COVID-19 is causing widespread devastation throughout the world. The American Indian/Alaskan Native population is being hit especially hard, facing both economic disparities and some of the poorest health outcomes. Moreover, the mortality rate is higher among the Native population, primarily due to a lack of resources and limited access to healthcare. Inadequate public health infrastructure, limited medical resources, and high rates of poverty are contributing factors to the high rates of infection among Indigenous peoples. These disparities make Native communities on reservations poorly equipped to manage the pandemic.
Over a decade ago, Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) recognized the need for health education access and the benefits of training American Indian healthcare professionals in a rural setting, thus leading the college to pursue Health Profession Opportunity grants (HPOG) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Education Access through R