We need your voice
Have you or a loved one faced serious challenges with healthcare or service providers, or in any healthcare setting—especially as a child or an elder? Or have you ever been provided exceptional quality of care in a healthcare setting or from a provider that you feel would be beneficial for healthcare providers to know and learn about?
WSU Native Health Sciences (NAHS) is inviting Native American community members to share their stories so we can work together to improve healthcare for our communities.
Why we are listening
Many Native American people have experienced care that felt dismissive, disrespectful, or unsafe. These stories are often held quietly within families and communities.
By sharing your experience, you can:
- Help providers better understand Native American patients and families
- Highlight barriers to respectful, culturally safe care
- Contribute to long-term change in how healthcare is delivered to Native communities
Your story matters.
About the project
This project focuses on documenting real experiences with healthcare students and current providers. Participation involves a recorded interview in which you share your story in your own words.
Our goals are to:
- Capture the depth and nuance of your experience
- Learn from the challenges you and your loved ones have faced
- Build a deeper understanding of Native healthcare challenges to guide future education and practice
- Utilize stories to create a simulation scenario where current and future healthcare providers can learn and grow, and improve the quality of care
Your perspective will help inform better care for Native American patients, children, and elders.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking Native individuals who:
- Have experienced significant challenges with healthcare providers (Either personally or through the care of a child or elder)
- Are willing to share their experiences in a recorded conversation for this project
If you are unsure whether your experience “counts,” you are still welcome to reach out and talk with us.
Honorarium and travel support
Participants selected for this project will receive:
- An honorarium in recognition of your time and expertise
- A travel stipend to help cover transportation costs, if needed
We are committed to honoring the emotional and cultural labor involved in telling these stories.
Learn more or share your story
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Jerry Crowshoe at gerald.crowshoe@wsu.edu, 509-368-6844, or fill out the form below.
Please note that if your story is selected and recorded, it will not be shared outside NAHS and will be used only in simulation spaces for training purposes. Stories recorded will be used to create simulation scenarios that students and participants can learn from to help reduce health disparities for Native American patients. This program will also build capacity and skills to improve healthcare delivery for tribal communities.