July 2013 Blogs

Let's Move Guest Blog

Here is a link to my guest blog on the Let's Move! Initiative website,
Healthy Baby, Happy Baby: The Indian Health Service Announces Designation of Two Baby-Friendly Hospitals Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Two more IHS hospitals have received the national designation as Baby Friendly Hospitals for their efforts to promote breast feeding to reduce childhood obesity.

Congratulations Claremore IHS Hospital and Phoenix Indian Medical Center!

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HHS Secretary Visit to Navajo Nation

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius met with the Navajo Nation during a site visit on July 11, 2013. Secretary Sebelius met with Navajo Nation President Ben Shelley and Vice President Rex Lee Jim in Window Rock, AZ, to discuss health concerns of the Nation. She also attended a Special Session of the Navajo Nation Council and heard statements about health issues from the delegates that included their concerns about funding, sequestration, and health issues such as diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. Her site visit included tours of the Navajo Nation Division of Health programs in Ft. Defiance, including the Office of Youth Development/Boys and Girls Club, the Department of Behavioral Health Services, the Sawmill Head Start Program, and the Navajo Special Diabetes Program for Indians Wellness Center. She also met with an elder tribal member on a home visit to better understand the impact of living conditions on the individual’s health. On July 12, 2013, Secretary Sebelius toured the Indian Health Service Gallup Indian Medical Center, met with staff, and congratulated them on their recent designation as a Level III Trauma Center, the first in the Indian health system.

Secretary Sebelius posted a blog about the tour Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  on the White House website.

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AAIP National Native American Youth Initiative

I met with students attending the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) National Native American Youth Initiative in Washington, D.C. I provided an overview of IHS for this audience of high school students interested in health careers and encouraged them to come work for IHS in the future. Here are pictures from the event:

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Tribal Delegation Meetings – June

IHS held Tribal Delegation Meetings with two Tribes in June: the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. Here are pictures from the meetings:

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National Congress of American Indians Mid Year Conference

I attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid Year Conference in June and provided an IHS update that included information on the IHS budget, the Affordable Care Act implementation in IHS, Contract Support Costs, and the VA/IHS Reimbursement Agreement. Jodi Gillette, Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs, Domestic Policy Council, White House, also presented an update for the administration. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewel also announced the new White House Council on Native American Affairs – for more information, here is a White House blog on the topic. Here are pictures from the meeting that were available on the NCAI Flickr page:

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Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee Meeting

I met with the IHS Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee after the conclusion of the National Indian Health Board Tribal Public Health Summit in June. We discussed the current status of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) grant program and discussed the issue of provision of dialysis services in tribal communities. The group also discussed options for consultation if the SDPI is reauthorized beyond fiscal year 2014. Here is a picture from the meeting:

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National Indian Health Board Tribal Public Health Summit

I attended the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) Annual Tribal Public Health Summit in June and had the opportunity to provide an update on our progress on IHS priorities. During the meeting, I met with the NIHB Board of Directors and attended the Affordable Care Act training conducted by our National Indian Health Outreach and Education partners. Here are some pictures from the meeting:

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Improving Patient Care – Quality and Innovation Learning Network Meeting

In May, IHS hosted a meeting of all the IHS, tribal, and urban sites that are a part of the Improving Patient Care (IPC) Quality and Innovation Learning Network. This network consists of all sites that have participated in the IPC Collaboratives in the past. The meeting was an opportunity to encourage all sites to seek National Committee for Quality Assurance accreditation as a patient-centered medical home. Since the meeting was held virtually, I thought you would like to see a picture of the IHS Headquarters team conducting the meeting via webinar from one of our conference rooms. I was also able to participate virtually. Given the desire to reduce conference and travel costs, more of our meetings are being held virtually through webinars, and interestingly, we have been getting feedback that many more people can participate in the meetings when they are held virtually and do not require travel. This is important because we want more people to learn about the IHS IPC initiative and how it can help improve the quality of and access to care at their local facility. I have also included a picture of our IPC team.

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Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting

I met with the Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) during their quarterly meeting in May in Rockville, MD. We discussed priority issues and planned for the upcoming Direct Service Tribes Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, on July 23-24, 2013. For more information on the meeting, please go to: http://www.ihs.gov/dstnm/.

Here are pictures from the DTSAC quarterly meeting:

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