The South Dakota Urban Indian Health Board of Directors has appointed a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to lead the nearly 50-year-old organization.
Executive Director Colette Keith lives in White River and will commute to their ambulatory care clinics located in Pierre and Sioux Falls. She says 70% of tribal members in South Dakota reside off the reservations and are unable to access Indian Health Service clinics and programs.
Keith, whose background is in communication, higher education and administration, says she is honored to be joining the organization and is looking forward to bringing increased visibility and stability to SDUIH. Among the reasons she gives for her interest in working for the organization are that they approach their work with the best practices of trauma informed care in mind and they refer to the clients/patients they serve as ‘relatives.’
Keith has worked extensively in the Tribal College and University system and in radio and television news.
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