SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Walking Forward, announced a five-year grant of $3 million from the National Cancer Institute.
The funding will go toward a two-phase study to bring the Oglala, Sicangu and Cheyenne River tribes, the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, South Dakota State University’s School of Nursing, the Indian Health Service Great Plains Region and the Rural Health and Palliative Care programs at Massachusetts General Hospital together. The group will be studying issues and possible solutions in the area of palliative care and medicine for Native Americans, and sharing that information amongst the collaborating groups.
“I am delighted and blessed to be part of this stellar group whose overarching goal is to improvethe quality of life for American Indians who suffer from terminal cancer and build a sustainable,culturally tailored and effective palliative care program for American Indian cancer patients inwestern South Dakota,” said Daniel Petereit, MD, radiation oncologist at Regional Health.
Native Americans are among the most underserved demographics in terms of cancer care and quality. This reality is due in part to the rural communities they live in. Walking Forward is a program started by Avera in 2002.
