Healthcare Delivery Saint Regis Mohawk

 

This 3-credit study away course exposes students to an American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture and health care delivery system. Emphasis is placed on exploring health issues and risk factors, the impact of cultural characteristics on health disparity, health outcomes, and health care delivery and utilization, and the achievement of health-related goals. Students will be required to complete class sessions online prior to and following the program.

During the program there will be many site visits, field trips and cultural activities. Students will meet with local tribal members, healthcare professionals (nurses and doctors), and healthcare administrators with in the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Health Services. The program includes visits to the Tribal Medical Clinic, Diabetes Center and Outreach Department.
Students will also have cultural enrichment experiences including visits to the Cultural Center and library. Some of the highlight experiences are a medicine walk trail through the woods with a traditional knowledge keeper, visiting community gardens, and a pontoon boat ride on the Saint Lawrence River to view areas of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.

First-year, second-year, and third-year students are eligible to apply. Please contact Lynnea Lombardi (LEL164@pitt.edu) with questions.

What You'll Accomplish: 

As an engaged and active participant in this program, you will have the opportunity to develop:

  • An understanding of health disparities of the AI/AN population
  • A basis for comparison of the health care system of Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal community with the general US health care system
  • A connection with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal culture’s influence on its community’s health outcomes, health care delivery system and utilization
  • Ability to identify the major health problems/risk factors in Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal community
  • Reflection on the impact of the study away experience on personal and professional growth

The Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation is located in Northern New York State approximately eighty miles northeast of Lake Ontario and sixty miles southwest of Montreal, Quebec. The reservation lands are divided by the United States and Canadian border and subdivided by Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties in New York State and the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Traditionally known to the Mohawk people as Akwesasne (Land Where the Partridge Drums), it is approximately 16,640 square acres of wetland, agricultural land, woodland and light commercial development.   It has a population of approximately 12,400 members. The Mohawk Kanienkehaka Nation is part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.

Where You'll Live: 

Students will stay in the Saint Regis Mohawk Akwesasne Nation Territory during the program. The hotel is in the Territory and project sites students will visit during the program. Roundtrip ground transporation to and from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh campus will be provided. The following is provided in the accomodations:

  • Double-occupancy hotel rooms
  • En-Suite bathroom
  • Hotel reception area
  • Breakfast included
  • Lunch included 
  • Wi-Fi
     

We do our best to provide the most accurate information about housing and amenities but due to the nature of the locations in which we offer programs and limited availability, these items are subject to change.  Contact your Program Manager with any questions.
 

What You'll Study: 

You'll earn a total of 3 credits on the Healthcare Delivery Saint Regis Mohawk program. The program will include 2 pre-departure class meeting and 1 post-program session in addition to the 1-week program. These session will be held online. Everyone who participates on the program will take the same course. The course is taught by Pitt Professor Denise Charron-Prochownik and Heather Garrow (adjunct). You will also learn directly from the community health providers and Tribal leaders. The course will be comprised of lectures, guest speakers, and cultural activities. In this course you will study:

 

  • Health disparities of the AI/AN population 
  • Compare AI/AN health care system (Saint Regis Mohawk) to that of other US systems
  • Influence of AI/AN culture (especially Saint Regis Mohawk: health beliefs, customs, traditional medicine) on health outcomes
  • Health issues in AI/AN population (especially Saint Regis Mohawk: e.g., diabetes, cancer, heart, industrial plant pollution/environmental issue)
  • Culturally tailoring health education materials for AI/AN population 
  • Components of a culturally competent health assessment 
  • Cultural restoration program at Saint Regis Mohawk

*This course counts towards the Global Health Certificate

 

If you are seeking to count these courses towards a major, minor or certificate, please meet with your adviser to discuss this program and what the courses will fulfill for you. Information about how the courses on this program count towards general education requirements for different schools and campuses can be found here.
 

Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe: For this program, we partner directly with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
 
Heather Garrow became a Certified Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. in April 2011. She has been the Coordinator for the Let’s Get Healthy Program since February 2013. The Let’s Get Healthy Program is a diabetes treatment and prevention program within the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Health Services. She has had extensive training and experience with diabetes methodologies since 2013. They include, but are not limited to; “ABC’s of Diabetes” an online course from the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). She has attended such conferences as; the AADE Annual Meeting, the Native Diabetes Prevention Conference, and the National Wellness Institute’s Annual Wellness Conference. She has attended all United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) Annual Diabetes Coordinator Meetings. She has completed countless educational online webinars from the Indian Health Service’s Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention, including “Advancements in Diabetes Seminars”. She has worked directly to complete, submit and analyze the Indian Health Service’s Annual Diabetes Care and Outcomes Audit. Additionally, she served as our site’s collaborating investigator on Dr. Charron-Prochownik and Dr. Moore’s multi-site R01 entitled “Stopping Gestational Diabetes in Daughters and Mothers for the entire 5 year study. 
 

Your Pitt Study Abroad Contacts: 

Lynnea Lombardi

Hi! I’m Lynnea, a proud two-time Pitt alumna and an international education enthusiast. When I was a student at Pitt, I studied abroad in South Korea and also visited China as a student leader. I previously lived in South Korea, where I taught English in a beautiful coastal town. I’m always excited to support Nursing students in their journey to study abroad. Please email me or make an appointment so I can get to know you and your goals.

 

E-mail: 
LEL164@pitt.edu

Schedule an appointment

Schedule an appointment with me using Pathways!

  • Log in to Pathways or use the Navigate app.
  • Select Appointments > Schedule an Appointment
  • Select Pitt Global as the Care Unit.
  • Select Study Abroad Virtual Advising as the Location
  • Select Study Abroad Program Specific Questions as the service
  • Select my name and find a time that works for you!

Having trouble or don't see a time that works for you? Just email me!

Your In-Country Contacts: 

Denise Charron-Prochownik

Denise Charron-Prochownik, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN Professor Nursing and Graduate School of Public Health Chairman Department of Health Promotion and Development School of Nursing. My research emphasis is theory-based intervention studies to enhance cognitive/psychosocial factors that impact health behavior and outcomes in children and adolescents with diabetes. I have conducted several funded projects in the areas of instrumentation, program development and evaluation, and survey designs. I have received funding from NIH, the American Diabetes Association, and Eli Lilly to develop, implement and evaluate online education-counseling intervention studies regarding reproductive health and preconception counseling in adolescent and young adult women with diabetes; and my current funded projects are targeting Latina and American Indian communities. 
 
Office Address: 440 Victoria Bldg
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

E-mail: 
dcpro@pitt.edu

Items Billed by Pitt
  In-State Out-of-State
Program Fee $2,700 $2,900
Study Abroad Fee $300 $300
Total Billed by Pitt $3,000 $3,200

Estimated Additional Out-of-Pocket Costs
   
Personal Expenses $250

Remember that your lifestyle and spending choices can greatly affect the amount of money you'll need while abroad.  Visit our Budgeting page for more information.

The amounts above are for the 2019-2020 academic year and should be used as estimates only. Pricing for 2020-2021 will be posted and announced in the fall term.

What's Included: 

As a part of your program fee, the following are included:

  • Double-occupancy hotels
  • Round-trip transportation from Pittsburgh
  • Daily ground transportation 
  • Some meals are included
  • Cultural Activities and Excursions which may include
    •  Precepted experiences (e.g., nurses, health care professionals, health administrators)
    • Site visits to Saint Regis health care system (e.g., Tribal Medical Clinic, Diabetes Center, Outreach Dept.)
    • Cultural enrichment experiences (e.g., Cultural Center, community gardens, museum, library, medicine walk trail through woods)
When You'll Go: 

August 18 - August 23, 2024

What Else You Need to Know: 
  • Additional Requirements: First-year nursing coursework or the equivalent
  • Two class sessions prior to departure and 1 class session after the conclusion of the program. These sessions will be conducted online 
  • This course counts towards the Global Health Certificate
  • Due to the nature of the program, the schedule is subject to change. There may be instances where a guest speaker or visit needs to be rescheduled. We ask for your patience and understanding in advance..
  • Remember that this is an academic program and that you should expect to invest the same amount of time and effort on your courses abroad as you would on a course at Pitt. 
  • There are required excursions and activities outside of normal scheduled classes.
  • Independent travel is not permitted during the program.

Learn more at https://akwesasne.travel/ and https://www.srmt-nsn.gov/