Gilead Funds CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center’s Innovative Partnership with Indian Health Service

February 6, 2023

Santa Fe, New Mexico – CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center was recently awarded grant funding by Gilead Sciences, Inc. to advance our Native Health Navigator program, which will connect Native American patients referred from the Indian Health Service to a CHRISTUS Native American health navigator to support patients with appropriate follow-up recommended after an abnormal screening mammogram.

In the case of a positive cancer diagnosis, Native health navigators will also support patients in timely treatment planning and care with attention to culturally attuned patient education, as well as educating providers in culturally sensitive best practices and collaborating with community organizations.

Breast cancer affects more American women – and more people across the globe – than any other type of cancer. Due to social, environmental and economic disparities, people of color, including Native Americans, are at increased risk of developing or dying from breast cancer. In 2023, an estimated 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and more than 43,000 women will die from breast cancer.

“After witnessing first-hand during COVID health care disparities and the need for culturally sensitive care for Native Americans in Northern New Mexico, CHRISTUS St. Vincent Cancer Care Center wants to be a leader in meeting this challenge,” said Lillian Montoya, CHRISTUS St. Vincent President & CEO. “This program will be an important step to bridge the breast cancer care gap in Northern New Mexico for Native American patients.”

“CHRISTUS St. Vincent is in a unique position to be a change maker as the only comprehensive cancer center in Northern New Mexico,” said Andrea Teague, MD, Vice President of Cancer Services for CHRISTUS Health. “While breast cancer is one of the most curable cancers, Native Americans suffer from late-stage diagnoses of cancer due to delayed diagnoses, and thus, higher mortality rates. Culturally sensitive care through the Native Health Navigator program will be crucial to expediting diagnosis and treatment for Native American patients, with the goal of improving health equity and outcomes.”

This program is independently operated by CHRISTUS St. Vincent, with grant funding from Gilead Sciences. The grant was awarded as part of the newly created Toward Health Equity Oncology Grant™. We are proud to launch the Native Health Navigator program to help close the gap in health outcomes for Native American patients facing breast cancer.