Medical Outreach to Native American Communities > Roosevelt Home > Yale > Public Health > Native American Medical Outreach
The Pequot tribe of Connecticut has received a grant from the National Cancer Institute to increase screening for colorectal cancer in a number of tribes of the northeastern U.S. We will be helping to research programs that have been successful in reducing the distrust of medical professionals by native peoples and will also compile a list of mechanisms of paying for colorectal cancer screening that are available to poor, uninsured, or under-insured individuals. There is a significant amount of distrust in Native American communities of the medical profession. This has been a long-term problem with roots in the historical treatment of the tribes by the U.S. Government. Regardless of origin, it is only detrimental to the health of individuals, particularly those living on reservations with limited access to care. Distrust of medical professionals is especially problematic with regard to cancer because it results in later detection of problems, making treatment more difficult. This was noted by the NIH in 1999 when they observed that Native Americans have the poorest survival rate from “all cancers.” The U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group’s 2005 report listed Native Americans women as having the lowest incidence of cancer of any minority group but the third worst survival rate. In short, Native Americans with cancer are not catching the disease early, when it is most treatable. The economics of cancer screening are also difficult for many tribes. While the Pequots are relatively wealthy because of the number of successful casinos it has established on its territory, many neighboring tribes are far less successful. Annual screenings for colorectal cancer is an expensive proposition for many living on reservations. Though alternative mechanisms of payment exist, individuals are often not aware of such options and may not have the time to take advantage of them. Group members:
Hannah Lupien
Kira Newman
Samantha Broussard-Wilson
Anna Goddu
Gabriel Goffman
Sameer Gupta
Joanna Linzer
Aaron M Littman
Tiffany Mason
Aaron T Sin
Margaret Tung
Eleanor A Wertman
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