Alaska Native People Shaping Health Care

Anchorage Native NewsVolume 12 Issue 5 December 2011

4501 Diplomacy DriveAnchorage, AK 99508

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SPECIAL EDITION

Southcentral Foundation earns Malcolm Baldrige National Quality AwardBy SCF Public Relations

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced Nov. 22 that Southcentral Foundation (SCF) was one of four organizations to be selected for the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. SCF is Alaska’s first health care organization – and the first Native organization nationwide – to receive the award, which is the highest presidential honor for performance excellence.

SCF started a journey 30 years ago to work with the Alaska Native community to achieve wellness. As the organization grew and expanded to meet the needs its customer-owners, it adopted the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to help evaluate its quality improvement efforts. The criteria cover seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; operations focus; and results.

Those who participate in the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and apply for the award are evaluated rigorously by an independent board of 553 examiners using the Baldrige Criteria.

Earlier this fall, SCF emerged as one of the 11 finalists from a pool of 69 applicants: two manufacturers, three service companies, two small businesses, eight educational organizations, 40 health care organizations and 14 nonprofits/governmental organizations. The finalists were identified as the country’s “most innovative organizations” by the National Institute for Standards and Technology.

After an October site visit where the Baldrige examiners further assessed SCF’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, it was determined that the organization had met the nation’s standards for this award. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce

cited “innovative practices, an unwavering commitment to excellence, dynamic management and proven results” in his announcement.

“This award honors the collective effort of our tribal leadership, customer-owners, and employees who have pursued excellence, systematically, in

all aspects of Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka System of Care,” said James Segura, chair of the Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors. “Our ‘commitment to quality’ is a corporate goal and we work tirelessly to continuously improve.”

The U.S. Congress created the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and the award in 1987 to disseminate and share best-practice performance strategies for the purpose of nationwide advancements in innovation and quality. Now officially declared a “role model organization” by the Obama Administration, SCF will be called upon to share more of its story in the months and years ahead.

“It is a remarkable recognition that affirms all we do in our health care system,” said SCF President/CEO Katherine Gottlieb. “We care what happens in a hundred years, it is about our children’s children.”

SCF will meet with President Barack Obama and accept the award from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in mid-April.

For more information, please visit www.nist.gov, or www.southcentralfoundation.com.

First Native organization to receive Presidential honor for performance excellence

- Celebrating health care excellence

By SCF Public Relations

At a Nov. 18 awards ceremony, Southcentral Foundation’s (SCF) Nora Herrera was honored as the 2011 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year in the Community Case Management/Care Coordinator category. The March of Dimes award recipients are individuals whose leadership and contributions have made a significant impact in their community and the profession of nursing.

With over 100 registered nurses employed by SCF, Herrera belongs to a world-class group of nursing professionals widely recognized for

their compassion and caring. Herrera is the case manager

for the Rural Anchorage Service Unit. She focuses on the health care outcomes of all Alaskans in the region, including Alaska Native and American Indian people and non-Native members of their families and communities. As a care coordinator, Herrera helps rural Alaskans navigate the complicated rural and urban medical system, which includes transport from their home communities to Anchorage for treatment (and back).

The support Herrera provides to customers, community health aides and mid-level providers in

the Rural Anchorage Service Unit is invaluable. She has improved the health care for hundreds of Alaskans who now have a point person to help them when they need medical care that their village clinics cannot provide.

By SCF Public Relations

Southcentral Foundation (SCF) board member and Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI) shareholder, Loretta Throop, and SCF tribal doctor, Sarah Smith, received Alaska Federation of Natives President’s Awards at the October AFN Convention.

Throop received the AFN President’s Award for Health. Her impact on health care in Alaska started over 40 years ago. After graduating with her bachelor’s in nursing, Throop became part of the movement to develop culturally appropriate health service delivery solutions where barriers had previously existed. She joined the Alaska Native Health Board, and, for most of the ‘70s, served as the director of the American Indian Nurses Association. She also served as a Public Health Service nurse and Community Health Aide instructor in Anchorage. Based on her nursing expertise and experience

as an instructor, she was asked to serve as a member of the committee that prepared the first Community Health Aide manual – a historic accomplishment for Alaskans statewide. In her years of service, Throop has been instrumental in influencing positive changes in health care.

Smith received the Della Keats Healing Hands award in honor of her work as a tribal doctor in SCF’s Traditional Healing Clinic. Smith provides traditional counseling and also practices a healing hands technique. She has been able to help many people with her gift

of traditional healing, including her large family and hundreds of community members. Helping others has always been Smith’s greatest priority, and although her occupation is “tribal doctor,” she would say her life’s work is with the Elders of the Anchorage Native Community – who she is continually partnering with to preserve traditional culture. Smith’s care and concern for Elders, generous spirit, and commitment to sharing her traditional knowledge with others has made her an important healer for the Anchorage Native Community.

