@NAHC Next Gen-eration
Serving Seven Generations Moving in One Direction
The Native American Health Center is excited to announce the launch of its new electronic Practice Management System on March 27, 2012. The project is a response to the federally mandated health care reform, and more importantly, an effort to improve patient care, increase efficiency, and support better communication between departments. With NextGen, people from all departments will now use the same system to schedule appointments, register patients, and bill for visits. “We can be better for our community, serve their needs more effectively, and secure a better future for our patients, community, and our staff,� says Meriah Gille, EHR Manager. The launch of the Practice Management System marks the first stage of an organized shift toward Electronic Health Records (EHR). We are happy to announce a successful launch with only minor glitches! This is a testament to the NextGen team and the leadership of Meriah Gille! It was their hard work (many overtime hours) and commitment to excellence that made this shift barely noticeable! Thank you NextGen Team! Keep a look out for the next stages of NextGen implementation, EHR is coming in the autumn of 2012. Support the transition because we are 7 Generations moving in 1 Direction!
In this Issue: HR Buzz: Save for your Retirement! Employee Spotlight New Faces @NAHC Employee Anniversaries Youth Corner Running is My High! Green Corner Calendar of Events 1
HR Buzz
Save for your retirement! NAHC Offers the 403(b) By: Michelle Shawnego, HR Generalist/HRIS Administrator
We thought it would be a good time to encourage participation in our 403(b) Retirement Program through ING Financial Services. What is a 403 (b) plan? A 403(b) plan is a retirement plan set up by NAHC, to which you can contribute pre-tax income. It’s set up with an investment company, ING Financial Services. Most 403(b) plans let you choose from a variety of investment vehicles, from individual stocks or mutual funds to money market accounts. You can begin contributing immediately, there is no waiting or probationary period. 403(b) plans offer several advantages. First, your taxable income is reduced by the amount you contribute. Second, you don’t pay income tax on the earnings in the account, such as interest and dividends, until you start making withdrawals (presumably at retirement). Plus, NAHC will make employer sponsored contributions after you have been employed a year and are making contributions to your own 403(b) account. Not participating in a 403(b) plan in that case is like saying “no, thanks” to money from your employer. Our contribution schedule is listed below. Possibly the best feature of a 403(b) plan is that once it’s set up, it’s automatic. The contributions are taken from your paycheck come rain or shine, without you even thinking about it. Over many years, you may acquire a bigger nest egg than you dreamed possible. You may also make changes to your contribution amount and investment options at any time during the year. Joanne Redmond, our ING representative will be visiting the clinics on the following dates and times, please contact me if you are interested in meeting with Joanne: 2
Existing Members: Schedule a 15 minute meeting with Joanne to review their current plan. New Enrollees: Attend the group orientation that will last one hour. Wednesday, April 18, 2012 SF Clinic Morning Star Conference Room 10:30am – 11:30am - group orientation for new enrollees interested in signing up 11:35am – 12:00pm - individual meetings for current or new plan participants 7 Directions Clinic Conference Room 2:30pm – 3:30pm: group orientation for new enrollees interested in signing up 3:35pm – 4:00pm - individual meetings for current or new plan participants NAHC Employer Contribution (Employee must be employed for one year and a current 403b participant in order to be eligible)
Qualification Requirement: Employee must be in service for one (1) year and must be a current participant in the plan in order to be eligible for NAHC Employer Contribution. IRS has increased contribution amounts for 2012: The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Oct. 20, 2011, announced cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) affecting dollar limits for defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2012. Many plan limits on contributions and benefits will rise because increases in the cost-of-living index met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment.
