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Students Host Screenings of Documentary "Walking into the Unknown"

Left photo: Melanie Nadeau (l), Dr. Arne Vainio (c), Genelle Lamont (r)
Right photo: Dr. Arne Vainio (l), Kris Rhodes (r)

(September 21, 2009) -- The Emmy-nominated documentary, “Walking into the Unknown,” was shown to new students during the SPH student orientation and to the Twin Cities American Indian community at the Minnesota American Indian Center, on September 3, 2009.

The community screening of the documentary was hosted by Kris Rhodes, MPH of the American Indian Community Tobacco Projects with help form Melanie Nadeau, MPH Student (Turtle Mountain Band) and Genelle Lamont, PhD Student (Bad River Band).

About the Documentary:
The film follows Dr. Arne Vainio (Mille Lacs Band), a family physician who practices at the Min-No-Aya Win Human Services Clinic on the Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe Reservation in northern Minnesota, who after turning fifty realizes that he needs to finally come to terms with his own healthcare. As a busy physician, husband, and father he constantly put off seeing a physician and going in for routine screening but realized that he needed to do this for himself, his family, and his patients.

Vainio was frustrated that many of his patients, particularly young men, refused to be screened for diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, prostate disease, and colon cancer. This inspired Dr. Vainio to create a video aimed at increasing awareness of common diseases that afflict American Indians and demystifying screening exams.

More information about "Walking Into The Unknown," is available at http://www.walkingintotheunknown.com