CADDO NATION'S COMMUNITY HEALTH TEAM: A MODEL OF HOLISTIC CARE
- Leslie Halfmoon
- May 9
- 9 min read
by Leslie Halfmoon, Yo Hasinai News
In a modest building tucked away in Anadarko, Oklahoma, a revolutionary approach to community health is taking shape. The Caddo Nation Community Health Team is redefining what it means to provide comprehensive care through collaboration, dedication, and a deep commitment to keeping families together and elders in their homes.
It is no coincidence that this extraordinary team of strong, caring Native women works together so seamlessly. Their collaborative approach reflects the traditional role Native women have played in holding communities together since time immemorial—providing care, offering wisdom, and ensuring the wellbeing of all community members.
A Team United by Purpose
"We work as a team," explains Kathy Butler, Director of Social Services. "We staff on Wednesdays to see what's coming up. If one of us can't figure it out or can't get it in our program, we're talking to the other one, and we try to find a way to help families. That's our goal—to help families."
This team approach distinguishes the Caddo Nation Community Health center from other facilities. Rather than operating as separate entities that refer clients elsewhere, these departments communicate constantly, sharing resources and expertise to ensure no one falls through the cracks. The teams stay connected by a group chat to try every possible avenue to get help for individuals. Often times, if one program is unable to help, another can find a different avenue for assistance.
The Programs: Interconnected Services for the Whole Family
The Community Health building houses multiple programs that serve different needs but work in tandem:
AOA (Administration on Aging): Directed by Genevieve Moore, provides meals, activities, and a wide variety of support services for elders
Community Health and Special Diabetes Program: Led by Sharla Moore, assists with tribal members' health needs with special focus on diabetes care
Pathways: A comprehensive new program directed by Raven Eagleroad, LPN, offering healthcare services to both Native and non-Native individuals with Medicaid
Social Services: Directed by Kathy Butler, handles social assistance and Adult Protective Services
ICW (Indian Child Welfare): Managed by Case Manager Hunter White, who holds a bachelor's degree in Community Health, focuses on child welfare cases
Tribal Opioid Response Program: Directed by Harleigh Buster, offers recovery support services
Victim Services: Also led by Harleigh Buster, assists crime victims with various needs
Hunter White, who recently joined as the ICWA Case Manager after transferring from Caddo Nation Childcare services, brings valuable cultural expertise to the program. Her previous role provided her with deep connections to the community that now benefit her work with vulnerable children. Hunter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Health is deeply dedicated to working with children and their families.
Her previous work experience with the Caddo Nation Childcare Cultural Program provided her with a unique opportunity to really connect with children, learning about their homesteads, their backgrounds, cultures, and significant events. Being part of that team and now a part of the Community Health team, she feels that it all has provided a strong foundation for her work along with a team of dedicated individuals. Together, they have created a really good inner circle.
Regarding her new position, Hunter says, "Now with working in ICWA, I can provide more services for these children that aren't around us every day... these are children that do need services, and I'm here for them as their resource too, for the children and their families."
PATHWAYS PROGRAM: EXPANDING HORIZONS IN HEALTHCARE
Perhaps the most transformative development in recent months has been the implementation of the Pathways Program. Awarded nearly $1 million ($986,000), the grant has dramatically expanded the team's ability to provide care.
"The Caddo Nation received one of the largest grants in the state," explains Raven Eagleroad, LPN, who came on as the Pathways Program Director in November 2024. With a strong medical background as an EMT and travel nurse, Eagleroad brings valuable expertise to the program.
"When I first started, they told me only about six tribes in Oklahoma had this program. Now there are around 17," she notes. "I grew up around these elders. I grew up around the AOA with my grandma and was part of coming up here, and so I just wanted to give back."
What makes Pathways unique is its ability to serve individuals regardless of tribal affiliation. While many tribal programs are limited to serving tribal members within specific jurisdictions, Pathways can assist anyone with Medicaid throughout Oklahoma.
"Pathways is not just for tribal members," Eagleroad explains. "It's for everyone, and we're not bound by jurisdictions other than just the state of Oklahoma."
Nina Bujanda, a registered nurse who recently returned to work with the tribe after a stint at Indian Health Services, explains: "We help both Native and non-Native individuals.” Nina gave an example of the type of help she and her team provide by sharing some of her experiences to help acquire items like oxygen tanks, wheelchair, or even a nebulizer for some of the most vulnerable individuals through Pathways, even if they were unaffiliated with a tribe.
MEETING CRITICAL NEEDS: HEALTHCARE WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST
The healthcare challenges in rural Oklahoma are significant. According to recent studies, rural residents face higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, coupled with reduced access to specialty care and transportation limitations.
The Community Health Program, led by Sharla Moore who serves as Director of both the Community Health and Special Diabetes Program for the Caddo Nation, addresses these gaps directly. One of their most vital services is transportation to medical appointments—often a major barrier for rural patients.
Nikki Reed, a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) who works with the Pathways team explains how the services she and Bujanda provide through Pathways, provide a way to help community members when other services have left them to fall through the cracks. She has travelled as far as Edmond, Oklahoma to assist individuals at their homes.
The team also provides telehealth services, with stations at both the Community Health building and the AOA building. This allows elders and others with mobility challenges to connect with their doctors remotely.
"If one of our clients needed an appointment with a doctor but they couldn’t tolerate the long drive to the city, we could use telehealth," Eagleroad explains. "We can even take our computers out and do it in the home."
WOUND CARE AND DIABETIC HEALTH: SAVING LIMBS, SAVING LIVES
One of the most urgent healthcare needs the team addresses is wound care, particularly for diabetic clients who are at risk of amputation.
