The Native American Health Sciences (NAHS) program at Washington State University Spokane (WSU Spokane) will build what is believed to be the first indigenous-developed and instructed clinical simulation space at the Center for Native American Health on campus.

NAHS will construct 1,045 square feet of clinical space to include a simulated patient examination room, a simulated inpatient examination room, a teaching and mediation room, and storage space for the spaces. clinical simulation and associated healing modalities.

The project is funded by a $ 250,000 grant from Bank of America as part of the company’s goal of promoting racial equality and economic opportunity. In recognition of this commitment, the space will be called Bank of America Indigenous Clinical Simulation Suites.

“Throughout our stories and across the world, it caught the ears, minds and hearts of our allies and friends who wanted to see a more peaceful, kinder and fairer world,” said Naomi Bender, Director of Native American Health Sciences for WSU Spokane. program. “With this generous donation, Bank of America is honoring what so many others have put aside: our ways of knowing and of healing. Bank of America is investing in a future where our healthcare workforce begins to eliminate health disparities through culturally-centered knowledge and practices that counterbalance Western views, instead of perpetuating them.

Students and clinicians at the Center will gain a holistic view of care with the help of Indigenous instructors in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and allied health, and areas of traditional healing perspectives. The clinical simulation space will allow students, Indigenous and others, to learn about Indigenous health and wellness from Indigenous healers.

“This program creates pathways for Native American communities by reimagining both education and patient care in a way that is uniquely influenced by those it will serve,” said Kurt Walsdorf, president of Bank of America Spokane . “Our NAHS partners deliver a strong program that addresses health disparities for tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, while developing a future diverse workforce. We appreciate the invaluable contributions of Dr Bender and everyone involved in ensuring that our region is a beacon for positive change. ‘

Additionally, the NAHS is developing a 12-credit certificate on Interprofessional Indigenous Healing Perspectives that will use the new clinical simulation wing to advance cultural safety practices in medicine. The certificate will be available both in person and online for learners across the country.

The center, which opened in early 2021, also represents a milestone in WSU Spokane NAHS ‘efforts to recruit, retain and serve Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and tribal community partners. Native American pre-health students enrolled in the WSU system have increased by 30% this past academic year, and WSU Spokane has seen even greater growth, with a 50% increase in Native students enrolled in medical, nursing and nursing programs. and pharmacy.

With this grant, NAHS also aims to provide support, space, training, collaborations and other work with tribal communities across the country.

Currently 45 Native American students are enrolled at WSU Spokane and the NAHS serves 189 Native American pre-health students from WSU, most of whom are on the Pullman campus. The Center is open to all students and acts as an educational space for Indigenous students and their peers. NAHS also conducts outreach events and programs at 47 public high schools and over 30 tribal high schools in the Pacific Northwest.

This is the second recent collaboration between WSU and Bank of America, including a $ 250,000 grant to help launch the Spinout Space at Spokane (sp³nw), a new life sciences incubator to launch businesses in start-up.

About WSU Native American Health Sciences

Washington State University’s Native American Health Sciences (NAHS) offers nearly a dozen pathways and support programs aimed at recruiting, enrolling and helping Native American students to succeed, entering the the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, nutrition and exercise physiology, speech and hearing sciences, clinical psychology, veterinary medicine and other related health sciences . Although WSU NAHS is hosted on the WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus, we serve students, staff, and faculty from our five campuses and tribes in the Pacific Northwest. A new Center for Native American Health, intended to provide an Indigenous learning and cultural support environment for students, will open in January 2021.

Bank of America

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Journalists can contact:

Britney Sheehan, Bank of America
Telephone: 1.425.466.0378
[email protected]

Kevin Dudley, WSU Spokane
Telephone: 1.509.93.1563
[email protected]