“incorporating hmong shamans into hospital settings” the...
TRANSCRIPT
“Incorporating Hmong Shamans into Hospital Settings”
The Merced Experience
2010
The Seventh National Conference on
Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations
Partners in Healing Project
• Project Philosophy
– Shamans and healthcare providers are teachers and learners.
• Project Goal
– Demonstrate that spiritual beliefs can be incorporated into clinical care.
• Project Results
– Increased understanding on both sides and decreased conflicts.
– Shamans refer more quickly to doctors.
– Doctors now request shaman services.
– Mental Health Department pays for shaman consultations.
– Hospital policy allows shamans to perform designated ceremonies without prior permission or supervision.
Partners
• Merced Family Medicine Residency Program
• Mercy Medical Center Merced
• Sutter Hospital
• Merced Pathology Medical Group, Inc.
• Merced County Department of Public Health –
Laboratory, Health Officer
• Merced County Department of Mental Health
• Hmong Health Collaborative
Orientation
• Shamans learn about
Western medicine
• Resident physicians
learn about shaman
beliefs and practices
Pathologist and Shaman
Twj neeb (shaman’s tools)
These instruments are common to most of the
shaman. They use these instruments for
protection, inspiration, and empowerment for
the shaman.
Surgery Tour
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Shaman Ceremony
Hmong Shaman (Txiv Neeb)
• Shaman enters the unseen world in trance to find out why the patient is sick.
• He/she assesses the health of the patient’s souls that contribute to healing of the patient.
• The doctor checks all body systems and the shaman checks all souls when in trance.
• Clinical curing is not complete if the patient does not feel cured. The shaman helps the patient to feel cured.
Doctor Samsammi hits gong.
Recognition Dinner
Mayor and Officials Award Certificates
Bridging the Gap between western medicine and traditional healing.
Contact Information
Healthy House Within a MATCH Coalition
Marilyn Mochel, R.N.
Palee Moua
209-724-0102
Hmong Health Collaborative
Susan Vang, Coordinator
Phone: 559.970.9299