Last week, the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (IHS) launched the first Improving Patient Care – Made Simple (IPC-MS) training in Gallup, New Mexico. The Improving Patient Care (IPC) program is an important part of how IHS will make progress on improving the quality of and access to care.
Ms. Kathy Ray, Navajo Area, Clinical Application Coordinator, is a member of the IPC Area IST, a three-to-six member interdisciplinary team who serves as lead faculty for instruction of the IPC-MS curriculum within their IHS Area. The Area ISTs are instrumental in supporting the IPC national program through their subject matter expertise of quality improvement. As the IST lead for the Navajo Area, Ms. Ray worked to tailor the IPC-MS content to fit the needs of the care teams who will implement quality improvement processes in the Navajo Area.
During the three day training, teams learned the fundamental concepts of quality improvement, the Model for Improvement, optimizing the care team and collecting, monitoring and submitting data in an improvement project. Upon completion of the IPC-MS curriculum, teams will be prepared to participate in IPC Medical Home activities and work towards medical home designation.
Dr. Jeff Salvon-Harman is the Director for the Improving Patient Care Program and is responsible for all aspects of the program. He began his Public Health Service career with IHS as the Chief of Family Medicine at the Tuba City Indian Medical Center from 1998 - 2001.
