The program is funded through a private donation and administered through the Front-Line Indigenous Partnership Program based at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Global Health and Population.
The Saint Michaels Indian School Premedical Society is a partnership between FLIP, Saint Michaels Indian School, and Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. This partnership is aimed at providing high school students from Saint Michael's, grades ninth through twelfth, with exposure to vast healthcare fields. These sessions, offered both virtually and in person, are instructed by current practitioners in their respective fields, offering students an introductory and immersive experience.
The inaugural course, spanning from January 2023 to June 2023, encompassed a range of careers and subjects, including Radiology, Nursing, Pharmacy, EMS/EMT, Wilderness Medicine, CPR training, Diabetes, First Aid, and a panel featuring Pre-med students from Xavier University. Building on this success, the program at Saint Michaels Indian School is set to continue in January 2024, featuring an even broader selection of session topics.
Many healthcare providers who work at IHS and Tribal hospitals are not AI/AN and have no permanent connection to the communities they serve. Increasing the number of AI/AN healthcare professionals who are from rural communities will help to give culturally appropriate care, reduce language disparities, and increase support.