Clinical Day 1 - July 11, 2017

The Cherokee Indian Hospital (CIH) is the main source of healthcare for enrolled members in this community. According to the CIH, “the Cherokee Indian Hospital is governed by the ECBI Tribal Council appointed board which consists of member leaders, tribal member health care professionals, and other professionals” (Cherokee Indian Hospital, 2017). The health care teams on the individual units are made up of a physician or Nurse Practitioner, an RN, an LPN or CNA, and a CMA. The Emergency Department at the hospital treats everyone and anyone if they have a medical need, the one stipulation is that if you are not an enrolled member you can no be admitted to the hospital so you will be stabilized enough to transport to a different hospital where they will finish you treatment if need be. The similarities I see are that the majority of the employees if not all are very friendly and patient-care oriented. From a career standpoint, I see a major divide in the fact that at this hospital they pride themselves in being self-sufficient and have a positive work environment, which makes for a more enjoyable workplace and better patient outcomes. One thing I have noticed that is the exact opposite from most facilities at home is that this hospital cares about their employees. They take care of their own team as much and as well as possible to ensure that they are well and healthy enough to take care of the patients that walk through the door. At home I get the feeling that nurses, and aides especially, are just bodies in the building to take care of people. The complementary medicines practiced by this culture are natural oils and medicines, herbs, and even some complimentary styles that have been adapted into the Western medicine culture. For example, the hospital offers a complimentary unit that offers massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, and acupuncture.

(Cherokee Indian Hospital, 2017).