautiful and positive that contributes to community pride.

Our advice would be to focus on positive aspects of the community and to involve young people and volunteers in the creation of the projects. When people email or call to do similar projects, share the ideas and learn from others who copy your projects.”

Age Group(s):

Site Type(s):

Health Indicator(s):
Health Education , Infectious Disease

Service Area:
Aberdeen

Keyword(s):
Community mobilization/organization

Name: Sandeep D. Patel, MD, MPH, Clinical Director of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Health Care Center, Pediatrician
Site or Location Name: Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Health Care Center
Address:
100 Lake Traverse RD PO Box 189
Sisseton, SD 57262
Email: angie_sandeep@yahoo.com
Phone: 605-698-7606