Rebuilding Relations
Acknowledging the impacts, challenges, and intersections of Idaho's health systems and the underserved and vulnerable populations that rely on them, we at Idaho AHEC work towards building up health related relationships between healthcare professionals and underserved and vulnerable populations in southeast Idaho.
Joseph Chacon, BA and MPH Candidate
Main Researcher & Project Lead
(208) 282-2116
Joseph is one of our Idaho AHEC Career Path Interns and a Master of Public Health student, who grew up along the interface of Fort Hall and Pocatello, Idaho. He is gaining his Master of Public Health degree while working with Idaho AHEC and his community to improve health conditions and expand Indigenous Knowledge. Being a Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member and his life experience has led Joseph to rebuilding health related relationships between healthcare professionals and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, as well as other underserved populations.
My Idaho AHEC Career Path Internship
As an Idaho AHEC Career Path Intern, I have had the opportunity to apply and build my knowledge and skills while working within the Southeast Idaho community. I have coordinated health education events, co-developed online mental health services, built marketing and website material, interpreted and analyzed qualitative and quantitative research, and collaboratively built long lasting relationships with amazing people working towards improving health in underserved communities and ecosystems. I am grateful for my remarkable experience as an Idaho AHEC Career Path Intern and I am excited about the doors opening for me along my journey.
Photo taken by Joseph Chacon from Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Annual Festival in Fort Hall, Idaho
Relations are the established connections between people and the systems they operate within.
Logos of project partners and thank you statement. Created by Joseph Chacon using Canva.
Relations are based-on the way in which two or more people or groups of people feel and behave towards each other both publicly and privately.
The way people feel and behave towards each other, i.e., their relations, manifest within the societal systems and structures people operate in.
Our systems and structures have been built from our ancestors past relations. Our ancestors past relations have led to the present systems and structures that disadvantageously affect the health of underserved populations and have had a unique impact on Indigenous People and our communities.
This project has been aimed at rebuilding health-related relations between underserved people in southeast Idaho (SEID) and the SEID community and public health systems. This project also had a high-focus on rebuilding relations between SEID community and public health systems and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Health and Human Services system.
There is much need and opportunity for health-related community efforts, and involving myself in these efforts allows for my growth as a health professional and as a person.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to better myself while helping to better my community.
This project began with the coursework for my MPH program and was made up of several interconnected projects aimed at rebuilding health related relations between healthcare professionals and underserved communities.
My studies and program training focused on helping to improve health conditions with underserved people and their communities.
This focus in coursework allowed me to center my studies on the health conditions, people, and communities I wanted to help the most.
I met amazing people and learned that there is a lot happening to expand and connect Indigenous knowledge to western health practices.
More presently, I have helped establish a path for a hands-on health professions learning experience in collaboration with Sho-Ban Jr./Sr. High School for a future event in Fort Hall.