The 2013 year holds new opportunities for volunteer teams to provide education and training with staff at Indian Health Service and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Health Administration office, as well as with a youth center and schools on the reservation.
Click here to download a PDF document with details about program plans, trip dates, and other information to volunteer.
Mark your calendar for
Monday, June 3rd from 5-7pm for a Global Partners-Pine Ridge informational meeting and cultural orientation in the
Hospital Board Room* (off the upper level of the cafeteria) at Gundersen. Anyone interested in volunteering in 2013 or signed up for a trip is encouraged to attend. The remaining informational meeting/cultural orientation in 2013 are scheduled for Sept 9.
*please note the location change from previously advertised location*
2013 Trip Dates
In 2013, trips are scheduled for the dates below, and each trip will have a different area of focus.
- March 17-22: Specialty team at Pine Ridge IHS; training through OST Health Admin and/or youth center; physicals at schools (March, April or May). March Trip sign-up deadline: January 21, 2013
- April 21-26: Diabetes education & First Aid Training through school, youth center and/or Health Admin; community gardening team; physicals at schools; same week as School District of La Crosse Health Science Academy trip. April Trip sign-up deadline: February 4, 2013
- May 19-24: Pulmonary training and clinic through OST Health Admin; training on child abuse through youth centers, Health Admin and/or schools; community gardening team. May Trip sign-up deadline: March 4, 2013
- June 15-29: Mammography and Clinical Breast Exam Screenings on Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. June Trip sign-up deadline: April 1, 2013 (option to sign up for only one week, or both)
- July 14-19: Cardiology, nephrology, and two-step blood pressure training through OST Health Admin; community gardening team. July Trip sign-up deadline: May 6, 2013
September 8-13: Surgery team at Pine Ridge IHS. September Trip sign-up deadline: June 28, 2013
- September 15-20: Infant/Child Development training through OST Health Admin and/or youth center; community gardening team; physicals at schools. September Trip sign-up deadline: June 28, 2013
- November 3-8: Behavioral Health training through OST Health Admin and/or youth center; physicals at schools; tentatively same week as School District of La Crosse Health Science Academy trip. Trip sign-up deadline: August 26, 2013
Volunteer Roles
Volunteers from a variety of backgrounds are needed. Please complete a Volunteer Form and describe your interest and a member of the Global Partners team will follow up with you to discuss potential opportunities! Below is a summary of who is needed:
- Specialty providers and nurses to provide patient care and consultative services at the Pine Ridge IHS facility, in areas including surgery, GI, dental, dermatology, podiatry, rheumatology, orthopedics and others. Specialty teams will be scheduled in March, May, July, September and November.
- Pediatric/general medicine providers, nurses and MAs to provide physicals at schools and Head Start facilities on the reservation. Would like to have teams provide physicals during one week in spring and one week in fall.
- Behavioral Health Professionals with an interest in providing education in partnership with Oglala Sioux Tribe Health Administration office, a youth center, and schools on topics such as depression and suicide prevention.
- Providers (preferably female) to provide clinical breast exams in conjunction with our mobile mammography team. Screening will take place for two back-to-back weeks in June and we need one provider for each week.
- Clinical staff and/or community members with an interest in developing educational activities or training workshops in conjunction with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Health Administration office, a youth center, and schools on the reservation. Topics requested by tribal partners include CPR training, first aid training, wound care, nutrition, cooking classes, art workshops, diabetes education, babysitting/parenting, etc.
- Community teams to work with the Lakota Beginning Farmer/Rancher program, helping to transplant seedlings, harvest produce, etc. at their community garden from April through September.
Preparation
Volunteers should plan to attend an informational meeting/cultural orientation (especially if you are a new volunteer) prior to their trip, scheduled on the following dates in the Hospital Board Room* (off the upper level of the cafeteria) at Gundersen Lutheran, from 5-7pm: *please note the location change from previously advertised location*
- January 14
- March 4
- June 3
- Sept 9
Each team has a "hand-off" meeting on the Tuesday following their trip, from 4:45-6:30pm in the Hospital Board Room (off the main cafeteria). The first half of the meeting (4:45-5:45pm) is an opportunity for the team that just went to share about their experiences. The second half of the meeting (5:45-6:30pm) is only for the team going, in order to meet their teammates and discuss trip logistics such as transportation, lodging, meals, etc. Each team should plan to go to the hand-off meetings preceding and following their trip. Anyone is welcome to attend these to learn more about the volunteer experience at Pine Ridge.
- April trip hand off meeting dates: March 26; April 30
- May trip hand off meeting dates: April 30; May 28
- June trip hand off meeting dates: May 28; July 9
- July trip hand off meeting dates: July 9; July 23
- September trips hand off meeting dates: July 23; September 24
- November trip hand off meeting dates: September 24; November 12
Once you are signed up for a trip, you will receive an email ~3 months before your trip with paperwork that you need to complete. All volunteers (medical or non-medical) also need to complete some general forms for Global Partners, such as a waiver of liability. Any medical volunteers need to complete an IHS volunteer packet and also get fingerprints. Providers (MD, DO, NP, PA) need to get credentialed through IHS, and a member of the GL credentialing office will work with you to complete that. A separate meeting will be scheduled for each medical team, at a time that works best for them, to help the volunteers complete the IHS requirements of ISSA and EHR training.
