Update for June 14, 2010
Southeast Alaska Suicide Prevention Task Force to meet June 17-18 in Juneau: The new Southeast Alaska Suicide Prevention Task Force, a project hosted by the SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention program, will host its second meeting June 17-18 at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Juneau. The task force features representatives from tribes, law enforcement, community governments, schools, health agencies, suicide survivors and other people interested in doing what they can to reduce suicide in Southeast Alaska. The task force will create a regional suicide prevention plan that can be taken back to each of the communities. In addition to following up on the work the group started during its first meeting in Sitka, the members of the Southeast Alaska Suicide Prevention Task Force will have an opportunity to meet with members of the Juneau Community Suicide Prevention Task Force to see how they can collaborate on future projects. For more information on the Southeast Alaska Suicide Prevention Task Force, contact SEARHC Behavioral Health/Suicide Prevention Manager Wilbur Brown at 966-8753 or wilbur.brown@searhc.org.
Juneau Dental Clinic expands hours: The SEARHC Juneau Dental Clinic at the Ethel Lund Medical Center recently expanded its hours. The clinic now is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. The expanded hours will allow our dental providers to use our limited number of dental chairs more efficiently, plus they will allow patients an opportunity to schedule an appointment before or after work or school.
SEARHC canoe participates in the unofficial kick-off to Celebration 2010: The SEARHC canoe, Toowú Latséen, participated in the “Honoring Our Elders and Youth Gathering and Canoe Welcoming” on June 2 at the Aakw Recreation Area in Juneau. This event serves as an unofficial kick-off to Celebration, and it was sponsored by Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, One People Canoe Society and Goldbelt Corporation. A crew of paddlers from the Coho, Raven Beaver, Raven Frog and Eagle Killer Whale houses in Angoon paddled a Goldbelt canoe from Angoon to Auke Bay. When the Angoon canoe reached Coglin Island, it was joined by the SEARHC canoe and the Sealaska canoe, Auk Ta Shaa. From Coglin Island, the three canoes carried clan leaders and other guests for the final leg of the trip to Auke Bay, where they were greeted by more than 200 people. In addition to the canoe journey, the event featured a sharing of knowledge by elders and a salmon lunch prepared by youth and Goldbelt Heritage Foundation staff. A canoe made a similar trip from Hoonah before Celebration 2008.
Update to CCTHITA Executive Council. On Monday, June 7th, SEARHC management provided an operational update to the Executive Council of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA). The presentation included an update on a recent rural health award for the Alicia Roberts Medical Center, our annual funding agreement with the Indian Health Service, improvements to housing and case management at the Alaska Native Medical Center, health promotion activities across the region, and recent efforts from the suicide prevention work group. Executive Council members had several questions on operations, unmet needs for behavioral health services, and implementation of new authorities with the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention program hosts booth at Celebration 2010: The SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention program used its booth at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center to conduct surveys on a variety of issues, including gathering information about suicide prevention and to see which communities have heard about the new SEARHC Help Line (1-877-294-0074). Feedback was positive about the new Southeast Alaska Suicide Task Force and new SEARHC Help Line, both projects headed by the SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention Program. SEARHC Health Promotion and the WISEWOMAN Women’s Health Program shared space at the table so they could get the word out about their programs.
Tribal health organizations and other agencies receive Input request letter from OMB to cut Federal budgets by 5 percent: Approximately 50% of our annual resources come from our funding agreement with the Indian Health Service. This last week tribal health organizations and other agencies received copies of a letter from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting each non-security agency receiving federal funds submit a budget request for FY2012 (still a year away) that is 5 percent below the discretionary total provided in the FY2011 budget (the budget for this winter). For the Indian Health Service, this 5 percent reduction is $220 million below the FY2011 budget request. According to OMB Director Peter Orszag, “this will allow the President’s Budget to accomplish an overall non-security discretionary freeze even while providing funding for new initiatives and any contingencies that arise over the coming months.” Instead of making an across-the-board cut, agencies were told to make targeted cuts that will allow continued investment in administration priorities such as workforce development, information technology, wellness and other issues. The National Indian Health Board is drafting a response from Indian Country that includes feedback from the Alaska Native Health Board. The NIHB response will be vetted by the NIHB Board, Area Indian Health Boards and the IHS National Tribal Budget Work Group.
