In This Issue: HR Buzz: Staff Appreciation Week!Employee ContributionNew Faces @NAHCEmployee AnniversariesYouth CornerWater Walk with Mona StonefishNative American Heritage Night with SF GiantsFCGC Has a New Name!Nutrition Series CalendarFlyersCalendar of Events Native American Health Center assists American Indians and Alaska Natives to improve and maintain their physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being with respect for cultural traditions and to advocate for the needs of all Indian people, especially the most vulnerable members of our community.
In this Issue: @NAHC HR Buzz: Staff Appreciation Week! Employee Contribution New Faces @NAHC Employee Anniversaries Youth Corner Water Walk with Mona Stonefish Native American Heritage Night with SF Giants FCGC Has a New Name! Nutrition Series Calendar Flyers Calendar of Events As you all know, NAHC recently launched a new electronic Practice Management (PM) system on March 27, 2012. Now patient registration, appointment scheduling, and billing are all done electronically using NextGen. Going into a pa- perless system allows all of our departments to work together in one system. We have changed the way we do business, and our central regis- tration, front desk and billing staff have done a terrific job handling this transition. NAHC is now preparing for the next phase of the project –the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHR). This will be a huge change for providers, as they will no longer use paper charts. All of these changes at NAHC are part of a nation- wide movement to improve healthcare. When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, the business of healthcare across the country began to shift. There are three major types of improvements taking place: 1. New protections for patients 2. Improvements to the quality of care and a reduction of costs 3. Increased access to care NextGen is the tool that NAHC (together with seven other clinics in our area) is using make these improvements to health care. The information that we get out of NextGen will show us whether we are on target with nationwide goals to improve health, increase Every single piece of information you enter into NextGen is important and helps us im- prove health care for people who need it. Please take the time to get familiar with the system and if you are unsure about something, ask for help! Questions? Contact Meriah Gille, PM/EHR Project Manager (510) 329-6040 or [email protected]EHR @ NAHC Part of a National Movement By: Lillawa Willie, PMS/EHR Project Assistant 1
Transcript
In this Issue:
@NAHC
HR Buzz: Staff Appreciation Week!Employee ContributionNew Faces @NAHCEmployee AnniversariesYouth CornerWater Walk with Mona StonefishNative American Heritage Night with SF GiantsFCGC Has a New Name!Nutrition Series CalendarFlyersCalendar of Events
As you all know, NAHC recently launched a new electronic Practice Management (PM) system on March 27, 2012. Now patient registration, appointment scheduling, and billing are all done electronically using NextGen. Going into a pa-perless system allows all of our departments to work together in one system. We have changed the way we do business, and our central regis-tration, front desk and billing staff have done a terrific job handling this transition. NAHC is now preparing for the next phase of the project –the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHR). This will be a huge change for providers, as they will no longer use paper charts.
All of these changes at NAHC are part of a nation-wide movement to improve healthcare. When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, the business of healthcare across the country began to shift. There are three major types of improvements taking place:
1. New protections for patients
2. Improvements to the quality of care and a reduction of costs
3. Increased access to care
NextGen is the tool that NAHC (together with seven other clinics in our area) is using make these improvements to health care.
The information that we get out of NextGen will show us whether we are on target with nationwide goals to improve health, increase
Every single piece of information you enter into NextGen is important and helps us im-prove health care for people who need it.
Please take the time to get familiar with the system and if you are unsure about something, ask for help!
EHR @ NAHCPart of a National MovementBy: Lillawa Willie, PMS/EHR Project Assistant
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HR Buzz Staff Appreciation WeekThank you for your Hard Work!By: Natalie Aguilera, Director of Human Resources
NAHC celebrated our dedicated and caring staff by providing a host of activities and raffle prizes dur-ing the week of April 23rd-28th in honor of NAHC’s Fifth Annual Staff Appreciation Week!
The Administration department along with super-visors planned a Jamba Juice and muffin breakfast, catered lunch, raffle prizes and it’s first ever family picnic. The picnic was held on Saturday April 28th at Crab Cove in Alameda.