The table below describes how long each of these paperwork pieces is good for based on federal/IHS regulations.
Global Partners volunteer forms
(everyone) |
Takes 15-30 min
(receive via email) |
Good indefinitely |
Indian Health Service volunteer
forms
(medical team only) |
Takes 30 min-1 hour
(receive via email) |
Good for 2 years |
Fingerprints
(medical team only) |
Takes 30 min (at La Crosse
County Sheriff Dept) |
Good indefinitely |
Information Systems Security
Awareness (ISSA) Training
(medical team only) |
Takes 45 min
(complete at medical team
meeting) |
Good for 1 year |
Electronic Health Record
(EHR) Training
(medical team only) |
Takes 45 min
(complete at medical team
meeting) |
Good for 1 year |
Credentialing packet
(providers only) |
Takes 30 min-1 hour (meet with
Gundersen's credentialing office) |
Good for 2 years |
The Trip
Each team will determine the specifics of their departure/arrival times, but generally teams leave Sunday at 7am. from Gundersen Lutheran. It is a 10 hour drive, so teams usually stop in Mitchell, SD, for lunch, arriving in Pine Ridge about 5pm. On Monday morning, the team will begin by going to the Oglala Lakota College Cultural Center, and then will head to their work site to get set up for the week.
Each evening (Monday-Thursday) volunteers will be done between 6 and 7pm., depending on their specific work. Plan to eat later each evening - around 7 or 7:30pm most nights - and spend time debriefing as a team. Also, take advantage of morning or evening downtime to see some of the sites around Pine Ridge: Red Cloud School heritage museum & art gallery, Wounded Knee, Piya Wiconi, the Badlands, Singing Horse Trading Post, etc.
The group will wrap up on Friday by noon. Some may choose to drive straight back to La Crosse (arriving in La Crosse around midnight) while others may choose a more leisurely pace and stay overnight in hotel on the way back, arriving back home on Saturday or Sunday.
Cost
The total cost per volunteer to serve on Pine Ridge for a week is $300. This cost covers lodging at the Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort for a double room; if a volunteer requests a single room, this increases the cost by $30/night (to a total trip cost of $450). Lakota Prairie Ranch provides bedding and towels, has wireless internet and a cafe. The team usually also reserves a room with a small kitchenette so that the group can prepare most of their meals family-style rather than eating out each evening.
The $300 payment (or $450 if getting a single room) also helps pay for gas expenses, breakfast and lunch food, and supplies to support the team's work. This amount is made payable to the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation-Global Partners and is considered a charitable contribution since it supports medical volunteer service work. Vehicles are provided by Gundersen Lutheran, though volunteers may choose to drive separately, which reduces their payment for the trip by $50. Volunteers should plan to bring additional money for eating out on the way to/from Pine Ridge (approximately 3-4 meals), and an optional overnight hotel stay when heading back to La Crosse at the end of the week.
What to bring
Teams are encouraged to pack layers of clothing as the weather is highly variable, especially in spring and fall! Medical teams should plan to dress work casual and also bring your Gundersen Lutheran name badge to wear while at the clinic. Non-Gundersen employees who plan to volunteer are welcome to email globalpartners@gundersenhealth.org 3-4 weeks prior to their trip if they would like to have a Volunteer Gundersen Lutheran picture badge.
Volunteers are welcome to bring a camera for taking pictures; the scenery is breathtaking and the people are beautiful! However, please refrain from taking photos in the clinic unless you have received a patient's permission, as well as that of any staff who may present. It is always a good idea to ask someone's permission prior to taking a photo even in a non-medical setting, too. Please do not take pictures of ceremonial grounds on Pine Ridge.
For food, volunteers should plan to bring snacks and beverages for the drive (be forewarned, sharing happens). The reservation is dry, however, and therefore please do not bring any alcholic beverages. Each member of the team will bring one dinner meal to share as well, and these details will be organized during your pre-trip handoff meeting. Popular past meals have included tacos, lasagna, tater tot casserole, chicken alfredo, crock pot meals, baked potato bar, chili, spaghetti... pretty much anything that is easy to prepare or can be cooked in a crock pot, since you may not be getting back to the hotel until 7pm some evenings.
Medical Issues
Volunteers must be up-to-date on immunizations including DPT and influenza. Hepatitis A & B vaccines are also strongly recommended.
Communication
English is the primary language spoken by most members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, so no interpreters are needed to provide medical care on Pine Ridge. Some members of the tribe also speak Lakota, which is the language indigenous to the Lakota Sioux.
Time off
This is a volunteer experience for which you will not be paid. You may choose to take PTO or unpaid time off – you need to make arrangements with your manager. Gundersen Lutheran associate and medical staff may also use CME time (but not CME money) to participate in a Global Partners trip.
Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out our volunteer inquiry form.
NOTE: Volunteers on a Pine Ridge trip must be able to endure long days (10+ hours) of physical activity, which may include standing, walking, light lifting and sitting. Volunteers must be age 18 or older; minors (14 and older) may be allowed on a volunteer trip if accompanied by a parent or guardian.