Tabitha Chilton’s Gift for Building Access & Trust in Healthcare Systems

Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce — a.k.a. Minnesota — to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.

Leah and Cole chat with Tabitha Chilton, a White Earth Nation member who serves as Sanford Health’s Native American patient advocate in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tabitha’s focus on outpatient care at the Joe Lueken Cancer Center helps Native communities access healthcare throughout Northern Minnesota. She works with Tribal communities to help build trust and understanding in the healthcare system and emphasizes the need for preventative care and primary care. Tabitha chats with us about her current position at Sanford Health, helping youth through trauma-informed care and her path to serving communities.

Miigwech to Tabitha for sharing about what has led her along the path of advocating for Native Americans in Healthcare systems!

Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

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