Indian Health Board: Creating Healthier Outcomes for Urban Indigenous Communities

This article is reprinted with permission from Sunrise Banks’ online Stories Page, originally published on October 16th.

By AMANDA THEISEN, Communications Manager for Sunrise Banks

Across the country, American Indian communities face some of the worst health disparities and outcomes across all racial and ethnic groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one out of every four people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native say they are in fair to poor health. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic liver disease rank as some of the leading causes of death in these populations. And the average life expectancy for American Indian people is just over 70 years old, nearly eight years lower than the average for all races.

The Indian Health Board (IHB) in Minneapolis has worked for decades to close those gaps among urban Indigenous communities. The nonprofit’s goal is to provide access to quality health services for American Indians and eliminate the barriers necessary to receive that care.

By creating safe spaces, providing culturally tailored medical care and incorporating traditional American Indian practices, IHB hopes to help reverse those trends and create healthier urban Indigenous communities. They have turned to Sunrise Banks as a trusted partner for funding a new medical clinic that is now under construction.… Read the rest “Indian Health Board: Creating Healthier Outcomes for Urban Indigenous Communities”