The Anchorage Native News is published bi-monthly by the Southcentral Foundation Public Relations Department. If you have questions, comments, want to submit articles or be added to our mailing list, please contact the editor per the information below. The Anchorage Native News reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity, length and content. Every article will be considered for publication depending upon space available.

Southcentral FoundationPublic Relations Department

4501 Diplomacy DriveAnchorage, AK 99508Phone: (907) 729-4953SCFMediaRelations@

southcentralfoundation.com

Managing EditorVera Starbard

E-mail: vstarbard@southcentralfoundation.com

Phone: (907) 729-5019

Layout EditorBecky Crawford

E-mail: bcrawford@southcentralfoundation.com

Phone: (907) 729-5479

Copy EditorJessica Dorrington

E-mail: jdorrington@southcentralfoundation.com

Phone: (907) 729-6335

SCF Public Relations ContributorsDirector Allison Knox

Manager Kim MarcucciPR Specialist Tammy AshleyPR Specialist Ellie JacksonPR Specialist Kyla Morris

PR Administrative Support Ryan Clayton

Southcentral Foundation is an Alaska Native owned health care organization serving Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley and 55 rural villages in the Anchorage Service Unit.

Incorporated in 1982 under the tribal authority of Cook Inlet Region Inc., Southcentral Foundation is the largest of the CIRI nonprofits, employing more than 1,400 people in over 65 programs.

Southcentral Foundation MissionWorking together with the Native

Community to achieve wellness through health and related services.

Southcentral Foundation VisionA Native Community

that enjoys physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.

Southcentral Foundation Board of DirectorsJames Segura

Chairman

Charles G. AndersonVice-Chairman

Karen CaindecSecretary/Treasurer

Charles AkersDirector

Roy HuhndorfDirector

Dr. Terry SimpsonDirector

Loretta ThroopDirector

Southcentral Foundation President/CEOKatherine Gottlieb

© 2011 Southcentral Foundation

December 2011 Anchorage Native News Page 2

Alaska Federation of Natives President’s Awards

SCF nurse wins March of Dimes 2011 Nurse of the Year

Save the date!15th Annual

GATHERINGSaturday, March 10, 2012

Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Alaska Native People Shaping Health Care

Celebrating 30 years of health care excellence 1982-2012

Southcentral Foundation board member Loretta Throop.

Southcentral Foundation tribal doctor Sarah Smith.

Southcentral Foundation case manager Nora Herrera honored by March of Dimes Nov. 18.

By SCF Public Relations

The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) received the Cerner Consulting Project Excellence Award in recognition of its successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation completed this month.

The award is given to health care organizations by the Cerner Corporation for operational, financial and relationship excellence during the EHR implementation phase. Criteria include significant conversion during the quarter, strong partnership between Cerner and

the client, operational excellence/efficiency during the project, and overcoming significant adversity during the project with positive outcomes. ANMC was honored in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2011.

ANMC is jointly operated by Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). Members from both organizations were highly involved in all phases of design and implementation of the new EHR system, and ANMC successfully converted over 40 programs to the new system on Oct. 1. The project was under budget in both expenses and hours.

“We chose to partner with Cerner because they were the best fit for designing a system to fit our relationship-based system of care,” said Justin Atteberry, SCF’s director of operations for its medical services division. “We required an EHR system very different from other health care organizations; most challenging was creating a system that combined our inpatient and outpatient services.” .

“Never before has Cerner seen an organization go live with the entire suite of electronic health record

products across more than 25 clinics without any phasing in over time,” said SCF Vice President of Medical Services Dr. Douglas Eby. “This top EHR recognition is a testament to the ability of our staff and leadership to partner in an effective way. ANMC is not only a place of personal relationships and compassionate sharing, but also a place able to manage complex projects and mobilize effectively thousands of

individuals around a critical project such as an EHR go-live.”

For customer-owners, the EHR system will improve medical record safety and privacy, prescription safety, and provide alerts and reminders about health screenings and immunizations. Future plans include creating a customer-owner portal that will allow customer-owners to access their own medical records electronically.

December 2011 Anchorage Native News Page 3

ANMC receives Project Excellence Award

Save the date! Southcentral Foundation’s

Nuka System of Care Annual ConferenceJune 18-23, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka System of Care describes the entire health care system created, managed and owned by Alaska Native people to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.

