- A new clinic will provide culturally sensitive care to indigenous populations in the Kern River Valley
- The clinic opened in December and is currently renovating part of their building in order to provide care on-site
- To learn more about what the Bakersfield Indian Health Project does, you can call 661-327-4030
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“The reality was that there was no Indian healthcare program located within proximity of those communities that live in the Kern Valley Area,” said Manuel Angel Galvez.
Galvez is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bakersfield American Indian Health Project. In December, they opened up a clinic in Mt. Mesa to expand the services they offer to Kern Valley residents.
It has been a years-long process, which started with studies to identify the needs of the populations in the Kern River Valley - and continued with the purchase of the MT Mesa building.
“There is a huge need, a population of individuals who don’t have a community clinic if you will, that they can go to receive case management, outreach and referral services, housing supports, food sovereignty supports,” Galves said.
Chairman of the Tübatulabal Tribe Robert Gomez was a key figure in making the clinic a reality.
In a statement to 23ABC Gomez wrote:
“As Chairman of the Tübatulabals of Kern Valley I have made efforts for several years to bring health and social services to the tribal communities in the Kern River Valley. Several years ago I had the pleasure of collaborating with Angel Galvan of the BAIHP. We put our collective efforts into a plan and now stand at the threshold of what can be a great opportunity for serving the tribal communities. We will focus on Native American cultural heritage and lifeways to make a sustainable future for our tribe and others.”
Galvez says they have a contract to serve those that have insurance under Kern Family Health Care and that the services they offer will mirror what they provide at their Bakersfield clinic.
“We leverage our physicians, our doctors, our therapists, our counselors. We have a full-fledged operation here in the Bakersfield of physicians and providers and licensed clinical social workers that extend those resources and those counseling services to those popualtions.”
And they are planning even more for the building –
“We are remodeling that entire suite to be an OSHPD 3 certified health clinic,” Galvez said.
They’ve hired a full-time nurse practitioner that will start providing service when the renovations are done – which is currently set to be complete in April.
“Native Americans have a very high rate of diabetes, obesity, there’s mental health challenges, a lot of that is from horrific treatment that we experienced and trauma that is generational,” said Donna Miranda-Begay.
Miranda-Begay - a Kern Valley resident and Tubatulabal tribe member that formerly served on the National Council for Urban Indian Health says a clinic that understands the needs of Native populations can improve quality of care for their patients – and having a local clinic will increase access.
“My tribal relatives have to travel three hours up to Bishop to get Indian Health Services support for their dental work. And also another two hours to get to Lone Pine to get Indian Health Services, medical help.”
With the recent expansion to the Kern River Valley, Bakersfield American Indian Health Project is also hoping to eventually offer cultural events at the Mt. Mesa clinic, something they already do in Bakersfield.
“We label those as more traditional healing services: talking circles, smudging, drum making, regalia making. Things that Identify more with our native population and our indigenous communities,” Galvez said.
“Cultural sensitivity delivery is important. And the other balance is the music and the art and a sense of pride and awareness of your culture,” Begay said.
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