One early morning, two days before the opening of our Three Rivers Health Center (TRHC), I was walking down the road to find the river. As I walked I could smell the fresh scent of an overnight shower and feel the cool breeze. It was refreshing and wholesome. Mindful of my steps, looking around at all the buildings and places around me, I came across a beautiful logo mounted on a post. I looked at the logo with warmth in my heart for what you have all created for yourselves. There, beyond the fence, stood the beautiful traditional woodwork entrance to our clinic. I looked up and noticed an eagle circling above.
As I gazed at the eagle, I couldn’t help but wonder about its thoughts. Perhaps it was a symbol of the strength and resilience that our tribes embody, soaring high above the challenges we faced.
On March 19, 2024, we opened the doors of our clinic, a testament to the collective effort of many. Our team, comprising of doctors, advanced practice providers, psychiatrists, social workers, therapists, nurses, front office staff, pharmacists, care concierge, janitors, medication delivery persons, and many more healthcare workers, filled the rooms and halls of this beautiful clinic. The words of John Reeves, our Health Administrator, reverberated in my mind, “It is going to be the future of how healthcare will be delivered”. Over the next few weeks I got to know these wonderful healthcare workers that we have recruited to build this future.
We have been diligently working on all the different aspects of building a clinic for our wonderful tribes. There are three facets to building a clinic – Relationships, Processes, and Tools. Although each has its importance, the foundation of all effective endeavors is the building of relationships. We embarked on the work of learning about each other, our passions, why we left our previous jobs to take the risk to build something new, what our past experiences have been, how we like to be treated, the kind of culture we want to create for ourselves, and many such conversations and activities. The work of building relationships is aimed at building trust in each other. We all understand now that each of us has great intentions and we are here to serve the tribe and its surrounding community. I have to say, in over twenty years of building teams; this has to be the best one I have ever worked with – each of them is kind, caring, gentle, nonjudgmental, and innovative!
The team you have brought together has created a safe and welcoming space where the first and last thing you will see is a smile of welcome or gratitude for being able to serve you. As I gaze up at the eagle, I think, perhaps I feel the pride of the seven generations before us and the seven generations (and more) to come after us. Welcome to your one place to thrive for your mind, body, and spirit!
