BY STAFF REPORTS

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Association of American Indian Physicians was recently awarded a $100,000 matching grant by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to assist American Indian and Alaska Native students pursuing health care careers. 

“Encouraging Native students to pursue careers as physicians, health professionals and biomedical researchers is one of our primary goals,” AAIP Executive Director Margaret Knight said. 

The association’s student program was created to increase the number of Native Americans in the health and wellness workforce. The association will establish an educational health care pipeline to assist students navigate their education, training and career development.

The tribe’s matching donation will be contributed after the AAIP raises the initial $100,000.

“Our people feel good when they see American Indian physicians and health care workers involved in their communities. We look forward to matching this pledge for $100,000,” said Stanley R. Crooks, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community chairman. 

The American Association of Medical Colleges in 2011 reported the number of American Indian and Alaska Native accepted into medical school has declined during the past eight years. According to the organization, there were 465 medical school applicants and 202 enrollees in 2004. By 2011, those numbers had declined to 379 and 157.

As fewer American Indian and Alaska Native physicians have gone into practice over the past decade, Native population, in contrast, has increased by 26.7 percent from 2000 -10, according to the U.S. Census.

“Because Native American people suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes, tuberculosis, pneumonia and influenza at far higher rates than other racial populations, we need to groom our own citizens to be physicians and prevention specialists,” AAIP President Dr. Donna Galbreath. “Indian people respond better with their health care needs are in the hands of Native physicians and other professionals who understand their culture and value both traditional and Western healing methods.”