Wednesday, April 2, 2025
4/2/2025
Community Health Aide Program Planning, Training, and Implementation for Wind River Family Community Health Care - American Indians often face barriers to availability and access to preventative healthcare services especially on American Indian Reservations. Wind River Family and Community Healthcare (WRFCHC) was established in 2016 through a Public Law 93-638 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act compact. WRFCHC is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR) in central Wyoming. WRFCHC was established to provide healthcare services to members of Federally Recognized tribes in the region, mainly including the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes. The region served by WRFCHC is a rural and medically underserved area that also experiences numerous health disparities. WRIR’s rural geography and lack of access to health services contributes to health disparities that disproportionately affect American Indian populations. Examples of these disparities include a lower median income and 20.8% of the population living below the poverty line, increased teenage birth and infant mortality rates, a lack of prenatal care, higher percentages of cigarette smokers, alcohol abuse, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The Wyoming state health department found that, overall, 19.5% of American Indian adults in our community report “fair or poor health status compared to 12.4% of White, Non-Hispanic adults.” WRFCHC plans to address this issue and improve the health of its community in two parts. First, building on the success of our nascent training programs, for which we’ve partnered with other established state organizations, we will significantly expand our Community Health Aide Training Programs (CHATP) with specific attention paid to encouraging the further education of our current staff while recruiting additional culturally intelligent trainees. Second, we will create a clinically integrated, family-unit-based network of Community Health Aides (CHA) to improve access to preventative healthcare, rebuild trust, and create a culture of health. WRFCHC envisions a culturally tailored program specifically for area tribes in the hopes of creating space where traditional healers can work beside CHAs and licensed providers.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).