July 2014 Blogs
Association of American Indian Physicians Board of Directors Meeting
I met with the Board of Directors of the Association of American Indian Physicians in June. They were attending their National Native American Youth Initiative in Washington, D.C., and preparing for their Annual Conference coming up on July 22-27, 2014, in Denver, CO. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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Improving Patient Care 5 Meeting
The Improving Patient Care Cohort 5 met at the same time as the National Combined Councils Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, in June. The group continued to learn how to implement principles of the patient-centered medical home, and here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS National Combined Councils Meeting
IHS held its National Combined Councils Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, in June. It was good to see all our administrative and clinical leaders in person since the meeting was last held in person in 2012. The meeting focused on continuing to make progress on our agency priorities and areas of interest of the Councils. The theme of the conference, "Access to Care…Achieving Equity in Health" was based on our mission and our commitment to ending health disparities in the American Indian and Alaska Native communities we serve. I met with 8 Councils: Chief Medical Officers, Chief Clinical Consultants, Area Executive Officers, Chief Executive Officers, Pharmacy, Nursing, Oral Health, and Clinical Directors. The plenary sessions included a focus on the Affordable Care Act; the Improving Patient Care initiative; prescription drug abuse; hospital consortium/quality/accreditation; recruitment, retention and human resources; and Meaningful Use and ICD-10 implementation. It was great to see the progress we have made on these issues and to hear recommendations for further progress. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS Phoenix Area Listening Session
I conducted a Listening Session in the IHS Phoenix Area in June. Here are pictures from the listening session:
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Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center Site Visit in Wasilla, AK
I visited the Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center in Wasilla, AK, in June. This facility was constructed under the IHS Joint Venture Construction Program and opened in FY 2013. Here are pictures from the site visit:
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National Congress of American Indians Mid-Year Conference
I attended the National Congress of American Indians Mid-Year Conference in Anchorage, AK, in June. We held a BIA-IHS Contract Support Costs Listening Session and I provided an update in the plenary session. I also attended events to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Dental Health Aide Therapists Training Program and the National Library of Medicine's Native Voices Exhibit. Here are pictures from the conference:
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Tribal Delegation Meetings in June
During the month of June, Tribal Delegation Meetings were held with the Navajo Nation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Here are pictures from the meetings:
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HHS Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee met in June, and this was their last meeting with Secretary Sebelius. The Tribes took time to thank her for her support of tribal issues and gave her gifts. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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United South and Eastern Tribes Veterans Affairs Committee
I met with the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Veterans Affairs Committee in Bar Harbor, ME at the USET Meeting in June. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS Nashville Area Listening Session
I held a listening session with the Nashville Area Tribes at the United South and Eastern Tribes meeting in May in Bar Harbor, ME. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.
I met with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., when they held their meeting in Washington, D.C., in April. Here are pictures from that meeting:
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Tribal Delegation Meetings in May
Tribal Delegation Meetings were held with the following Tribes in May: Alaska Delegation, Oklahoma Coalition, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Salt River Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Tohono O'odham Nation, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. Here are pictures from the meetings:
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IHS Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee
I met with the IHS Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee at their Quarterly Meeting in May. They discussed issues related to IHS' provision of services in their communities, including the budget, purchased and referred care funding, the VA/IHS MOU and reimbursement agreement, contract support costs, and the need for more cultural competence training for providers. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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IHS Contract Support Costs Workgroup
I met with the IHS Contract Support Costs (CSC) Workgroup at their meeting after the Tribal Self-Governance Annual Conference. They continued their discussion of improving CSC estimates in the pre-award phase, discussed the FY 2014 CSC funding distribution, and continued discussions on ideas for the long-term solution to CSC appropriations. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS Agency Lead Negotiators Meeting
In May, I met with the IHS Agency Lead Negotiators during their meeting after the Tribal Self-Governance Conference. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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Tribal Self-Governance Annual Consultation Conference
I attended the annual Tribal Self-Governance Consultation Conference in Arlington, VA, in May, where I held an IHS Listening Session, participated in the BIA-IHS Consultation on Contract Support Costs, provided an IHS Update in the plenary session, and met with the Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee in Executive Session. It was a great conference, and here are pictures from the meeting:
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Denver Indian Health and Family Services, Inc.
I met with Denver Indian Health and Family Services, Inc., and the National Council of Urban Indian Health in May. Here is a picture from the meeting.
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White House Council on Native American Affairs
The White House Council on Native American Affairs met on May 1, 2014. During the discussion, Secretary Sebelius discussed the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee as an example of how agencies can work together with Tribes. Here are some pictures from the U.S. Department of Interior, and their press release .
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