Employee Spotlight
My Journey to Being Smoke-Free By: Lorena Rivera, CHIPRA Outreach Worker I
I blurted out my intention to quit smoking cigarettes during a family conversation on thanksgiving of 2011. Immediately I wished I could take it back because I knew my family would hold me accountable. I don’t know what possessed me to bring up the topic, maybe it was time, what I do know, is that starting the conversation pushed me into action. I set out to quit my way, with no laid out plan like the experts suggest. My supportive mom purchased patches the day after thanksgiving because I intended to quit that night. Yes, it all happened so fast. I had quit once before when I was pregnant, but this was different. I had to do it for myself and no one else. After 11 years, I took the step I had been too scared to take sooner. In the first few days of quitting, I was miserable, easily agitated and just plain mad at the world. I remember going into work the Monday after I quit and my co-worker just looked at me and placed a handful of candy on my desk. Another co-worker brought me a baggie of goodies and a note. They all knew what I was going through from my posts on Facebook. In the end, it was the little acts of support from my co-workers that helped me see I would be okay and that others cared about me. On the 25th of February, this year, I celebrated my birthday and also three months of being smoke free. The sweetest words I heard that day were, “I am so proud of you mommy.” Not only have I noticed the improvements in my health but my wallet has seen a drastic improvement as well. I’ve been able to invest that money into my home and my daughter. If you are contemplating quitting, there are many free resources available to you and please remember to look to your support system like family, friends, and co-workers. I’d like to offer many thanks to my loving family, friends and co-workers; my success is yours, too.
New Faces @NAHC
Aurora Sarabia Media Intern, FCGC Dept.
Charmaine Aquino Patient Accounts Officer Temporary, Billing Dept.
Dr. Linda Aranaydo Chief Health Officer, Admin Dept.
Hinhanska Haney Media Intern, FCGC Dept.
Karla Sotomayor Medical Assistant Temporary, SF Medical Dept.
Nancy Singh Patient Accounts Officer Temporary, Billing Dept.
Welcome to Paul King Patient Therapist and Mental Health Intern School Based Health Dept.
Rithika Mathias On Call Dental Receptionist, SF Dental Dept.
NAHC! 3
Employee Anniversaries First Name Last Name Department Start Date Years of Service Amanda Bloom Oak Medical 4/13/1989 23 yrs Catherine A. Marin-Wisdom Admin 4/21/1995 17 yrs Frank Zamora Fiscal 4/30/1998 14 yrs Ruel De La Rosa Empleo IT 4/5/1999 13 yrs Carla K. Carroll Central Registration 4/23/2001 11 yrs Marla Preston Billing 4/30/2001 11 yrs Nayche Bradford SF Dental 4/12/2004 8 yrs Sandra E. Tavel Admin 4/10/2006 6 yrs Dallas T. Wahpepah Youth Services 4/16/2007 5 yrs Glenda L. Tom SF FCGC 4/23/2007 5 yrs Lillawa E. Willie Admin 4/5/10 2 yrs Valerie N. Black Calf FCGC 4/19/2011 1 yr Julia J. Echeverria Maintenance 4/4/2011 1 yr Sandra Elvira Oak Dental 4/4/2011 1 yr Tenagne M. Habte-Michael FCGC 4/25/2011 1 yr Nizhoni K. Kizer-Seaton SF Dental 4/11/2011 1 yr Tamar Kurlaender Oak Medical 4/25/2011 1 yr Josephine Ng Oak Dental 4/29/2011 1 yr Amelia L. Snow Oak Medical 4/4/2011 1 yr Claudia S. Valdivieso FCGC 4/4/2011 1 yrs Jerrold B. Yazzie Maintenance 4/16/2011 1 yr
NAHC Youth Corner Indigenous Identities With several generations of Native Americans living in an urban environment brings the reality of people with mixed heritage. NAHC’s Youth Director Crystal Salas gives some background: “We speak to the local school administrators and teachers, and they say they have two or three Native American students in their classrooms. Upon visiting them through outreach, we sometimes ask the class who has ‘Native American blood?’ The teacher believed there were only 3 Native students in the class, but we are seeing numbers rocket as high as 15 in one classroom. That means the youth are beginning to self-identify as Native American.” Youth Services allows a safe space for local youth to dialogue about their identities. It also gives them access to the internet, outdoor activities, Family Movie Nights, and strengthens their connection to their cultures. Youth and Family Night can bring discussions after the film, where the topics include the sacred use of tobacco, the portrayal of women, and the realities of teen mothers and fathers. Parents are encouraged to participate in activities along with their children to create healthy relationships. 4
