(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of stories about a move to ban affirmative action in Nebraska and the potential impact such a policy change would have at UNMC.)
Driving a tractor with her sister during hay season and working the beet, bean and potato fields in the summer are some of the earliest childhood memories for Anpo Wicahpi Charging Thunder, M.D.
She grew up in Minatare, a small town of about 700 people. Like many Nebraska small towns, it had just the basics … a library, post office, laundromat and bar. No hospital or clinic for residents to receive medical care.
It wasn’t any better on the nearby American Indian reservation.
Working a late night job as a nurse’s aid at Gordon Memorial Hospital, Dr. Charging Thunder, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said she observed disparities in the health care of rural citizens and members of American Indian tribes.
“I met many Native Americans who received the wrong diagnoses and inaccurate information from the nearby Indian Health Services Hospital,” Dr. Charging Thunder said. “I have gone there as well and feel that, like any facility, there are areas that are exemplary and others that require improvement.
“I therefore became determined to fulfill my dream of becoming a physician to improve health care and narrow the gap between such disparities.”
Dr. Charging Thunder was recruited into the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) and attended Chadron State College before coming to UNMC.
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Anpo Wicahpi Charging Thunder, M.D. |
It’s critical for UNMC to recruit and retain American Indian and Hispanic students who may be more likely to return to rural Nebraska to provide health care in their respective communities, Dr. Charging Thunder said.
She is concerned a potential statewide ban on affirmative action would eliminate programs at UNMC aimed at accomplishing this goal.
“It’s very important for these programs to continue,” Dr. Charging Thunder said. “Each culture has unique health care needs and it is imperative that academic medical centers recruit and train future health care providers to provide culturally competent care, especially in underserved areas where physician retention is so low.
“Who better to recruit than those who feel comfortable with, have experienced, and enjoy working in rural underserved areas?”
Affirmative action policies and programs open the doorway to opportunities for women and people of color in public contracting, public employment and public education.
UNMC uses a variety of pipeline and recruitment programs to encourage women to take on leadership roles and to recruit underrepresented students into careers in science.
UNMC has created a supportive environment where students’ cultural backgrounds, views and life experiences are valued in the classroom, Dr. Charging Thunder said.
She credited RHOP and her minority scholarships in allowing her to fulfill her dream.
“It is difficult to find health care professionals who want to reside in rural areas. That is why such programs are so important,” Dr. Charging Thunder said. “Had it not been for RHOP and the minority scholarships I received while at UNMC, I may not have made it this far.”
Dr. Charging Thunder graduated this month from UNMC with her medical degree and is now a resident in the UNMC Advanced Family Medicine Program. She also sees patients at One World Community Health Center, which offers care to Omaha’s underserved populations. Upon completion of her residency, she wants to return to rural western Nebraska to practice family medicine.
If you would like a member of UNMC’s Affirmative Action Speaker’s Bureau to give a presentation to a campus group or civic organization, please contact Jo Giles at 559-4696 or jgiles@unmc.edu.