Leander (Russ) McDonald, Ph.D.
Dr. Leander Russ McDonald is an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Nation and is assistant professor at the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Dr. McDonald is the director for the National Resource Center on Native American Aging and for the Spirit Lake Planning Department. At UND, Russ continues to work with colleagues to refine a national needs assessment process that has assisted more than 330 tribes in gathering Native elder data for their communities. At Spirit Lake, he has developed and implemented a community based qualitative process for strategic planning.
Russ’s father is Dakota from the Spirit Lake Nation and his mother is Arikara and Hidatsa from the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation. He has been conducting research among Native populations for the past 12 years.
Established in 1980, the Center for Rural Health is one of the nation's most experienced rural health organizations. The Center has developed a full complement of programs to assist researchers, educators, policymakers, health care providers and, most importantly, rural residents to address changing rural environments by identifying and researching rural health issues, analyzing health policy, strengthening local capabilities, developing community-based alternatives, and advocating for rural concerns.
Contact Information:
Projects
Publications
- Healthcare Needs of North Dakota American Indian Veterans, Baker-Demaray, T., McDonald, L., Ludtke, R., March 31 2008
The final report on the Healthcare Needs of North Dakota American Indian Veterans project funded by the Otto Bremer Foundation is now available. This project conducted a statewide assessment of health status, healthcare access, and health risk of AI veterans residing on North Dakota’s reservations. The purpose for the project is to inform tribal and state health policymakers of the needs of AI veterans and provide valuable information for tribal and state planning efforts to assist with the development of community plans of action and infrastructure, and assist in decreasing jurisdictional confusion between the Indian Health Service and Veteran’s administration.
- Arthritis in American Indian and Alaska Native Elders, McDonald, L., Ludtke, R., Allery, A., & Muus, K., Summer 2006
Arthritis affects 43 million U.S adults (one in five), making it one of the most prevalent diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). As the population ages, this number will increase dramatically.
- The Elders’ Obesity Challenge, McDonald, L., Ludtke, R., Allery, A., & Muus, K., Fall 2005
Obesity is an increasingly prominent threat to good health among all Americans, contributing to an estimated 400,000 deaths annually and costing about $122.9 billion, a figure that is comparable to the economic costs of cigarette smoking.
- Nutritional Risks Among Native American Elders, McDonald, L. & Ludtke, R., Spring 2005 2005
Nutritional risk examines warning signs regarding
nutrition deficiencies. While these
results do not represent a diagnosis of malnutrition,
they indicate that conditions are
ripe for producing poor nutrition.
- Prevalence of Chronic Disease Among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders, Moulton, P., McDonald, L., Muus, K., Knudson, A., Wakefield, M., & Ludtke, R., October 2005
- Policy Recommendations for Native Elders, Ludtke, R., & McDonald, L., June 2005
Prepared for the National Congress of American Indians 2005 Mid-year Conference held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- Informal Caregivers: Challenges in Providing Care, McDonald, L. & Ludtke, R., Spring 2004
Family caregiving is experiencing significant growth as the U.S. population ages. Care is also shifting away from institutions to home and community based care. Family-based
care is an important component in the array of services available to the aged.
- Difficulty in Providing Care Among Informal Caregivers, McDonald, L. & Ludtke, R., Fall 2003
- Fall 2003: Difficulty in Providing Care Among Informal Caregiving, McDonald, L. & Ludtke, R., Fall 2003
Presentations
- Health Disparities of American Indian Elders in North Dakota
Presented by Representative Earl Pomeroy on
Jun 10,
2008 at the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Hearing on Racial, Ethnic and Gender Health Care Disparities, Washington, DC.
Upon request, the NRCNAA prepared this presentation and supplied additional information to the office of Representative Earl Pomeroy.
- Native Elder Service Locator
Presented by McDonald, L., Ruliffson, K., & Fasteen, D. on
May 20,
2008 at the 40th Annual Governor's Conference on Aging, Helena, MT.
- Native Elder Needs Assessment Project
Presented by McDonald, L., & Ludtke, R. on
May 20,
2008 at the 40th Annual Governor’s Conference on Aging, Helena, MT.
- Identifying and Addressing Chronic Disease Among American Indian Elders
Presented by McDonald, R., & Ludtke, R. on
Apr 30,
2008 at the Administration on Aging Training and Technical Assistance Forum and 30th Anniversary Celebration, Prior Lake, MN.