Ultrasound increases care while saves costs in Haines and Klawock: SEARHC has recognized significant improvement in services and saved costs since installing leased ultrasound machines in Klawock (June 2009) and Haines (September 2009). The Alicia Roberts Medical Center completed 195 ultrasounds during 16 trips to Prince of Wales Island by our Sitka-based radiology tech/sonographer. The savings of sending one staff member to POW over bringing patients to Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital are estimated at $50,211. The Haines Health Center completed 105 ultrasounds during eight trips to Haines by a contracted radiology tech/sonographer from Skagway, for an estimated savings of $28,077. The total estimated savings for the monthly trips of one or two days is $78,288, plus patients are happier because they don’t have to travel. Also, we have not seen a drop-off in business at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital because of these rural ultrasounds, and, in fact, we actually have seen an increase in the number of ultrasounds performed in Sitka. Consortium-wide, SEARHC performs about 3,500 ultrasounds a year.
Employees from Pelican, Hoonah honored for their work: Several SEARHC staff members in Pelican and Hoonah honored for their work. Kyla Westcott, a community health practitioner (CHP) in Pelican, was honored for her work over the past year-and-a-half, especially since she frequently is the only employee in Pelican. Several Hoonah staffers — community health practitioner (CHP) Carlie Brown, community health aide (CHA) Lisa Wolfe, CHA Bill Wolfe, CHP Lily Hughes, field business office coordinator Sandy Howard and environmental services worker Cora Roberts — were honored for their work over the past nine months as the Trudy Wolfe Health Center has made the transition to SEARHC management.
SEARHC employees receive length-of-service awards: During this summer, 112 SEARHC employees will receive length-of-service award pins and certificates during special presentations around the consortium. Employees are honored for every fifth year of service, and these awards are for service through the end of 2009. The Alicia Roberts Medical Center honored Klawock employees during a staff meeting on June 2 and the Ethel Lund Medical Center honored Juneau employees during an all-hands meeting on June 9. Other clinic ceremonies still are being arranged this summer.
Expanded smoking ban to go to Sitka’s October ballot: On Tuesday, June 8, the Sitka Assembly voted 5-2 in favor of putting a ballot question to Sitka voters during the Oct. 5 municipal election about whether or not to expand the existing “smoking in public places” ordinance to include bars and private clubs. Sitka’s current clean indoor air act prohibits smoking in most businesses, schools and other public buildings, but bars and private clubs are exempt from the ordinance. In addition to extending the existing ban to include bars and private clubs, the proposal clarifies that smoking is prohibited within 10 feet of doorways, windows and vents of buildings where smoking is banned.
Petersburg City Council sends smoking ban to October ballot: On Monday, June 7, the Petersburg City Council approved by a 5-2 vote putting the “Smoke Free Act of 2010” on the Oct. 5 municipal ballot. Petersburg currently has no community smoking ban, other than a restriction of smoking in transient accommodations (in beds at hotels, motels, apartments and rooming houses) and dangerous areas such as dry-cleaning plants or in areas where combustible materials are stored and handled. If passed, this ordinance will ban smoking in just about all businesses, public buildings and playgrounds, and the ban includes bars and private clubs. The ban also extends to motor vehicles used for business purposes (it does not apply to fishing boats). Business owners may create a designated smoking room in their establishment, but it has to meet certain specifications when it comes to air handling and employees will not be required to serve in the smoking rooms. The ordinance also lists where cigarette butt containers will be located around town.
Just a Reminder…
Canning time is here! Has the pressure gauge on your canner been checked lately? The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service recommends you check gauges for accuracy every year. The SEARHC Health Promotion department will be testing gauges in Hydaburg from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, at the SEARHC Hydaburg Health Center, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, at the Craig Community Association. This event will be followed with a beach asparagus potluck lunch. Bring your favorite dish and share recipes. There will be awesome door prizes at both events. For more information, contact SEARHC Community Wellness Advocate June May at 755-4959.
