Experience

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

• Government Administration
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Program Development Manager

  • Nov 2021 - Present

  Developing Programs that are needed on the Leech Lake Reservation. The list includes: Food Security: Securing, introducing, distributing and learning how to prepare healthy foods to the communities of Leech Lake. American Indian Life Skills Program (AILS): A learning program that has been or will be taught in three different schools including Cass Lake-Bena High School, The Cass Lake Alternative Learning Center and The Bug-o-nay-ge-shig school. This is an evidenced based program that prepares young people for the challenges of life and teaches techniques to make good choices. Adult Protective Services: which informs, educates and creates awareness for the people to take responsibility for their communities. To recognize and protect vulnerable adults and create policy and by laws for the reservation. Holistic Health Services- Mind, Body and Spirit: To culturally recognize best practices on the reservation and consider the whole environment past, present and future. Especially in the behavioral health area including addiction, depression and spiritual solutions. Developing an Elders Services Center where all services for the Elders population are provided under one roof. Including a Geriatric Provider, Respite care, Patient Benefits counselors, PCA services, activity center, cultural exercise program as part of rehab and a keepsake/legacy program where family histories are preserved by the written word or digitally. We are also developing a dementia program in conjunction with Memory Keepers from the University of Minnesota-Duluth to find ways to culturally implement techniques that will assist family members and caregivers to implement more effective ways to approach dementia with the Native American population.Initiated Community Health Worker (CHW) Program. A training program working with new scholarships that are available. The program enables the CHW to have an understanding of services in community and how to help client navigate to them. Show less

• Registered Nurse Home Care

  • Apr 2005 - Present

  Home health care to residents of Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Medications, wound care, phlebotomy skills, palliative care, diabetic care and education. Satellite clinic coverage as needed. Supervisory skills. Work closely with Cass Lake Indian Health Service Physicians and services.

• Interim Health Director Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

  • Sep 2021 - Nov 2022

  Duties of directing affairs of Leech Lake Health Division. Particularly for the Covid Crisis. Duties included being the ranking Public Health Officer from the Leech Lake Reservation to the State or Minnesota. Conducted twice weekly meetings for the Incident Management Team (IMT) which consisted of all nine Divisions on the Reservation including Housing, Education, Human Services and reported to Tribal Council. Developed a vaccine distribution system with the assistance of the Nursing department and the IHS Pharmacy department to administer to the whole tribe and surrounding non-native communities. Directed affairs to keep all Health Services to remain open during the crisis including nursing and transportation services. Show less



Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Health Division

• Director of Nursing

  • Apr 2014 - Sep 2021

  Supervise 4 PHN's, 10 RN's, 10 LPN's in 6 satellite clinics, homecare, Diabetes, MCH nursing, Family Spirit Program, Maternal Child Opioid Program, Zero Suicide Program. and Mobile Clinic. Work with 3 PT MD's, 4 FT NP's, 1 FT PA, , 1 OT, 1 Chiropractor. Oversee 6 Minnesota State Grants. Two Federal IHS Grants, Federal BIA grant. Supervise Community Health Representatives(CHR) program which consists of supervisory staff, 12 full-time drivers providing medical transportation for the people of Leech Lake. Show less



Cass Lake Indian Health Service

• Registered Nurse

  • May 2005 - Sep 2008

  Urgent Care/Emergency Room. Inpatient services. Worked at hospital full-time as contractor as well as full-time with homecare during this time. Therapy for myself after the passing of my son Spencer Kowad Rock. Urgent Care/Emergency Room. Inpatient services. Worked at hospital full-time as contractor as well as full-time with homecare during this time. Therapy for myself after the passing of my son Spencer Kowad Rock.



Leech Lake Ambulance

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Emergency Medical Technician

  • Sep 1994 - Jan 2005

  Respond to emergency situations where timely care is critical to life and limb. Respond to emergency situations where timely care is critical to life and limb.