June 12, 2018

Who runs the health care system in this community? 

     The health care system is ran by the community members, there is a council of Cherokee who make some of the main decisions that pertain to the hospital. For this particular hospital prior to its build the community members were asked what they felt that their needs were so in a way the community also had some decisions on how their health care system ran. 

Who are the members of the health care team?

     The health care team members consists of anyone, they have people of Cherokee as well as non-Cherokee. No discrimination, just as long as you are passionate about what you do. This includes physicians, RN, LPN, CNA, dietitian, a mental health counselor, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, everything that any other hospital has. 

When someone comes in with a need how is it handled?

     If someone came into the emergency department (ED) they would treat them no matter what nationality that they are they would get treated and then depending on the situation they can be shipped to a different hospital. For the Cherokee their hospital stay is completely paid for however this is only true if you are at the Cherokee Indian hospital and they offer those services. If a Cherokee were to go somewhere else for a service that is offered at the Cherokee hospital then it is no longer paid in full. 

What are the similarities and differences that you observed with the organization?

     Some of the similarities that I was able to identify were that the staff members that staffed this hospital are the exact same that are seen in a hospital back home, this facility also has the same view of treating everyone who walks into the door, no matter who you are or why your there. The differences on the other hand were things like how they have one medical surgical floor that takes anyone, including pediatric patients, mental health, detox, and medical patients. This facility is a one-stop shop where they can get a pap smear, their eyes checked, and a dental filling all in one stop. They also have a physician on the medical floors at all times which is something a little bit different then what I have seen back home. 

Are there any complementary and alternative medicines commonly practiced in this culture?

     Today I had the opportunity to follow an inpatient nurse with a small group and after discussion with the nurse that I was following we were able to discuss about some of the alternatives to medications that the hospital offers to its patients, things like acupuncture, aromatherapy, yoga, tai chi, as well as other things.