SEARHC, Bartlett Regional Hospital mobile mammograms in full swing: The mobile mammogram van program is in full swing. The Spring 2010 mobile mammogram season kicked off with trips to Haines, Kake and Skagway. The mobile mammogram van is in Yakutat on June 9-16 and will visit Angoon on June 21-23 to complete the spring schedule. During the Summer/Fall 2010 season the van will visit Hoonah on Aug. 23-27, Haines on Aug. 30-Sept. 13, Skagway on Sept. 14-17, Klawock on Sept. 22-Oct. 8, Craig on Oct. 11-12 and Metlakatla on Oct. 14-22. This list gives women the dates the mobile mammogram van will be in town, and specific appointment times will be available from the local clinic. The mobile mammography program is run through a partnership between Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau and the SEARHC WISEWOMAN Women’s Health Program. Between the spring and summer/fall seasons, the van provides about 800-900 women in nine communities with regular mammography screening services in places where the services aren’t available year round. For more information, contact your local clinic or call the SEARHC WISEWOMAN Women’s Health Program at 966-8782 in Sitka or 1-888-388-8782 (toll-free in Alaska), send an e-mail to askwh@searhc.org, or go online at http://www.searhc.org/womenshealth/.
WISEWOMAN Women’s Health Program events planned for Thorne Bay, Kasaan: An annual women’s health screening event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, July 13 and 15, at the SEARHC Thorne Bay Health Center. A similar annual women’s health screening event will take place at times the next week (July 19-23) at the SEARHC Kasaan Health Center. Look for fliers in your community and announcements in your post office box with more information. The annual women’s health screening includes a clinical breast exam, routine labs, heart health check and maybe a Pap test (depending on your personal health history). For women age 40 or older, this is a great time to get your clinical breast exam done before the mobile mammogram van makes its annual visit on Sept. 22-Oct. 8 to Klawock and on Oct. 11-12 to Craig. The annual women’s screening exam may be free for qualifying women through the WISEWOMAN Women’s Health Grant. Please call Mary Dinon or Helen Jackson at 1-877-755-4800 in Klawock (toll-free number) to see if you qualify or for any questions. Kasaan women can contact Helen for an appointment at their screening event, while Thorne Bay women should contact the Thorne Bay clinic at 828-8848.
SEARHC Injury Prevention to host networking lunch and conference July 19-20 in Sitka: The SEARHC Injury Prevention Team will host a 1 1/2-day conference, “Preventing Injuries in Your Community: A Planned Approach,” on July 19-20 at the SEARHC At Kaník Hít Community Health Services building in Sitka. This conference is open to all Southeast Alaska residents, and will give participants a chance to meet other people working on injury prevention in the region and teach them how to get effective injury prevention messages into their communities. The meeting kicks off with a networking lunch, and the times are noon to 5 p.m. on Monday and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The conference fee is $50, and a limited number of travel and registration fee scholarships are available. For more information, contact Lesa Way at 966-8404 or lesa.way@searhc.org or contact Doug Osborne at 966-8734 or doug.osborne@searhc.org.
Special well-child exams for teens available on POW this summer: Nancy Cavanaugh, a pediatric nurse practitioner at the SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe High School Student Health Center in Sitka, will be on Prince of Wales Island on July 27-29 and Aug. 10-12 to provide teens with well-child exams, sports physicals, and immunizations. Each trip involves Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon appointments at the Alicia Roberts Medical Center in Klawock, with Thursday appointments at the SEARHC Hydaburg Health Center. These special teen well-child exam clinics are covered by the Indian Health Service for all Native patients, by most private insurance plans, and by Denali KidCare or Medicaid for Native and non-Native families that meet income requirements. To schedule appointments, call ARMC at 755-4800 or the Hydaburg Health Center at 285-3462.
SEARHC launches new 24/7 crisis help line, toll-free at 1-877-294-0074: A personal or family crisis doesn’t always happen during clinic hours, so the SEARHC Behavioral Health Division has contracted with a crisis call center to provide help for Southeast Alaska residents when they need it most. The SEARHC Help Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and staffed with a team of master’s-degree-level mental health therapists who will listen and provide effective, compassionate care. This line provides confidential telephone counseling for people during a time of mental health crisis, and it is not just an answering service. The counselors will assess the situation and provide appropriate intervention using protocols developed with SEARHC Behavioral Health. Follow-up calls from SEARHC Behavioral Health or our partner agencies will be made the next business day. For more information, contact SEARHC Behavioral Health Prevention Program Director Wilbur Brown at 966-8753.
Regards,
Roald.
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