The beautiful weather was the perfect backdrop for the many NAHC staff members and families that at-tended. The jumpy house was a big hit for the chil-dren as were the egg toss contest and three legged race. Congratulations to Roxanne Kelly (Oakland Medical) and Patty Gonzales (Oakland Medical) for winning the three legged race and congratulations to Janet King (Employee Wellness Department) and Julia Echeverria (Oakland Maintenance Depart-ment) for coming away without a broken egg!
Thank you very much to all of the staff at NAHC for your hard work and commitment to the com-munity!
NAHC raffled a number of prizes to staff at all sites. Congratulations to Aurora Mamea (Employee Well-ness Department) for winning two tickets the Gi-ants game on June 8th celebrating Native Ameri-can Heritage Month and congratulations to Anthuy Nguyen (Oakland Dental) for winning a 19” flat screen TV.
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Employee Contribution
New Faces @NAHC
Life is for ServiceBy: Jesse Harrison Noonan, AmeriCorps/Ped. Outreach
“Life is for service” has been my mantra throughout my life.
It drove me to share my newly acquired medical expertise to care for the people of Honduras. Last March, I had the privilege of joining over 90 doc-tors, nurses, dentists, medical students and helpers to provide medical care to the people of Honduras.
The 42nd Hackett-Hemwall Foundation’s (HHF) pro-vided the opportunity with the primary focus for the trip dedicated to prolotherapy, a type of non-surgical ligament reconstruction that involves in-jecting a dextrose solution into a joint that is caus-ing chronic pain.
I participated in every way I could! I mixed dextrose solutions, set up nurses’ stations and provided med-ical translation. I had the privilege of learning about pain management therapy and was able to recipro-cate by providing a service to alleviate the pain of some of the most medically underserved people.
Although it was challenging to leave my team at the Native American Health Center for two weeks, I can’t imagine a better time to offer volunteer medical service. To be able to share my experiences in Community HealthCorps with other healthcare professionals around the world and listen to their medical journeys was a true gift.
Every day I am immersed in the Spanish-speaking healthcare world in San Francisco, and through that experience it gave me the ability to connect, lin-guistically and culturally, with the Honduran. I was welcomed to their native land. It was truly hum-bling.
Although I’m still unsure of what I’ll be when I grow up, this trip and this year have taught me that it will most certainly involve service towards others with-in the healthcare field.
Abigail Perez, On Call Dental Assistant, 7D Dental
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Welcome to
NAHC!
Employee Anniversaries
First Name Last Name Department Date Started Time at NAHC
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First, MI Name Last Name Class Date of Hire Years of Service
Martin G. Waukazoo Administration 5/9/1983 29 Years
Jerri Davis Fiscal 5/20/1987 25 Years
Charlene C. Harrison Administration 5/3/2006 6 years
Serena L. Wright Community Wellness 5/7/2007 5 years
Shirley M. Begay Central Registration 5/31/2008 4 years
Rita J. Prado SF Dental 5/1/2008 4 years
Rene Gonzalez Jr. Youth Services 5/10/2010 2 years
Tommy F. Orange Community Wellness 5/24/2010 2 years
Phyllis Waukazoo Youth Services 5/17/2010 2 years
David A. Gumpert Community Wellness 5/16/2011 1 year
Andrea Pablo WIC 5/5/2011 1 year
It’s nothing new to say that the Internet is a major part of our lives, and that we spend a significant portion of our lives on websites. It’s also common knowledge that the web and technology moves fast, and all of our soft and hardware is in constant need of updates. So in an effort to keep with the times, and utilize the latest kinds of technology available, NAHC is launching a new website, with a new look, and with new funcionality.
Our goal for the new website is to be a resource for the community, a place people can visit to get useful information, as well as be inspired by the many healing projects, programs, and stories that are happening in our community today.
The website will have video and photo galleries, and a comprehensive calendar that will feature all de-partment activities. We will also have two blogs, one written by NAHC’s Sandra Tavel, and another vid-eo blog, our first one featuring Richard Moves Camp explaining the meaning of NAHC’s logo. The launch date for our new website is May 15th, so mark it on your calendars and be sure to visit it once it’s up.
