WCU鈥揅IHA partnership grows Cherokee鈥檚 next generation of healers
By Brittney Lofthouse '10
In the midst of ongoing staffing challenges across the healthcare industry, the innovative partnership between 51看片 (WCU) and the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) is doing exactly what a great pipeline should do -- it matches local talent with meaningful careers close to home, expands continuing education opportunities, and opens career-ladder pathways for enrolled members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
It鈥檚 working, as this collaboration has brought several new employees to CIHA and helped current team members keep advancing their skills.
At the heart of the partnership is a shared vision. 51看片prepares students with rigorous coursework and hands-on learning as part of their founding mission of 鈥淚nspiring learning through innovative teaching, nationally recognized programs, exceptional support, and a robust connectedness with surrounding communities in Southern Appalachia, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.鈥�
CIHA provides a real-world environment rooted in integrated, culturally informed care鈥攏owhere more evident than at Analenisgi, CIHA鈥檚 behavioral health program. Students arrive as interns and trainees, then often return as colleagues, already aligned with CIHA鈥檚 mission and the needs of our community.
Robert "Noland" Brown and Kathryn Moore
Two recent examples tell the story well.
Robert 鈥淣oland鈥� Brown, an enrolled member of the EBCI, trained at Analenisgi during graduate school and has now returned as a master-level therapist. He applied to intern at CIHA, he says, because 鈥淒uring grad school, I pursued the Addictions Certificate Program, as well as studying the integrated healthcare model. Which both my academic supervisor and I agreed, Analenisgi is quintessential of the integrated care model. Additionally, I am member of the community and felt a call to serve the community that I love.鈥�
That commitment deepened during his internship, which he credits for allowing him to gain a new perspective on caring for his community. 鈥淚 better learned to meet people where they are. In the social work field, we talk a lot about differing evidence-based interventions/practices, but at Analenisgi, I learned the importance of connection, patience, and care.鈥�
Mentorship mattered, too. 鈥淭here are many, but one supervisor in particular that both inspired me as a practioner, but also as a human being is Michelle Frerich. Michelle is a one-of-a-kind person, and in turn a one-of-a-kind mentor to have,鈥� said Brown.
Now, as a full-time CIHA teammate working as a Masters Level Therapist at Analenisgi, Brown says, 鈥淚 feel excited to rejoin the family that I built here during my internship. As well as recommit myself to serving my community to the best of my ability.鈥� For Brown, the work is personal and a family legacy he wants to carry on. 鈥淲hen I was younger, my grandmother was a nurse at the old Cherokee Hospital, and I beam with pride at the fact that I have followed her steps in a way, and have become someone that can help others,鈥� he said. 鈥淎dditionally, this is a community that I love and care for, and I hope to become the best version of myself, so that I can best provide intentional and focused care.鈥�
His goals are not fleeting, but rather a promise he plans to keep for his community. 鈥淚 hope to be someone that others can rely on. I want to have a strong connection with the people I provide service to, and above all else I hope to grow as a person,鈥� he said.
Kathryn Moore鈥檚 path mirrors that same arc. Drawn by the chance to match classroom learning with real clinical impact, she chose CIHA for her internship because, 鈥渋t offered an incredible opportunity for both professional growth and community impact. I was drawn to the chance to turn theoretical knowledge into real-world clinical practice, to be part of a close-knit team that feels like family, and to contribute to the mission of guiding individuals toward healing and new beginnings鈥攐ne step at a time,鈥� she said.
For Moore, the internship confirmed a calling that even she was unaware of until it became too strong to ignore. 鈥淥ne of the most valuable lessons I learned is that it鈥檚 rare鈥攁nd truly special鈥攖o find a career that aligns so closely with your calling and passion that it doesn鈥檛 feel like 鈥榡ust a job.鈥� Serving the community is not only meaningful but a privilege I don鈥檛 take for granted,鈥� she said.
Like they did for Brown, the mentorship Moore received during her internship not only proved pivotal, but was the affirming voice she needed. 鈥淩ebekah Tucker was an incredible mentor and supervisor throughout my internship,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淐linical work was completely new to me at the time, but Rebekah, along with the entire Analenisgi Child Team, welcomed me with open arms and showed me the ropes. Their guidance helped me fall in love with clinical work and ultimately led me to pursue a career in behavioral health.鈥�
Now a Master-Level Therapist with CIHA, Moore says, 鈥淲hat excites me most is the genuine connection I鈥檝e built with the team鈥攖hey truly feel like family. I鈥檓 also excited to continue engaging with the community and expanding my professional network to drive meaningful change.鈥� Serving the same community where she trained 鈥渇eels incredibly rewarding,鈥� and working at Analenisgi 鈥渕eans the world to me. Personally, I鈥檝e always wanted to be part of a workplace that treats its staff and community members with humility, dignity, and respect. CIHA and the Analenisgi Child Team embodies this every day. Professionally, this role is a dream come true. I鈥檝e always felt called to help others, and becoming a therapist allows me to live out that purpose daily. Analenisgi is truly the perfect fit for me鈥攂oth personally and professionally.鈥�
WCU鈥檚 mission statement endeavors that 鈥淭hrough a broad range of scholarly activities, our faculty and students seek to better understand our region, state, nation, and world.鈥� Moore鈥檚 goals reflect that as part of the partnership鈥檚 growth mindset: 鈥淢y goals include continuing to build strong connections within the community, pursuing further education and training in various treatment modalities, and ultimately obtaining my full LCSW license. I鈥檓 committed to growing both as a clinician and as a community advocate.鈥�
These journeys鈥攕tudent to intern to colleague鈥攕how how a well-designed pipeline strengthens care close to home. 51看片equips students with the academic foundation and specialized tracks (such as addiction studies and integrated care). CIHA offers immersive training in team-based, integrated, culturally anchored practice. Together, they create a loop that keeps talent in the region, elevates standards of care, and supports EBCI members with clear steps upward鈥攖hrough internships, supervision, licensure preparation, and ongoing professional development. Critically, by filling high-demand roles locally, reducing recruitment and relocation costs, and keeping salaries and spending in the Qualla Boundary and surrounding counties, this pipeline also drives regional growth鈥攁n opportunity proven effective and one that delivers on WCU鈥檚 mission, which 鈥渁ims to improve the lives and promote economic prosperity throughout western North Carolina and beyond.鈥�
The benefits extend beyond hiring. This partnership supports continuing education for current CIHA staff鈥攅xpanding access to advanced certificates, workshops, and emerging treatment modalities鈥攁nd it builds career ladders that make it easier for enrolled EBCI members to grow from entry-level roles into licensed professionals. That means more providers who understand Cherokee culture, history, and community dynamics serving patients here at home.
Most importantly, it cultivates something you can鈥檛 teach in a textbook: a sense of belonging and purpose. As Brown put it, 鈥淚 feel excited to rejoin the family that I built here during my internship.鈥�
As Moore noted, 鈥淪erving the community is not only meaningful but a privilege.鈥� When students become colleagues in the very place they trained, the result is continuity鈥攐f relationships, trust, and care.
That is the promise of the WCU鈥揅IHA partnership. To develop the next generation of caregivers for Cherokee, by Cherokee, in Cherokee. And with each new intern, supervisor, and graduate who chooses to stay and serve, that promise becomes daily practice.
Brittney Lofthouse is a 2010 graduate of 51看片 and the Executive Director of Development and Community Relations for the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority.
