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Thirty years ago, the Gila River Indian Community assumed control of its healthcare system, founding GRHC as a tribally owned and operated entity. The shift allowed the Community to set its own priorities and invest in services tailored to its people.

“By doing that, we're able to provide very specific culturally sensitive care, dignity, and respect,” says Carolyn Thompson, Chief Operations Officer of GRHC.

At Gila River, patient health is deeply connected to history, culture, family, and tradition. Understanding these context factors builds the trust required for effective long-term care.

“When you build that trust, it creates a ripple effect of people owning their care, coming to their appointments, [and] seeking services,” says Robert Pablo, Chairman of GRHC.

Medical students will experience Gila River as both a clinical training site and an active community.

“The patients have rich narrative stories,” says Dr. Thomas Rowe, a family medicine doctor in Sacaton affiliated with Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital. “They engage students and assist them in learning about both their culture and their medical history.” 

Because research shows physicians often practice where they train, extended clinical exposure increases the likelihood that graduates will choose to stay. Beyond recruitment, the program also aims to redefine who views medicine as a viable career.

The partnership aligns the University of ������ý’s land-grant mission with Gila River’s long-term vision. 

“Training [students] in the tribal community where they’re needed most is the best part of this program,” says University of ������ý President Suresh Garimella. “I hope that a decade from now, people will look back at this as the move that helped start bending the curve of physician shortage in Tribal communities.”

The long-term impact will be felt by future medical students, families cared for by providers who understand their background, and patients who trust their doctors enough to take ownership of their health.