NAHC’S New WebsiteBy: Tommy Orange, Media Coordinator
Thank you for your service
NAHC Youth Corner
“Whatever happens to our Water happens to Us.” This bit of wisdom is unattributed to any one person, but is a staple of life within indigenous societies. On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, the Native American Health Center will sponsor the Water Walk Ceremony at Ocean Beach in honor of Ojibwe native Josephine Mandamin’s message of our responsibility to the water that sustains all known life on Earth. Grandmother Josephine has walked over 10,000 miles to garner attention to the reality of environmental pollution and the current condition of our water. In the Bay Area, NAHC’s Michele Maas is coordinating the local water project. Michele says, “In the Ojibwe way of life, it is the women’s responsibility to care for the water, for we are the Water Carriers. We are asking the men to support us.”
The ceremony is a call for all people to recognize the vital role water plays in our lives, and for us to ensure its protec-tion. Doctor of Traditional Medicine Mona Stonefish will lead the ceremony. Mona says, “We are 65% water. When we care for the water, we care for the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of ourselves.” Maas reaffirms, “To-gether, we can bring awareness to care for ourselves and create a healthy community. We must recognize the inter-connectedness of life.”` NAHC invites everyone to attend and show their support on May 8th.
Mona Stonefish will also be conducting individual ses-sions for our SF clients and community members all day Monday, May 7th and Friday, May 11th from 8:30am-1:00pm. The sessions are 30 minutes. All sessions will take place at 333 Valencia St. San Francisco, CA.
Please contact Aurora Mamea to set up an appointment at [email protected]
Time at NAHCThe Youth Development Fellowship Program is a 9-week stipend summer program for Indigenous high school stu-dents to prepare them for college and/or the workforce after high school. The course focuses on workshops related to Indigenous issues, and a new theme is cre-ated every year and a project comes out of that theme, such as creating a mural, and developing a personal digital story, and a documentary on affordable housing.
Project Coordinator Tahnee Camacho explains, “I want it to be tailored to fit each youth’s goals. We ask questions such as, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years? For ex-ample if a youth is interested in the medical field, I want them to learn more about all the roles and job opportuni-ties in the medical field” The group will visit colleges and universities and provide workshops about the admissions process. Youth Fellows are required to choose a commu-nity service project that will benefit their communities. A small group that can be considered a youth council was the seed that grew into the 13 year program, and started with 4 participants in 2000 and already has 10 for the summer of 2012. A GPA standard was amended to allow at-risk youth to participate, as they are a core focus. A total of 80 students have completed the pro-gram, with an astounding 100% high school graduation rate. 85% have gone on to attend a 2-year college, and at least 50% have continued their studies at a 4-year university. Camacho sees this as a result of the com-mitment that is asked of the students during their ap-plication process. “We are asking them to participate for seven hours a day, four days a week, for a total of nine weeks.” Fellows that complete the program often return to share their stories at the Youth Center. The Fellowship is doing their best to support youth in hon-oring their commitment to the program and beyond.
Your 2012 Summer Youth Development Fellowship Program Application can be mailed, hand delivered to the Youth Services Drop-In Center, or emailed
The Deadline is Friday, May 11, 2012Remember, incomplete or late applications will not
be accepted!
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SF Water Walk, 2012By: Hinhanska Haney, Media Assistant By: Hinhanska Haney, Media Assistant
The San Francisco Giants host Native American Heritage NightBy: Hinhanska Haney, Media Assistant
On June 8, 2012, the San Francisco Giants will host the Texas Rangers for “Native American Heritage Night”. This collaboration brings together the Native American Health Center, American Indian Child Re-source Center, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society to celebrate the diverse Native American cultures found the in the Bay Area.
The primary organizer is Luke Lightning, an Ojibwe from the Buffalo Point First Nation. Watching base-ball games with his friends, he saw many other cul-tures being celebrated, so Luke took it upon himself to reach out to local Native American organizations to approach the San Francisco Giants to create a night for the Native community. The result is the first Native American Heritage Night in 12 years. The night will begin with a pre-game drum performance by the Intertribal Friendship House’s All Nations Drum group along with a variety of Native youth dancers from the Bay community.
Speaking on the impact this can have within the community, Luke says, “This is a unique opportunity for a large audience to see the work that non-profits are doing on a day-to-day basis. We want to keep and honor our traditions.” Lightning knows that the American public has not always seen the reality of Native American cultures.
