Upstate Medical University is joining forces with the federal Indian Health Service to improve the health of Native American communities across the state, including the Onondaga Nation.
A memorandum of understanding between Upstate and IHS touches on a number of issues, from increased access to health care to research. Upstate President Mantosh Dewan said this is a significant step towards reducing the health disparities in the American Indian population.
"This new partnership will allow us to respond to the needs identified by the nation by adding more physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, mental health specialists," Dewan said. "And starting hopefully soon proven IHS programs that they have for diabetes and for healthy eating."
Dewan said some strategies can be applied to patients in the Onondaga Nation, which often have transportation issues getting health care.
"Some people in the city now get their medicines delivered by us via drone," Dewan said. "I would love to do that for the nation. You heard about transportation, cars, distance. We can fly a drone. So we'd like to build in all our resources to make sure that they get the very best care.”
IHS Director Roselyn Tso says one of the issues is budgetary.
"The resources don't quite add up to the needs that we have out in Indian Country," Tso said. "That's a challenge that we have, trying to make sure that's why the partnership with the upstate is so important. For us to make sure that we can bring all the pieces together, that does improve at the end of the day services to the Indigenous people."
Upstate already provides health care services at the Onondaga Nation Health Center in the Onondaga Nation.
