June 8

June 8, 2019

This is our last full day here in Cherokee, North Carolina.  I experienced generosity this week through the hearts of some of the wonderful people at Cherokee Indian Hospital.  We were welcomed with open arms and allowed to observe the primary care unit, inpatient unit, and the Emergency Room.  We were gifted the opportunity to watch a live theatre performance of Unto These Hills, a tour through the Cherokee Museum, and a tour through the village.  All of us were lucky enough to be gifted handmade beaded lanyards to hang our badges from and it is something that I will always cherish and remind myself of the generosity shown to us in Cherokee.  This week, even though it was just an observational experience, I learned how a healthcare system can work when it is run for the people that it serves.  We helped the health of others by bringing donations of school supplies, children clothes, and diapers.  The hospital will give these items to the people in need in the community.  This community has begun to trust it's healthcare system but it still has a lot of work to go.  There are still people that are part of the community that do not trust the hospital.  The healthcare concerns for this community are diabetes education and dietary education.  It is important for the youth of this community to also get dietary education and to learn the history of the Cherokee people.  Unfortunately, not all of the youth in the community are learning the ancestral crafts and that means that these unique works of art will not carry on to future generations.  I was out of comfort zone this week while we were observing on the floors at Cherokee Indian Hospital.  It was new and unfamiliar, but I still learned about a wonderful healthcare system.  This has been an experience I will never forget, with people that I will never forget, and I would encourage anyone given the same opportunity to take it as well.