Native American Healers

Sanford Health is beginning a system-wide program to improve employees' cultural awareness of the area's Native American populations. The health system is working to hire two traditional Native healers to inform health care staff of specific needs and cultural concerns of American Indian patients. Sanford Health received a 12 million dollar award from the Center for Medicaid Services to design and develop a new model of care, and implement that new model of care through training and workforce development. One healer has been hired, and one more will join the staff soon. They will cover Native populations in South and North Dakota, along with northern Minnesota. Dr. Read Sulik, Sanford Health's senior vice president for Behavioral Health Services, talks about how this new direction will help them in the long run.