{"id":18420,"date":"2021-11-22T17:04:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T22:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=18420"},"modified":"2022-08-11T14:49:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T18:49:20","slug":"dvids-nez-perce-tribe-gets-help-with-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/11\/22\/dvids-nez-perce-tribe-gets-help-with-health-care\/","title":{"rendered":"DVIDS: Nez Perce Tribe gets help with health care"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Nez<\/a>
Idaho National Guard medical and dental citizen-Soldiers and Airmen teamed up with healthcare personnel from the Nez Perce Tribe as part of a larger effort to recover from the summer\u2019s surge of COVID-19 cases plaguing northern Idaho. Through a program known as Innovative Readiness Training, the Idaho National Guard is helping the Nez Perce community\u2019s healthcare system recover after becoming backlogged during a community-wide shut down earlier this year. They performed three missions\u2014a two-part diabetic IRT in June and October, a medical IRT in August and most recently a dental IRT on November 10\u201313, 2021, which resulted in dental screenings of nearly 250 Nez Perce school-aged children. Photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur \/ U.S. National Guard<\/figcaption>\r\n
The Nez Perce Tribe and Idaho National Guard work together during COVID-19<\/div>\r\n
Monday, November 22, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur, Idaho Army National Guard<\/div>\r\n
DOD DVIDS<\/div>\r\n
dvidshub.net<\/A><\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nNEZ PERCE RESERVATION, Idaho — Idaho National Guard and Nez Perce dental personnel teamed up November 10\u201313 as part of a larger effort to recover from the summer\u2019s surge of COVID-19 cases<\/a> plaguing northern Idaho.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Nez Perce Tribe<\/a> and the Idaho National Guard are working together through a program known as Innovative Readiness Training<\/a> to help the Nez Perce community\u2019s healthcare system recover after becoming backlogged during a community-wide shut down earlier this year. The dental visit was part of a larger medical effort taking place between the tribe and the Idaho National Guard.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIdaho National Guard members are driven by a sense of purpose,\u201d said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, the adjutant general of Idaho. \u201cIRT collaboration like this not only enables us to sharpen our military skills, but it also provides great opportunities to make positive impacts to the communities of Idaho and a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\"Nez<\/a>

Photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur \/ U.S. National Guard<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Nez Perce tribe submitted a collaborative IRT application earlier this summer to request assistance in addressing their overwhelmed medical staff resulting from the second wave of COVID-19 cases. The Idaho National Guard responded by sending medical and dental citizen-Soldiers and Airmen performing three missions\u2014a two-part diabetic IRT in June and October, a medical IRT in August and most recently the dental IRT in November, which resulted in dental screenings of nearly 250 Nez Perce school-aged children.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n Activities also included helping local clinics complete high school sports physicals and preschool Head Start program physical exams before the start of sports season and the school year.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWorking with their local health care personnel helps us build relationships with the tribes while training our Idaho National Guard medical personnel,\u201d said Lt. Col. Tina Williams, an occupational health nurse for the Idaho Army National Guard. \u201cOur mission is to help the Nez Perce community catch up on a backlog of patients while providing Guardsmen relevant training and a unique experience by seeing both adults and children at the Nez Perce clinics.\u201d\r\n

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