UCONJ 530 Issues in Indian Health: Past, Present and Future
As future healthcare and human service providers, it is essential that you have a strong knowledge of health issues and policies which may impact your patients/clients and your practice. UCONJ 530 is designed to intensify your understanding of historical and contemporary issues in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health.
This course is developed to help any health sciences and human services student interested in AI/AN health further explore AI/AN contributions to healthcare: Traditional AIAN medicine, current disease epidemiology, development of Federal Indian health policy, the Indian Health Service, rural and urban tribal health programs, and consequences of major legislation on AI/AN health.
SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon the completion of UCONJ 530, student should be able to:
- Understand the historical background of federal policy toward AI/AN, emphasizing health issues with a gradual progression toward present Indian health policy.
- Enable the student to analyze and determine the intent of past legislation on AI/AN health programs, as well as current Indian health policies and programs.
- Analyze the historical development, purposes, and functionality of the Indian Health Services (IHS).
- Examine the purposes and functions of reservation health programs, community Urban Indian Health programs, and Federal and State health programs. Analyze how they relate to the Indian Health Service and determine what effects they have on AI/AN health care.
- Understand the major diseases and causes of mortality affecting AI/AN in the past, present and future. Compare the current status of AI/AN health with other minority and white populations.
- Enable students to identify and define the nature of programs, recommended solutions, and determine a path of service, and future directions for AI/AN health care.
- Understand traditional Indian medicine and its current use in the care of Indian health problems along with modern western medicine.
- Learn to do a sensitive, cultural, belief/spiritual assessment.
- Gain an appreciation for AI/AN contributions to modern medicine and health.
To register for this course (offered every Winter Quarter) please contact:
Holly Kennison, Office of Healthcare Equity
Email: SAL20@uw.edu