[NEWS] Santé Healthcare is Spearheading an Urban Native American Healthcare Initiative
Scottsdale, Arizona – June 5, 2019
Santé Healthcare is spearheading an Urban Native American healthcare initiative in Maricopa County aimed at improving the quality of post-acute care for Native Americans. Many Native Americans in Maricopa County struggle to access the critical post-acute care they need. Santé’s healthcare initiative is an opportunity to close the healthcare gap in the Native American community in Maricopa County. The initiative will rely on collaborations and partnerships with healthcare providers and tribal community leaders to increase utilization and access to quality healthcare service. Santé’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the urban Native American community starts with protecting and upholding the cultural and spiritual needs of the community while offering the care necessary for all post-acute needs.
Approximately 120, 000 people or 2.8% of the population in Maricopa County identify as Native American. This population has a historically low rate of utilization for home health, hospice and palliative care. The long-held belief is that this population refuses to discuss issues related to end of life care and complex illness, yet this culture is not stagnant and increasingly is open to the services that post-acute home-based health care can provide. According to a study in 2005 by the National Cancer Institute of Quality of Cancer Care Committee, pain management is reported as the most pressing need, with assistance in advance care planning, care for the dying and bereavement support listed as top issues for Native Americans. These are all services that can be found in the various types of post-acute care like hospice, palliative and home health care.
Former Chairperson of the National Indian Health Board, Lester Secatero, has actively endorsed this initiative stating: “Struggles of healthcare in Indian Country are challenges that I have spent many years attempting to find solutions for, and many of our Native American people who reside outside of their reservations face similar healthcare challenges. Knowing that Santé’s leadership has agreed to undertake the efforts to help our people in urban settings is extremely uplifting, which I recommend for tribal leaders, healthcare organizations and Veterans associations to recognize and consider.” Sante’s goal is to provide culturally sensitive post-acute care to Native People within Maricopa county and increase their utilization to these services by decreasing their concerns regarding institutionalized systems.
Santé Healthcare is a senior and post-acute healthcare provider that has been focusing on providing a compassionate continuum of care since 2008. With skilled nursing care facilities in Mesa, Surprise, Chandler and North Scottsdale, as well as home health, out-patient rehabilitation, hospice and palliative services across Maricopa County, Santé stands firm on its vision of providing the highest quality of care and customer satisfaction delivered with warmth, individual pride and team spirit. Santé is proud to extend this vision to the Native American community for the provision of meaningful, culturally-oriented and competent care.
