NIMIIPUU HEALTH SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE SELECTS TWO RECIPIENTS

The Nimiipuu Health Scholarship Committee was organized in the fall of 2002 to honor past health board members. The committee was established to encourage more Native Americans students to pursue medical degrees. The staff at Nimiipuu Health began raising money Christmas 2000 by having a Christmas Basket raffle. The committee now has three or four fund raisers a year, in hopes to raise more money. At this time they award (2) $1000 scholarships and the dreams of our committee is “more money=more scholarships.”

With the unselfish support of our community members and Nimiipuu Health employees the committee has raised enough money to award 2 scholarships for the 2004 Spring Semester. Selected were Leland “Jim” Pond and Jamie Abrahamson-Peone.

Jim Pond was employed by Nimiipuu Health for 4 years as the Clinical Laboratory Technician at the Lapwai Clinic. Jim has dedicated his life to serve the Native American community in the healthcare field and will strive to continue a career in the Indian Health Service area. He is proud to be the first Assinibone to be enrolled in dental school. Jim’s goal is to provide better healthcare to Native Americans while encouraging others to pursue medical careers. He is looking forward in serving directly as a dentist and indirectly as a role model in the Native American community.

Although the number of Native American Health Care professionals is on the rise, Jim believes it is still the most under-represented group of people in health care today. He wants to encourage those to return to their homes communities and serve in rural locations. Jim anticipates graduating in 2005.

The other winner is Jamie Abrahamson-Peone, an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe and resides in Wellpinit, Washington. Jamie is currently a student at Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Jamie travels five days a week, with a 120 round-trip commute.

Jaime is very familiar with the disparity that her community endures and wants to use her educational background to try to help her community. She once had a dream to become a medical doctor, but once she became a parent, she changed her goals to become a nurse. Jaime wants to be a role model to the youth in her community, hoping to encourage them in the right direction. Her goal is to work in her home town and focus on teen pregnancy, because of the growing problem in her community. Jamie will be graduating 12/2004 and is a mother of 3 children.

The Scholarship Committee applauds our two out-standing applicants for their endeavors. We wish them the best and hope our Native American youth can look at them and truly see them as role models.

Member s of the committee are : Susan Fifer, president; Josette Henry, vice-president; Liz Henry, secretary; Cindy Worth, treasurer; LeRoy Seth; Angela Broncheau, Roberta Carr and Sharon Henry. The Committee meets once a month to brain storm ideas to raise money, but mostly have a good time while promoting awareness in health careers for Native Americans Students.

Indian Health Service has a web-sight at www.ihs.gov. Here one can look up health profession opportunities. There’s scholarships and student loan repayments plan to assist anyone who is seeking employment in the medical field concentrating on employment within the Indian Health Service area.