According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in 2019 suicide was the second leading cause of death for American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) between the ages of 10 and 34. The overall death rate from suicide for AI/AN adults is about 20% higher than it is for the non-Hispanic […]

The opioid epidemic is affecting people everywhere in the United States, including in Indian Country. “Native communities are a little bit more adversely impacted by it, but not by much; every ethnicity is being hurt by the opioid epidemic,” explained John Godfrey, chief behavioral health officer for Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Behavioral Health Services […]

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are at higher risk of dying by suicide compared with other Americans. In 2019, non-Hispanic AI/AN people had a suicide rate 60% higher than that of the general population. The Indian Health Service (IHS) says that complex, interrelated […]

On August 11, families converged on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Way of Life Facility (WOLF) for an evening of fun-filled activities and entertainment. The WOLF Expo, which brought out 295 Community members, showcased the many programs offered at the sprawling recreational facility. The Expo featured informational booths for 12 SRPMIC programs, interactive activities […]

Have you been to the River People Health Center yet? This new one-stop shop for healthcare needs provides a multitude of services to Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members and other tribally recognized Native Americans. The new health center opened in March and has been steadily adding new services and employees so it will have […]

Here in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, spunky 7-year-old Harmony Brown is seeking help to raise money for a new wheelchair-accessible vehicle. The second-grader’s current family vehicle, a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan with an electrical/manual ramp, was bought six years ago and is currently inoperable due to motor and ramp issues that will cost […]

SRPMIC Diabetes Prevention Services began a new program in early August to help Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members and their families develop a healthy lifestyle through tracking their progress with a Fitbit. The Health and Wellness Tracking Program has a limit of 200 people, and in less than a week all 200 of the […]

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s WIC Program helped celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at the River People Health Center’s (RPHC) First Friday event on Friday, August 5. World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7 annually, is a time for organizations to help inform mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding and to help those who advocate for breastfeeding […]