Health & Family Services
Community Health
Serving as a resource in coordinating health care, environmental, & social services by providing quality health care through various programs to the Cherokee communities in a way that is individual to their needs & consistent with their culture.
Snowbird-Cherokee Co. Community Health continues to provide nursing, homemaking, and other services to patients. These services include prefilling medication boxes, medication refills, assessing needs, consulting with Healthcare Provider as necessary, delivering medications, telephone calls to assess needs, delivering commodities, and collaborating with other tribal programs to provide services to our patients. We were able to participate in the Homecoming Parade with a Breast Cancer Awareness Float and won first place. The program hosted events to promote movement and exercise with the Snowbird Youth Center, Jacob Cornsilk Complex staff, and community members.
Goals
– All Staff Members are Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, certified in CPR and first aid, CHR Basic Training Certification, and RNs: Jennifer Wachacha and Sheila Cox completed 15 hours of CEUs.
– All Staff completed the following trainings, Bloodborne Pathogens, Annual Information Systems Security Awareness for HIS, CHR PCC Documentation Training in Phoenix, AZ (2-day training), CHR PCC Data Entry Training in Phoenix, AZ (2-day training), EBCI 2023 Annual IT Security Training, IHS: HIPPA Training, HIPPA Training, Harassment Training.
Highlights
Patients: SB – 20 CC– 10
Per Month
Total Home Visit by RN: SB – 25 CC – 18
Total Office Visits by RN: SB – 20 CC – 5
Total Home Visit by CHR: SB – 95 CC – 31
Car Seats: SB – 18 CC – 1
Per Year
Total Home Visits by RN: SB–300 CC–216
Total Office Visits by RN: SB–240 CC–60
Total Home Visits by CHR: SB–1140 CC–504
Total Health Promotion Activities Served – 4977
Snowbird Senior Citizens
Our mission is to provide programs and services for our Elders that promote their well-being, support their independence, and help them enjoy a healthy, productive life.
The Snowbird Senior Citizens Center served 2,750 congregate meals and 2,165 homebound meals. 64 seniors were assisted during winter months through the yearly Fuel Assistance program. The center helped 12 seniors with emergency assistance. The program obtained and maintained two vehicles for program services and client transportation needs. Other division programs and the center collaborate on multiple services and events for senior citizen clients. Goals and objectives will be updated for the new fiscal year with manager. Policy will also be looked over with staff and adjusted accordingly.
Goals
– Decrease food insecurity and promote healthy eating.
– Increase family resiliency to withstand, adapt to and recover from stress and adverse experiences.
– Operate in ways that reduces waste, conserve natural resources and provide healthy indoor environments.
– Reduce violence and abuse in the community.
– Collaborate with other Managers/Supervisors within the Division to provide services to seniors.
– Hold monthly seminars for seniors on related issues in the community
Program Activities
– Congregate Outings/Recreation
– Various Arts and Crafts
– Monthly Presentations
– Meals – 5053 Total Meals
– Ensure/Glycerna distribution for clients in need of supplemental nutrition
– Winter Fuel Assistance Program helped 64 Elders
– Emergency Assistance helped 12 seniors
– Held Open House to gauge interest in new events, activities, and learning opportunities
Cherokee County Senior Citizens
Our mission is to provide programs and services for our Elders that promote their well-being, support their independence, and help them enjoy a healthy, productive life.
The John Welch Senior Center served an average of 18 clients per day for congregate meals. 73 seniors were assisted during winter months through the yearly Fuel Assistance program. The center helped 11 seniors with emergency appliance assistance. We have two tribal vans that we have maintained. There is a need to replace the Mercedez Van due to mechanical issues that constantly arise. The program obtained new exercise equipment for seniors to use, including a basketball goal, weights, resistance bands, gloves and balls to help promote their physical well-being. We have discussed adding chair yoga or light strength training with Community Health. Other division programs and the center collaborate on multiple services for senior citizen clients and other Cherokee County enrolled members needing assistance.
Goals
– Decrease food insecurity and promote healthy eating.
– Leverage partnerships and collaborations to improve services for vulnerable citizens.
– Develop and make available resources on Cherokee History, developed by Cherokee people, which is specific to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
– Ensure the program has enough staff, vehicles, time, equipment, and food cost funds to provide nutritional services.
– Provide educational materials for clients on self-care to address well-being needs
– Collaborate with this and other other divisions to provide more services.
Program Activities
– Congregate Outings/Recreation.
– Arts and Crafts
– Congregate Meals -2279
– Collaboration with Tribal Programs
– Ensure distribution for clients in need of supplemental nutrition.
– Winter Fuel Assistance Program helped 73 Elders.
– Emergency Assistance helped 11 seniors
Snowbird Family Support
The mission of Family Support is to address economic hardships for our most vulnerable citizens; recognized as the children, elderly, disabled and low-income members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The objective of the program is to provide services while first and foremost being good stewards of the Tribe’s resources.
The Snowbird-Cherokee County Family Support program is continuously seeking opportunities to serve our enrolled members. The program was able to provide 991 medical travel gift cards to enrolled members. The food pantry was utilized 39 times to combat food insecurities in our communities. The Make a Wish program was not used this year. A variety of emergency assistance services were provided. The program assisted 2 families with bereavement travel and provided burial assistance for 12 enrolled members. Through three different services the program was also able to help with winter heating and summer cooling costs for a total of 19 households. There were also 3 uses of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) for enrolled member in the Snowbird and Cherokee Co. communities.
Goals
– Decrease food insecurity and promote healthy eating.
– Eliminate barriers that restrict equitable access to services.
– Leverage partnerships and collaborations to improve services for vulnerable citizens.
– Provide more frozen fruits and vegetables, foods high in protein and fiber.
– Cut foods high in sodium and sugar as much as possible.
– Create survey to help identify healthier food choice.
– Revamp policies and adjust criteria to serve all enrolled members of EBCI.
– Request more funding as needed.
Transitional Housing
The Transitional Housing program assists the community by offering temporary housing for those in transition to perminant housing. The transitional housing budget does not fund any staffing positions and experienced a total expenditure of $14,969.91 in Fy 23. Roughly, half of the revenue required for the program is offset by rental income. Currently the program is at 100% occupancy and has had two clients/families move into permanent housing, with a third set to transition to permanent housing shortly.
Office Hours
Mon: 7:45am - 4:30 pm
Tues: 7:45am - 4:30 pm
Wed: 7:45am - 4:30 pm
Thur: 7:45am - 4:30 pm
Fri: 7:45am - 4:30 pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
