The Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo from American Indian College Fund
Kyle Health Center hosts first-ever medical career fair
By Talli Nauman
Native Sun News
Health & Environment Editor KYLE –– To spark Native American students’ interest in medical careers, the Kyle Health Center is hosting its first-ever Health Profession College Fair on Feb. 25, 2015 at the Oglala Lakota College Gym. “Our intent is to capture the interest of middle school, high school, two-year-college students and community for health professions,” said Great Plains Area Indian Health Service Administrative Officer Kristy O’Rourke, who works at the Kyle Health Center. Representatives of 11 universities and colleges have confirmed that they will attend the career fair to showcase the educational opportunities their institutions provide. O’Rourke noted a shortage of Native American health professionals and said the event will encourage students to enroll in the Health Sciences, at any level and in every field, including pre-med, pharmacy, nursing, and physical therapy. She said the aim is not only to recruit students but also to inspire them to return to their home reservations to work at either tribal facilities or Indian Health Services. “Pine Ridge Reservation has very bright young men and women, and we want to them exposed to a variety of colleges,” O’Rourke said. She hopes the results occasion will serve to help offset the negative self-image engendered by mass media’s fascination with reservation “poverty porn,” she said. “This may sound a bit passionate, but breaking the stigma and giving our Native students the same opportunities as everyone else is what I wholeheartedly believe in,” she said. Staffers from the Kyle Health Center will be on hand at the career fair to swap stories about their own college experiences, why they chose their particular fields, and the rewards of the work, she said. In addition, organizers plan to set up booths with information on a variety of topics, including fitness, dental hygiene, STD/HIV awareness, prevention of sexual assault, and prevention of suicide. “We are really excited about this and hope we can make a difference in at least one person’s eyes,” O’Rourke said. The Kyle Health Center is one of three locations that make up the Pine Ridge Service Unit of the federal Indian Health Service. The others are Pine Ridge Hospital and Wanblee Health Center. Kyle Health Center provides outpatient services with four physicians: a medical doctor, a podiatrist, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant. Staff positions include four nurses, a pharmacist, an optometrist, a laboratory technician, and a radiology technician. In addition, the health center has two dentists and a four-chair dental clinic, a public health nurse, mental health services, and environmental health care. People interested in attending have been asked to get in touch before Feb. 13 with Red Fox Sanchez or Kristy O’Rourke at redfox.sanchez@ihs.gov or kristy.o’rourke@ihs.gov, or call the Kyle Health Center at (605) 455-8200 and 455-8242. (Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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