"We have a lot of clients that are diabetic and need wound care," explains Sharla Moore, Director of the Community Health and Special Diabetes Program. "They're having to go to Anadarko, and if the nature of wound care needed is beyond what they can perform, they will not be able to provide care. So then we transport them to Lawton."
Transportation can become an issue when wound care treatments are needed every other day, for example. With Nina Bujanda's nursing expertise, the team hopes to be able to provide more of this care in-house. "If I can save it, I'm going to try," Nina says about threatened limbs. "But I'm also going to assess and make sure that if I can't, you go somewhere else where they can get IV antibiotics to help save it."
The impact of having these services locally cannot be overstated. Sharla recounts a heartbreaking case in which part of a toe had to be removed, and then got progressively worse until much more of the leg was amputated. “The whole time, it was a circulation issue, but the treatment facility performing the amputations did not bother to figure that out until our client had already lost so much."
HOLISTIC CARE: TREATING THE WHOLE PERSON, SUPPORTING THE WHOLE FAMILY
What truly sets the Caddo Nation Community Health Team apart is their holistic approach. They understand that health involves more than just medical treatment—it encompasses social support, cultural connection, and family stability. "We work on the total family focus," Kathy explains. "We may have grandma or grandpa in the house with grandkids, or we might have grandma and grandpa in the house with mom and dad, cousins, kids... But our whole reason for bringing in Pathways was to supplement our programs, because there are a lot of people that weren't being serviced."
The team also focuses heavily on keeping elders out of nursing homes when possible. "The ultimate goal and reason that our programs work together is to keep our elders out of the nursing homes," Sharla notes.
Harleigh Buster, Director of both Victim Services and the Tribal Opioid Response program, explains how their services overlap: "Our scope of practice overlaps in many ways. Often times a majority of our clients are accessing all of our programs."
Buster brings a unique qualification to her role—she's the only team member with a case management certification through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. This certification allows her to provide court-recognized services that can count toward clients' legal requirements.
"I want that to be beneficial because our clients, are required to attend so many services already," Buster explains about her efforts to get court certification for recovery classes. "Coming to one more class just for the fun of it isn't realistic for them because they are so busy, so why not get a one-stop shop where we can get that all completed here?"
THE PERSONAL TOUCH: CARE WITH DIGNITY
The team's dedication goes beyond professional duty—it's deeply personal. Many team members grew up in the community and have known the elders they now serve since childhood.
"I grew up in this community. I’ve known many of our clients all my life, and they've known me since I was a little kid," Sharla reflects. "You build those relationships when you're young and they don't ever go away. You just have to keep refreshing them."
This personal connection creates a level of trust and rapport that's essential in healthcare. Nina shares a touching example of how Nikki Reed provides bathing assistance to one client: "She is very gentle. She lets you know what she's doing before she does it. A lot of people don't. She does it with dignity. I literally could not do it better."
The team members face difficult situations that test their emotional resilience. As Kathy Butler notes about Hunter White's experience, "Hunter recently attended her first forensic interview for sexual abuse last week, and it's extremely difficult to watch.”
This emotional toll is part of the reality of their work. Yet their shared commitment to the community helps them navigate these challenges together, supporting one another through difficult cases while providing compassionate care to those in need.
FUTURE DREAMS: EXPANDED SERVICES
As the team looks to the future, they dream of expanding their services. Raven Eagleroad hopes for "our own location, our own little hub" as the program grows.
Sharla Moore envisions something even more ambitious: "I would like to have an assisted living center and a nursing home. But when I say assisted living, I don't mean like a normal nursing home. I mean a place where elders can grow their own gardens and live independently while we're still there for them."
Her vision would include different levels of care, from independent living to full nursing support, all in one location.
The Pathways team also hopes to expand their medical services. "At some point we're going to have a Medicaid sign-up day," Nina Bujanda shares, adding that they hope to offer health fairs and other outreach programs. With the grant renewed, they can potentially hire more staff and reach more clients.
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND COMPASSION
The Caddo Nation Community Health Team isn't just providing services—they're creating a model of care that other communities might follow. By breaking down silos between programs, focusing on prevention as well as treatment, and honoring the dignity of every individual they serve, they demonstrate what's possible when healthcare is approached holistically.
"When someone asks what we do," Raven says, "I feel like we are building a foundation for home health care for the tribe. That's what we're doing."
Nina Bujanda, who left a position at Indian Health Services to return to the tribe, perhaps says it best: "I missed doing house visits. I miss building a rapport with our people. I missed it all. I'm just not a person that sits in front of a computer. I like talking face to face. I like being able to be hands-on."
This team of dedicated Native women—Kathy Butler, Genevieve Moore, Sharla Moore, Raven Eagleroad, Harleigh Buster, Nina Bujanda, Nikki Reed, and Hunter White—exemplifies the strength and caring that has been central to Native communities for generations. They carry forward the traditional values of community care while incorporating modern healthcare approaches, creating a uniquely effective model of service.
Despite facing some of the most challenging situations—from elder neglect to child abuse cases, from life-threatening medical conditions to substance abuse recovery—they maintain their compassion and commitment. Their work environment reflects this balance of serious purpose and supportive camaraderie.
"We have a great environment," Kathy notes. "We play, we joke, we laugh, but we get stuff done. We want people that work for us to come in and feel that way. We want our team to want to come to work every day."
This hands-on, heart-focused approach is making a profound difference in the lives of community members—Native and non-Native alike—throughout the region. As the programs continue to grow, particularly with the support of the Pathways grant, their impact will only increase.
For more information about any of these services visit mycaddonation.com or call the Caddo Nation Community Health center at 405-901-4066. Community Health Team Building is located at 211 W. Main St. Anadarko, OK 73005
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