Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center
Milwaukee’s Urban Indian Health Center grew out of an awareness in the 1970s of the poor health among Milwaukee’s Native American community. Since its inception, the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center (GLIIHC) has tripled in size and offers a pharmacy, dental clinic and behavioral health center.
On April 12, the 14th Annual Red Shawl Gala will honor Gerald L. Ignace at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
The Red Shawl Gala funds programs that are responsive to the needs of the community and help assure a stronger future for Milwaukee’s Native Americans. The Gala is a community and state-wide event with representatives from most of Wisconsin’s 11 Tribes. The event will feature a live auction of donated items and a performance by world renowned musician Wade Fernandez of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin.
This year’s theme, “A Legacy of Native Health Under One Roof,” recognizes Ignace’s work to ensure Milwaukee urban Indians receive quality healthcare, no matter their income. “I am humbled to be entrusted to continue my father’s legacy and to be a part of the GLIIHC team that serves more than 2,200 patients. Besides healthcare, the Center provides many free community events, health clinics, programs and feasts, along with our Youth Empowerment Program,” Ignace says. “The foundation for our healthcare services is based on our tradition that, in order to heal, every part of a patient must be addressed. This includes the mind, body, spirit, and emotions, and it involves the whole family, including the community.”