Annual Conference•Pre-conferenceworkshopforbuildingeffectiverelationships• General conference with workshop and break-out sessions• Evening networking and cultural reception • Community fun run and wellness festival

Feedback from the 2011 Nuka Conference:94.4% of the participants stated they would recommend this conference to others.

• Katherinewasinspirationalinmodelinghowsheinteractswithherstaff.ItgavemeinsightsonhowIbestoperate andthingsIwillchange.

• Thespeakersweregreat.EspeciallyenjoyedtheCoreConceptstraining.Thankyouforremindingmehowimportant relationshipsareinourprofessionalandpersonallives.

•WhatwastaughtinCoreConceptswasconsistentlyrole-modeled.Apositiveandcaringatmospherewasevident whereverwewent!

• Thankyoutoeveryoneformakingitoneoftherichestexperiencesandmakingitfeellikehome/family

• Ihaveneverbeentoaconferencethatwassoresponsivetoitsparticipantsneeds.Ithinkallconferenceparticipants shouldhavetotakeCoreConcepts…addsawholenewlevelofmeaningandunderstandingtowhatyoudoandwhy itworks.

4501 Diplomacy Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508Visit us on the web at www.southcentralfoundation.com/nuka

Southcentral Foundation’s Dr. Steve Tierney prepares for the electronic health record imple-mentation at the Alaska Native Medical Center.

Southcentral Foundation Command Center in the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center during the electronic health record “go live” Oct. 1.

Electronic Health Record system implementation nationally recognized

December 2011 Anchorage Native News Page 4

13th Regional Corporation

Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis

Ahtna, Inc.

Akeela, Inc.

Alaska Addiction Rehabilitation Services, Inc.

Alaska CARES

Alaska Children’s Trust

Alaska Court System

Alaska Family Medicine Residency

Alaska Family Services

Alaska Federation of Natives

Alaska Human Services

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

Alaska Native Health Board

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Alaska Native Justice Center

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Alaska Pacific University

Alaska Primary Care Association

Alaska Regional Hospital

Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Pharmacists Association Foundation

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services

Anchorage Native New Life

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center

Anchorage Rescue Mission

Anchorage School District

Arctic Slope Native Association

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

Assets, Inc.

Avon Foundation for Women

Beyond Borders

BP Exploration Alaska

Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation

Career Academy

Catholic Social Services

ChangePoint

Chickaloon Village Traditional Council

CHOICES, Inc.

Chugachmiut

The CIRI Foundation

Community Mental Health Advisory Committee

ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.

Cook Inlet Native Head Start

Cook Inlet Housing Authority

Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI)

Cook Inlet Tribal Council

Copper River Native Association

Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments

Covenant House

Denali Commission

Eastern Aleutian Tribes Elder Advisory Council

Family Wellness Warriors Initiative Committee

First Book

Genesis Recovery Services, Inc.

Governor Sean Parnell

The Hearst Foundations

Head Start Parent Policy Council

Hope Community Resources

Iliamna Lake Villages

Indian Health Service

Karluk IRA Tribal Council

Kenaitze Indian Tribe

Ketchikan Indian Corporation

Knik Tribal Council

Koahnic Broadcast Corporation

Kodiak Area Native Association

Lutheran Medical Center M.J.

Murdock Charitable Trust

Maniilaq Association

Margie Brown, CIRI President/CEO

The Mary Byron Project

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center

Metlakatla Indian Community

Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium

Municipality of Anchorage

Native American Cancer Research

Native Village of Eklutna

Native Village of Tyonek

Nilavena Health Council

Ninilchik Traditional Council

Norton Sound Health Corporation

Open Hearts Ministries

Pathways Into Health

Paul G. Allen Foundation

Providence Alaska Medical Center

Rasmuson Foundation

Rep. Anna Fairclough

Resolution Services

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP)

Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska

Ryan White Foundation

Safe Harbor Inn

Salamatof Native Association

The Salvation Army - McKinnell House

Seldovia Village Tribe

Sen. Fred Dyson

Soteria-Alaska, Inc.

Southcentral Foundation Elders Advisory Council

Southcentral Foundation Traditional Healing EldersAdvisory Council

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium

State of Alaska Department of Corrections

State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

Tanana Chiefs Conference

United Way of Anchorage

University of Alaska

University of Colorado Denver

University of Hawai’i at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine

University of Montana School of Education

University of Washington

Upper Kuskokwim Health Advisory Council

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Rep. Don Young

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich

Valdez Native Tribe

Village Service Management Team

VINE Alaska Ministries, Inc.

Wells Fargo

Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation

Southcentral Foundation’s board of directors, President/CEO Katherine Gottlieb, vice presidents and senior leadership would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the following organizations and people for their support.