GRHC Photo Exhibition Debuts at the University of Arizona

December 3, 2022

Kyle Knox 

Managing Editor

The University of Arizona (U of A) College of Medicine-Phoenix Campus held a reception for its “Healthcare Promise: Dignity and Respect” photography exhibition.  The exhibit was created in partnership with Gila River Health Care (GRHC) and showcases seven images captured by GRHC’s Digital Media Manager and District 7 artist Paul Molina. 

“The collection allows us to tell our brand story and how our employees are committed to delivering care based on our corporate promise.  ‘We promise to treat you with dignity and respect,’” said Paul Molina. 

Each photograph captures moments when GRHC employees and patients connect in unique ways while delivering on the promise of providing care with the utmost dignity and respect.  In addition, the collection offers a two-prong approach to understanding the people and culture of the GRIC and how this has influenced the corporate culture of Gila River Health Care.

Four photographs feature a custom border with the portrait title, written in the O’otham language with a description of the image.  An example is Shegoi, the O’otham word for creosote.  An added feature to the photos is a QR code that leads viewers to a webpage where the word is translated and pronounced.

“I’ve always thought that the university needed to shift its focus to communities that deserve more visibility than they traditionally receive from the broader Arizona community as well as representation within our college,” said Jonathan Cartsonis, M.D., Director of the Rural Health Professions Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. “This includes Indigenous communities, and it was a dream of mine to create broader integration between the U of A College of and GRHC.”

Dr. Cartsonis has led the development of a new Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) at the U of A.  The program works to place medical students in rural and underrepresented communities actively.  Dr. Carstonis hopes the images will provide some cultural context of the Community for students that may find placement at GRHC in the future.  The primary goal of the LIC program is to enroll students from those placement communities and then later place them back home and work with and for their people.

“This LIC program that we’re starting will provide opportunities that aren’t always available for our kids,” said Robert Pablo, from District 3, Vice Chair for the GRHC Board of Directors.  Pablo was pleased to see the exhibition that showcases the work of GRHC’s employees in different capacities outside of the Community.  He said each image truly represents the hard work they do for the Community day in and day out.

Gila River Health Care’s “Healthcare Promise: Dignity and Respect” photography collection is open to the public and will be exhibited at the University of Arizona (U of A) College of Medicine-Phoenix Campus until February, 2023.