- How To Talk to Your Doctor
Presented by McDonald, R., Ludtke, R., Baker-Demary, T., Ruliffson, K., & Miller, A. on
Apr 30,
2008 at the Administration on Aging Training and Technical Assistance Forum and 30th Anniversary Celebration, Prior Lake, MN.
- Developing Undergraduate Research Capacity in Tribal Colleges
Presented by Gray, J. & McDonald, R. on
Apr 19,
2008 at the American Indian Health Research Conference, Grand Forks, ND.
- Heroes Project
Presented by Ruliffson, K. & McDonald, R. on
Jan 23,
2008 at the AoA Title VI Directors Telechat, via teleconference.
For updated information on this project visit http://ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/nrcnaa/heroes.php
- Conducting and Uses for Native Elder Needs Assessments
Presented by McDonald, R., & Ludtke, R. on
Dec 1,
2007 at the Administration on Aging Regional Title VI Training, Reno, NV.
- Conducting and Uses for Native Elder Needs Assessments
Presented by McDonald, R. & Ludtke, R. on
Nov 29,
2007 at the Administration on Aging Regional Title VI Training, Phoenix, AZ.
- Conducting Needs Assessments
Presented by Baker-Demaray, T., Gattis, M., McDonald, L., & Ruthig, J. on
Sep 5,
2007 at the Title VI Directors attending the Indian Health Service Long Term Care Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
- Elder Issues: Obstacles to Health Facing Our Elders
Presented by McDonald, L. & Ludtke, R. on
Jul 11,
2006 at the Direct Service Tribes 3rd Annual Meeting, Prior Lake, MN.
Discusses the obstacles to health facing Native elders based on results of the results from the "Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders" needs assessment surveys conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging.
- Feasibility Analysis for Assisted Living – A Model for Assessment
Presented by Ludtke, R., McDonald, L., & Allery, A. on
May 18,
2006 at the National Rural Health Association annual conference, Reno, NV.
Provides an overview of the results from the "Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders" needs assessment surveys conducted by the center and how this data can be used to determine if assisted living is feasible in your community.
- Using Data for Decisions, Advocacy, and Policy
Presented by McDonald, L., Allery, A., Ludtke, R., Muus, K., & Moulton, P. on
Apr 26,
2006 at the Federal Interagency Taskforce Meeting on Older American Indians, Washington, DC.
Provides an overview of the results from the "Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders" needs assessment surveys conducted by the center and how this data can be used for decision making, advocacy and policy. This presentation was also given at the 18th Annual Indian Health Service Research Conference on Apr 26, 2006.
- Obesity in American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Presented by Muus, K., McDonald, L., Ludtke, R., & Allery, A. on
Apr 6,
2006 at the American Indian Research Forum, Grand Forks, ND.
The presentation examines the the prevalence of obesity in American Indian/Alaska Native elders and the effects on health conditions.
- Policy Recommendations for Native Elders
Presented by Ludtke, R. & McDonald, L. on
Jun 14,
2005 at the National Congress of American Indians 2005 Mid-Year Conference, Green Bay, WI.
Policy papers based on the results from the "Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders" needs assessment surveys conducted by the National Resource Center on Native
American Aging. 1) Disease Prevention Efforts Including Health Promotion, Screening and Wellness Programs; 2) Chronic Disease Management Programs to Prevent Comorbidity and Increase Access to Services; 3) Increase Availability of Home/Community Based Long-term Care Services in Rural Areas; 4) Increasing Availability of Health Care and other Services in Rural Reservation Areas; and 5) Increase Incomes and Access to Health Insurance and Medicare for Future Generations of Native Elders’.
- Chronic Diseases and Co-Morbidities in Older Native Americans
Presented by Muus, K., Moulton, P., Knudson, A., McDonald, L., & Ludtke, R. on
May 20,
2005 at the National Rural Health Association's Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Discusses results from the "Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders" needs assessment surveys conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging on chronic diseases and co-morbidities in older Native Americans.
- University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health Projects
Presented by McDonald, L. & Gray, J. on
Mar 22,
2005 at the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairman's Health Board, Sioux City, IA.
Provides an overview of current Center for Rural Health projects with a Native American focus.
- American Indian Elders in the Aberdeen Indian Health Service Area: Prevalence of Chronic Disease and Functional Limitations
Presented by Muus, K. & McDonald, L. on
Mar 8,
2005 at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, Bismarck, ND.
Provides information on the health status of American Indian Elders in the Aberdeen Indian Health Service area.
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