Running is my high 2012 This year was the Native American Health Center’s 11th annual Running is My High. The theme was inspired by a Lakota prayer: Walk in balance with the passing of each glorious sun. We were lucky enough to walk with the passing of the sun on the morning of March 10th 2012 instead of the rain that hit the next morning. We had over 300 registered runners of all ages take on the Lake Merritt loop in downtown Oakland, greatly exceeding our past participation record. In addition, hundreds of people gathered at the race to visit booths and cheer on their community. We were blessed with the participation of more booths than ever this year. Our farthest-traveling booth was Wings of America, an organization coming all the way from New Mexico that uses running as a way to empower Native American youth to take pride in their cultural identity and increase health, hope, and harmony. They not only hosted a booth and generously donated prizes for all the race categories, but their program director Dustin Martin also won first place in the 10K, completing it in just under 37 minutes! The other booths and activities were similarly related to promoting a healthy mind, body, spirit, and environment. NAHC’s Family & Child Guidance Center hosted the always popular Wellness Tent with massage, yoga, kale salad, and flash drives with wellness information and healthy recipes. Intertribal Friendship House also wowed participants with their beautiful display of their native garden and their plant giveaway. The day kicked off with opening prayer and sage burning, an honor song on the drum, and a speech by the man who founded Running Is My High over 35 years ago, Hank Labeau. The day continued with the 5K and 10K races, more drumming, booth visits, honoring of elders and of children, and a healthy vegan meal to finish things off. With environmental concern growing across the globe, we again focused on making Running Is My High a green, environmentally-friendly event. This year we improved the event with detailed banners to help people dispose of waste in the proper containers, as well as with biodegradable water cups and utensils so that nearly all the waste from the event could be composted. We also gifted runners beautiful t-shirts made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. We would like to thank the community for keeping this event alive! We would also like to thank the Native American Health Center’s Family & Child Guidance Clinic and Nutrition & Fitness Departments for co-sponsoring this event.
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Green Corner By: Dawn Lulua-Claxton, Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director, 7D Well, it’s that time of year again! The time when we all start thinking about doing a garden, and we think about flowers in May. It sounds fun, it sounds great, and then it sounds like work, and for most, it sounds like too much work. Here is the easy right way to make compost, so that you can have the nicest garden, plants and flowers. STEP ONE: In a rodent resistant bin, create a base of 3” - 4” or woody, brushy material to promote aeration (do not mix into pile). STEP TWO: Alternate layers of green and brown materials; keep the layers 2” - 4” deep. Common green (nitrogen) materials are grass, food scraps (uncooked fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, filters, tea bags and egg shells) (wet), garden trimmings. Common brown (carbon) materials are, fall leaves, straw and newspaper strips (dry). Chop up larger materials for faster decomposition. STEP THREE: Whenever you add a food scrap layer, make sure you sprinkle it with soil and then cap off with a brown layer to prevent smells and flies. STEP FOUR: Mix bin contents often (minimum once every two weeks). This introduces air and gets bin heating up again. Mix older materials with newer materials for faster decomposition. STEP FIVE: Moisture content of bin should be like a wrung out dish rag. Only add water if pile is very dry after mixing. STEP SIX: Pile will shrink. Continue to add and mix until bin is almost full. Place carpet on surface of pile to retain heat and moisture. STEP SEVEN: Compost is generally ready to use when it looks like humus (after about two to three months). However, aging the compost for another 1 to 2 months is recommended. Then you use the compost mixed into your soil to plant your garden, plants & flowers, or just sprinkle on their soil! 6
Happy Gardening! Browns = High Carbon
Ashes, wood Bark Cardboard, shredded Corn stalks Fruit waste Leaves Newspaper, shredded Peanut shells Peat moss Pine needles Sawdust Stems and twigs, shredded Straw Vegetable stalks
Greens = High Nitrogen Alfalfa Algae Clover Coffee grounds Food waste Garden waste Grass clippings Hay Hedge clippings Hops, used Manures Seaweed Vegetable scraps Weeds
Calendar of Events
Peace and Dignity Journeys 2012: Dedicated to the Water
Nutrition and Fitness Center will be holding a class on the “Secrets of Sodium”.
FCGC Grand Opening at 333 Valencia Street to celebrate the new offices.
Culturally Inclusive Therapy: An Experiential Overview
Staff Appreciation Week (23-28)
Staff Appreciation Picnic
May 1st: UC Berkeley’s 2012 Powwow
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