National Women Physician’s Day is February 3, 2021, and is a day to celebrate women in medical leadership. This day sheds light on discrimination of women in the medical field, but more importantly it supports and uplifts women physicians and highlights women who have influenced and contributed to the medical field throughout history. Today we highlight a Native physician in Indian Country: Dr. Monica Mayer of the Three Affiliated Tribes. Councilwoman Monica Mayer, M.D. “Good Medicine” represents the residents of North Segment on the Tribal Business Council of the Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nation, the largest community on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in mid-west North Dakota. She is also a member of the Hidatsa Prairie Chicken Clan.
Dr. Mayer has over 20 years of clinical healthcare experience all in the Great Plains Area of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, working for direct patient care in clinical and an ER setting. She has administrative experience as Chief Medical Officer for critical access center, Belcourt Hospital, and the Great Plains Area (Deputy Acting). Most recently, she implemented a Home Health program specific for North Segment, and is collaborating with MHA Chairman Mark Fox and The First Lady of ND Kathryn Burgum on drug and alcohol treatment and recovery initiatives. Watch Dr. Mayer in action in this Germ Awareness demo.
Here’s how you can observe National Women Physicians day and honor our Native women physicians in your communities:
- Thank your female physicians in your community. You can do this by:
- Thanking them directly.
- Sending a thank you card and snacks.
- Gifting them beaded earrings.
- Sharing your frybread recipes.
- Wrapping them in a starquilt and singing them an honor song.
- Post a picture of a Native Physician in your community on social media using the hashtags #nationalwomenphysiciansday or #womenphysiciansday
- Binge-watch your favorite women doctors on TV.
