2019 Annual Report (5)

MGH Relationship with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and community
Massachusetts General Hospital has built a strong foundation for a successful, long-term partnership to advance the
health of a tribal community. Since the launch of their Rural Health Leadership Program four years ago, MGH has
cultivated meaningful relationships with tribal leaders, community health programs, and federal funders such as the Indian
Health Service (IHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Their efforts have led to significant improvements in the
delivery of health care and community health programs to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, and their network is
only growing as academic medical centers and local healthcare delivery systems express interest to collaborate.
Meetings:
Tour of the Rosebud Indian Reservation led by Damon Leader Charge
Damon gave an excellent account of the history during the 3 hour tour of Rosebud Reservation. It gave me a good sense
of the history, poverty, population, unemployment, housing including boarded up houses that had tested positive for meth
and the occupants evicted, health challenges, distance, state of schools, college and hospital.
Meeting with Wizipan at Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO)
REDCO is designed as the economic arm of the Tribe to generate revenue and create economic opportunity for the
Sicangu Lakota Oyate and surrounding communities. Focused on sustainability, REDCO prides itself on ?thinking of the
7th Generation? and creating a self-sufficient environment in order to move away from dependence and uphold the Tribe?s
sovereignty in local markets, government contracting, real estate and construction groups.
I met with Wizipan Little Elk, Executive Director of REDCO. He is an impressive leader and gives me hope for the
reservation. His business thinking and strategic planning make sense, but capacity appears to be a major challenge.
REDCO has 16 subsidiaries all in varying stages of development, of which construction is the fastest growing. In 2013,
REDCO saw $4.5M gross revenue, losing $1.4M per year; in 2018, $16M Gross and in the black. It seems that they are
out of crisis mode. Wizipan also has directors for each subsidiary, but capacity building funding is still lacking.
Statistic: Out of 100 High School Graduates, only 6 graduate College.
*Wizipan would like some advice on PRI?s.
Visit to Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility during student outreach session
I accompanied Nicole Collins, Program Coordinator, to a teaching session on ?Healthy Relationships: Caring People and
Caring Relationships, Equality Wheel, Anger as a Secondary Feeling, Dealing with Anger, Power & Control Wheel,
Feelings List, Four Safe Skills, Friends Wheel, and Creating a Relationship Bill of Rights?. The session was attended by
15 incarcerated males. They were all actively engaged in the session, open to sharing, connecting, and demonstrated
humor. No guards were present. They clearly have a good relationship with Nicole and the social worker who facilitated
the session. Most of them are in jail for fights, drug use, domestic disputes, and similar offenses.
Dinner with MGH team, students and Janet Routzen, J.D.
The MGH doctors?housing is welcoming, organized and has a community feel. Up to 8 people can sleep there at any
given time in dorm style housing. All participated in colling dinner and Janet, a native American Elder shared stories of the
history and her personal challenges. Her daughter is in prison for drugs, she is taking care of her 3 grandchildren, working
and has health challenges of her own.
Meetings and tour of the Indian Health Service - The Hospital
Clinical report: In 2018, our Mass General clinical team performed 4,000 patient visits at the Rosebud Indian Health
Service. With the patients?health and economic challenges, the visits often demand a skilled, energetic provider. The
Mass General visits represent nearly 25% of all outpatient visits seen at the Rosebud Indian Health Service. Our team
also covers the inpatient unit for 10-15% of the year. Underscoring the health challenges and excessive mortality rates
faced by the tribe, 30% of our patients suffered from diabetes, 72% suffered obesity, and an overwhelming number ? 1 in
50 ? died.
69