His hometown’s school mascot is the Benson “Braves”, a name that many find offensive. He hopes to coun-ter the stereotypes that exist in baseball by present-ing drummers and dancers that take honor in their work and art. “I want people to know that we are from all walks of life.”Native Americans have been playing professional baseball for over a century, beginning when Louis Sockalexis signed to play with the Cleveland Spiders in 1895. Cleveland went on to re-name their franchise the “Indians”, supposedly in honor of Sockalexis. The Indians now sport the logo of “Chief Wahoo”, an image considered offensive by most Native Ameri-cans. “Natives love baseball. We do not want Chief
Wahoo. Instead of racism, let’s have real honor.” As proof, he points to current Native American Major League Baseball players as Kyle Lohse, Jacoby Ells-bury, and Joba Chamberlain.
Lightning is working hard to make this year’s event a success, and needs support from the community to make it a significant moment for everyone. He sees this as an opportunity to work to create an an-nual “Native American Heritage Night”, and hopes this sparks other cities to do the same. “If we have another opportunity, it will take a lot of work, but we hope it is bigger and better.”
You can find the event on Facebook, and the Native American Health Center is selling tickets. Contact
The past three months have been busy for NAHC’s Family and Child Guidance Clinic.
Interm Director, Serena Wright has actively been leading the department’s reorganization. One aspect of the reorganization strategy is to create a better understanding of what services are provided by the de-partment and clarify its role in the broader agency. FCGC has long held the traditional and cultural integ-rity for NAHC. It offers programming driven by community needs; therefore, it was only appropriate to in-clude staff and community in the name change process. The first step in the process was an FCGC retreat, which allowed staff to brainstorm about names that signified what the department actually does. From the retreat there were several name ideas, which were then circulated to staff in survey form to identify the top 5 choices. Finally, community surveys were done to make a selection from the final 5. There was feedback from the Executive Leadership Team, and the NAHC Board. The results are in! The department formerly known as FCGC is now: The Community Wellness Department
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FCGC Has a New NameBy: Harriett Skye Paul, Consultant
As Mrs. Wright says, “The title captures what we do and contextually broadens our connection to the com-munity.” CWD looks forward to collaborating with all NAHC departments in the very near future because, we are 7 Generations moving in 1 Direction!
PHASE
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Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes Everyday!Brought to you by: NAHC Nutrition and Fitness
Because you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. That’’s why your pro-vider thinks you are a good match for the PHASE program.
PHASE involves the following:
Medications: your provider will prescribe cer-tain medications that reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke if you are not already taking them, and make sure you understand what they are for and how to take them. We can provide medicine bags and pill boxes to help you do this.
Nutrition & Physical Activity: you will be invit-ed to attend classes on heart healthy nutrition, active living, and cooking demonstrations to manage your weight and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Smoking Cessation and Stress Management: you will be provided with the resources and medi-cations you need to help you quit smoking and better manage stress.
What are the perks?
-Intensive therapy individualized for YOU
-Prizes and incentives to reward your progress and attendance at classes
-Referrals for nutrition therapy
-Raffle tickets every time you come to a class, to be entered in a drawing for grand prizes!
-Help with transportation to and from ap-pointments (bus and BART)
Nutrition & Fitness Class ScheduleEvery Thursday 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Incentives for adults onlyOne Per Household
Nutrition & Fitness Class Schedule Every Thursday 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Incentives for adults only One Per Household
Upcoming Classes:
Date Class Details
May 3 Diabetes Class Diabetes and your Eyes With UC Berkeley’s Dr. Green
May 10 Special Topic Taking Care of your Feet With Podiatrist Dr. Shah
May 17 Fitness Class Let’s Move! With UCSF Dietetic Intern
May 24 Cooking Demonstration Let’s Cook! With UCSF Dietetic Intern
May 31 Fitness Class Walk Your Weight Off With Weights
June 7 Diabetes Class Getting Deep with Diabetes Group Share led by Suzy, LCSW
June 14 Special Topic Spring Gardening Workshop
June 21 Fitness Class Zuuuuuumba!
June 28 Cooking Demonstration Summer Salads
Stay tuned for July & August topics! Location: Classes are held in the 7D Staff Lounge
