Spotlight: Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Pharmacy
|
Serving nearly 20,000 patients who represent more than 220 different tribes, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) is committed to doing all it can to enhance access to care.
To that end, in 2015, OKCIC Pharmacy established a program to help increase vaccination rates. Over the next 3 years, the pharmacy implemented the program with the support of clinic providers, various departments at OKCIC, and interns from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma Colleges of Pharmacy.
OKCIC Pharmacy’s efforts have certainly paid off. Today, more than 90% of OKCIC’s adult immunizations are administered in the pharmacy, freeing up hundreds of hours for providers in OKCIC’s medical and nursing departments. Additionally, the pharmacy’s process of screening and vaccinating patients is so streamlined that patients’ wait times for new prescriptions remain the same as, or shorter than before.
|
|
"Patients know that the pharmacy is their first stop if they need a vaccination."
– Jennifer Pham, PharmD, OKCIC Director of Pharmacy
|
|
In recognition of its success, earlier this year, OKCIC Pharmacy received an Immunization Champion Award at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, and an Immunization Excellence Award at the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit in Atlanta, GA.
“Prior to 2015, our adult vaccination rate was not very high, and patients were unaccustomed to pharmacists administering their immunizations,” said Jennifer Pham, PharmD, OKCIC Director of Pharmacy. “Through the pharmacy’s collaborative approach to process improvements, patients are now very receptive to the pharmacy meeting all of their immunization needs.”
That change in patients’ mindset is partly due to the pharmacy’s ongoing efforts to maintain a strong community presence. “We attend multiple health fairs, evening diabetes programs, and community events to offer vaccinations to patients who may not be able to make it to the pharmacy during normal business hours,” Pham said.
|
|
August: National Immunization Awareness Month
|
|
National Immunization Awareness Month
|
Observed each August, National Immunization Awareness Month highlights the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.
Vaccines help prevent diseases, such as measles and whooping cough. As families gear up for a new school year, show your support for immunization requirements and recommendations by encouraging everyone you know in Indian Country to visit the Protect Your Circle website.
Sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Health, the website includes vaccination schedules and other resources to help Native families stay up to date.
|
Opioid Misuse Prevention Day: August 30
|
|
Opioid Misuse Prevention Day focuses attention on the causes of, and treatments for opioid misuse and addiction.
In the weeks leading up to this annual health observance, help decrease the risk for opioid dependence and overdose by sharing 2 webinars:
The recordings are part of a Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) webinar series hosted by the National American Indian and Alaska Native Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funds the TOR program and the ATTC Network.
|
|
Think Cultural Health
|
Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals is now available on the Think Cultural Health website of the Office of Minority Health.
The free online training program takes approximately 5 hours to complete. It is accredited for licensed alcohol and drug counselors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers.
Access the Think Cultural Health website today for a sneak peek at the training program or to view videos about the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
|
CMS enhances its Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool
|
|
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced improvements to its interactive Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool.
The tool’s Population View now includes additional inpatient utilization measures and updated American Community Survey data profile pages. Additionally, the Hospital View includes new quality measures.
Intended for researchers, administrators, and policy makers, the Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool allows users to see how chronic conditions, such as depression or hypertension, impact Medicare beneficiaries in different geographic areas.
For help using the tool, watch the demonstration video or check out the Quick Start Guide (PDF, 43 KB, 2 pp).
|
Celebrating the magic of transgender and Two-Spirit youth
|
A new toolkit to improve access to health care for Native transgender and Two-Spirit youth is now available thanks to the efforts of Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the Seattle Children’s Hospital Center for Diversity and Health Equity.
Celebrating Our Magic (PDF, 30.6 MB, 98 pp) includes resources to:
- teach Native transgender and Two-Spirit youth how to advocate for themselves when interacting with health care providers and
- help families and health care providers become more supportive and respectful of non-binary perspectives on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender roles.
The toolkit also features photos and brief biographies of notable Native transgender and Two-Spirit individuals.
|
No September newsletter
|
This newsletter will not be published in September. Please keep an eye out for the October issue.
|
Connecting Kids to Coverage outreach and enrollment funding
Letter of intent due: August 19, 2019
Application deadline: September 16, 2019
View the Connecting Kids to Coverage funding opportunity
CMS has $6 million available for efforts to educate Native families about the availability of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and help them with the application and renewal process. Letters of intent are due on August 19.
|
Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship
Deadline: September 13, 2019
View the Fellowship funding opportunity
First Nations Development Institute has partnered with The Henry Luce Foundation to fund 10 fellowships of $50,000 each for Native individuals whose work benefits Indigenous people in reservation and/or urban settings.
Funding recipients will be required to convene 3 times during the year-long fellowship to share knowledge and create a community of practice. Health care professionals are eligible to apply.
|
We R Native Youth Community Service Mini-Grants
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
View the Mini-Grant funding opportunity
We R Native, a comprehensive resource center developed by Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, is offering funds to support community service projects, such as health fairs or activities held in conjunction with national health observances. Native youth ages 13–21 are encouraged to apply.
|
|
CMS National Training Program (NTP) Workshop
September 10–12, 2019
Providence, RI
Register for the NTP workshop in Providence
Workshop topics include key aspects of the Medicare program, the opioid crisis, an overview of the new Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, and scenario-based learning. Check the NTP Workshop Details page for more information.
|
Fourth Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition
September 15–18, 2019
Prior Lake, MN
Register for the Conference on Native American Nutrition
This conference is for tribal officials, researchers, and others with an interest in Native nutrition and food science. Topics include youth voices, urban and rural nutrition issues, and more.
|
NIHB’s 36th Annual National Tribal Health Conference
September 16–19, 2019
Temecula, CA
Register for the National Tribal Health Conference
Plan to attend the National Tribal Health Conference, sponsored by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB). The conference will focus on how updating health policies impacts tribes. Your attendance will help NIHB increase tribes’ capacity and ability to advocate for public, behavioral, and environmental health priorities.
|
3rd Annual National Native Health Research Training Conference
September 23–25, 2019
Temecula, CA
Register for the National Native Health Research Training Conference
The theme of this year’s National Native Health Research Training Conference is “Tribal Health Research Agenda: Governance, Trust, and Culture.” The conference will help students, researchers, and health professionals develop research methods that are consistent with traditional Native ways of knowing. Sessions will focus on behavioral health, biomedical and health systems research, traditional medicine, and traditional ecological knowledge/environmental health.
|
|
Contact Us
Do you have news to share? Send it to coveringic@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.
|
About the Newsletter
Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources, success stories, and best practices with the people who connect tribal communities to health coverage.
Download Adobe Reader for the best reading experience with PDF files.
|
|
|
|
