Jeneile Luebke, PhD, RN, Diamond D. Williams, DrPH, MPH, and the Office of Health Equity and Community Engagement were awarded grants from the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation and the Evjue Foundation to support the 10th Annual Native Nations Nursing, Helpers, and Healers Summit. Each award is $10,000.
The summit is an Indigenous-led event designed to educate an interprofessional team on evidence-based approaches to optimal, culturally congruent health care for Indigenous peoples, their communities, and those who provide care for them. Speakers will highlight best practices for culturally specific holistic care, interprofessional collaboration, whole-person care, and trauma-informed care. The event is accredited for continuing education and offers professional
development opportunities for registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and college students in health professions. Additionally, the summit will provide hands-on activities and experiential learning for Indigenous high school students from tribal communities in Wisconsin.
The summit is expected to produce outcomes that will drive lasting change in how Indigenous communities in Wisconsin and beyond interact with health care systems. The summit offers significant benefits to both the local and broader Wisconsin community. By supporting the professional development of students and health care providers, the event helps build a culturally competent health care workforce better equipped to serve Indigenous populations. It fosters connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, promoting mutual understanding and respect.
The interprofessional team for the Evjue Foundation award includes Demi Jo Carr and Sue Gaard.