A CPN Tribal member will join the board of a Texas organization that offers Native Americans quality health care and a sense of community.
Peltier family descendant Blake Weaver has been named to the board of directors for Texas Native Health. According to their website, Texas Native Health provides accessible and culturally sensitive services to build a stronger, healthier future for their community. In addition to healthcare, TNH has services in education and workforce development.
Weaver’s new role on the TNH board meets his goal of making a difference.
“It’s all going back to my drive to do something that’s vitally important to all of us and hopefully helpful to everyone as well,” he said.
Weaver grew up in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and still lives and works there. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his master’s in business administration from Southern Methodist University.
He currently works for UnitedHealth Group’s strategic client engagement.
“I work with our client facing teams and aligning with our company goal of trying to make health care better for everyone,” he said.
He has worked in different roles in health care, including analytics and consulting. His focus at UnitedHealth Group is on healthcare and hospital performance improvement.
Weaver believes his career found him.
“I earned an engineering degree thinking that I was going to work in the energy field but ended up in health care,” he said. “I’m glad I did because it made me realize how much I want to contribute back to something that is so important to everyone.”
Supporting Native health and community
TNH not only provides health care for members of federally recognized tribes, but it also serves as a hub for the Native American community of Dallas, something important to urban Natives who may be living far from their tribal communities.
“TNH has an incredible leadership team,” Weaver said. “(The board) is there to be their ally and provide expertise and our knowledge to ensure that Texas Native Health is providing the best.”
Texas Native Health is more than 50 years old. The facility recently expanded from 7,000 square feet to 27,000 square feet. Weaver believes part of their long-term success is because they are sensitive to the unique cultural needs of the Native American community.
“A big part of our community is being with each other,” he said. “Having that place where you can come together, and you’re surrounded by people that you identify with is pretty incredible. To have that and have it recently refreshed and new is really special.”
Other members of the board include representatives from the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Apache, Seminole and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nations. Weaver is excited about further connecting with employees and leadership and spending time with the people TNH serves.
“It’s still fairly new to be so involved with the organization, but I’ve been able to connect with the leadership and employees and see how important the services that TNH offers are,” he said. “I’ve been able to see members of our own community who are thankful and happy to have a place like this that is accessible.”
Weaver is aware that Native American populations often struggle to receive healthcare, either because of a lack of providers where they live or because urban transportation challenges make it difficult.
“A majority of the Native population in Texas is in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. It’s so important that our community can have access to health care and that’s why it’s incredible that we can offer those services for free,” he said. “You can get your eyes checked, your teeth checked, or basic physicals and even specialties like podiatry or pediatrics. We want to make sure that folks are aware that these services are also available for them.”
His time on the board will also represent a new chapter in his professional career, one that he is embracing as he pursues new goals.
“My goal is to keep developing and learning from these many experiences that I’ve been lucky to have and hopefully be part of organizations that broaden access to health care, both in our Native American community and the general community, making the health care landscape easier to navigate,” Weaver said.
Seeing TNH’s Native American patients enjoy the sense of community has been personally rewarding.
“I see folks in the waiting room mostly talking to each other, which is pretty cool. When I’ve gone to other doctor’s offices it’s usually pretty quiet. But the (TNH) waiting room is welcoming and inclusive of Native Americans with art and historical items on the wall so people feel comfortable. We are all a part of that community,” Weaver said.
A rewarding field
He encourages other young people to consider a career in healthcare. Students do not necessarily have to pursue a caregiving role such as a physician or nurse, just a desire to be involved and give back.
“There’s a place and an opportunity for so many different skill sets and different types of people that if you’re thinking about it, definitely harness that drive,” Weaver said. “There’s definitely a place for you somewhere in this space.”
Business, finance, strategy and social services are among the other areas that can be useful in health care.
“Just having a scientific background is not the end all be all to being a part of this space,” he said.
Weaver and his husband, Nicholas, have two French bulldogs. When they are not working in the yard, they enjoy tennis, pickleball and travel.
For more information about TNH, visit texasnativehealth.org.