My passion for increasing Indigenous health equity and representation in healthcare grew from my family and upbringing. I am a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe from Southeastern Montana and spent the summers visiting my grandmother in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Witnessing the living conditions on the reservation and receiving healthcare from IHS facilities ignited my desire to address Indigenous health disparities.

I have devoted my career to working in Tribal Health to help improve healthcare access. I currently serve as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Public Health Service at the NARA NW Indian Health Clinic in Portland, OR where I specialize in diabetes, chronic disease management, and women’s health. Prior to becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner, I worked as an Emergency Room Nurse at a level II Trauma Center and as an Anthropologist, conducting community-based participatory research in isolated and resource-poor regions of Sierra Leone to assist in community recovery.

It is an honor to contribute to the Wy’east nursing pathway and serve our Indigenous students.