american indian & alaska native commissioned …medical center in ada as well as satellite...

2019 Spring Newsletter

American Indian & Alaska Native

Commissioned Officer Advisory

Committee NewsletterSpring 2019

Mission of AIANCOAC 1Message from the Chair 2AIANCOAC Leadership 3-4Honor Award Recipients 5-9Upcoming Meetings 10Diabetes Alert Day Event 11

Inside This IssuePediatric Healthy Weight Group 12AIANCOAC Membership 13Editors Note 14AIANCOAC In Action 14-16Members & Advocates 17

American Indian & Alaska Native Commissioned Officers Advisory Committee

What Is The AIANCOAC?

The function of the AIANCOAC is to provide advice and consultation to the Surgeon General on issues related to professional practice and activities of American Indian and Alaskan Native personnel (Commissioned Corps or Civil Service). The AIANCOAC provides similar advisory assistance to the Minority Offi-cers Liaison Council (MOLC) and, upon request, to Agency and/or Program Heads of the Public Health Service (PHS) and to non-PHS programs that routinely use PHS personnel.

The mission of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is to pro-tect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation. As America’s uniformed service of public health pro-fessionals, the Commissioned Corps achieves its mission through rapid and effective response to public health needs, leadership and excellence in pub-lic health practices, and advancement of public health science.

Mission Of AIANCOAC

The American Indian/Alaska Native Com-missioned Officers Advisory Committee (AIANCOAC) was created by the Surgeon General and the Public Health Service (PHS) through the Minority Officers Liai-son Council (MOLC) and is to advise and serve on issues relating to the profes-sional practice and the personnel activi-ties, Civil Service (CS) and Commissioned Corps (CC), of the American Indian and Alaska Native professional. Working in collaboration with the MOLC, the AIAN-COAC provides similar advisory assis-tance, upon request, to the Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) or Staffing Divisions (STAFFDIVs) of the Public Health Service, and to non-PHS programs that routinely use PHS personnel.

The MOLC is comprised of the four Core Minority Advisory Groups (CMAGs): American Indian/Alaska Native Com-missioned Officers Advisory Committee (AIANCOAC), Black Commissioned Of-ficers Advisory Group (BCOAG), Asian Pacific American Officers Committee (APAOC) and Hispanic Officers Advisory Committee (HOAC).

AIANCOAC Challenge CoinThe coin is 2 inches in diameter and depicts both USPHS and AIANCOAC logo inscribed onto a laser cut arrowhead centered in the coin.

AIANCOAC Symbol

The Medicine Wheel represents spirituality and symbolizes the individual experiences endured in life. Medicine Wheel teachings focus on healthy lifestyle, which is communicated via various First Nations belief themes as: the great circle of life; the center of the circle; the natural world was created in groups of four; the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world; harmony and balance reigns supreme; and the eternal fire. Everything in the wheel is related; either within an individual being, between beings, or between be-ings and the environment. The directions in the wheel are always used in a clockwise direction to signify the movement of the sun as it rises, moves across the sky, sets and rests. Each direction signi-fies a different phase in the human life cycle. In the east, there is existence of physical being and birth. The south is the growth of mental development that occurs in the teen-age years. In the west, we experience elements of the emo-tional self as love, happiness, sadness, or disappointments, which are developed throughout adulthood. For strength, as people age, they depend more on spiritually that was probably taught when young. If you are interested purchasing a coin, please click on the following link, https://squareup.com/store/aiancoac. The coins are $10.00 each, with $5.00 for shipping and handling. Proceeds will go toward the committee activities which in-cludes COA annual activity functions.

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A Message From The Chair LCDR Dodson Frank Seminole

Hesci (Hello)

I recently gave a presentation at the 2019 Indian Health Service (IHS) Leadership Training in Oklahoma City. The training was to give the participants a “bird’s eye view” of all the departments and programs in IHS. The topic I was assigned was the “USPHS Commissioned Corps.” Initially, I thought about talking about our Core Values, PHS Mission, deployments, policies and procedures; however, I realized, I needed to think about my audience. A majority of those in attendance were civilians whom work alongside us, but that’s the extent of it. I thought to myself, “Do they truly know about the Commissioned Corps and its history?” American author Pearl S. Buck said it best, “If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.”

In order to accomplish the task of educating the participants about our origin, the book, Plagues and Politics: The Story of the United States Public Health Service by Fitzhugh Mullan, came to mind. I decided to familiarize myself again with our Corps history. Upon reading, I came to realize that we have contributed so much to our nation’s public health in our 200-year history. As we wear our uniform, we should take the time to remember that the uniform reflects the proud legacy and traditions of the Commissioned Corps, and that we are officers first and we will continue in fulfilling the mission “to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation.”

I look forward to meeting those of you attending the 54th Annual USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Please enjoy this Spring Newsletter.

Mvto! (Thank You)

LCDR Dodson Frank Seminole

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Meet Your 2019 AIANCOAC Leadership

LCDR Dodson Frank is a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2005 with a Bachelor of Management Information Systems. He is currently attending Oklahoma State University to obtain his Masters in Health Care Administration. Prior to joining the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, LCDR Frank served in the United States Marine Corps. He began his PHS career with Indian Health Service (IHS), Division of Commissioned Personnel in 2006 in Phoenix, AZ as a Human Resource (HR) Military Specialist for the Southwest Region and transferred back home to Oklahoma in 2010 where he currently serves as the IHS Southwest Region Liason (Acting). He enjoys working out, cooking, watching OU Sooners football/OKC Thunder and restoring his 1966 Impala.

CHAIR, LCDR DODSON FRANK

VICE CHAIR, LCDR SHANNON SALTCLAH

LCDR Shannon Saltclah, PharmD., BC-ADM, NCPS is a member of the Navajo Tribe from Teec Nos Pos, AZ. She graduated from the University of New Mexico Col-lege of Pharmacy in 2012 and began work as a Clinical Pharmacist at Tsehootsooi Medical Center (TMC) in Fort Defiance, AZ for 6 years. LCDR Saltclah began her PHS career as a JRSCOSTEP in 2009 where she was stationed at Santo Domin-go Health Clinic, N.M. Throughout pharmacy school she had the opportunity to work at a variety of IHS facilities including Albuquerque Indian Health Center, Zia Health Clinic, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, and Haskell Indian Health Center. LCDR Saltclah has been involved in many community outreach initiatives includ-ing a diabetes prevention program and a 5k run/walk series. She now works as a Project Officer for the Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country cooperative agreement, Healthy Tribes program with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDHPDP). She enjoys traveling to new plac-es, playing softball, boxing, and hitting the greens for a round of golf.

LT Stearns is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. He graduated with his PharmD from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2015 after attending Oklahoma State University for his undergraduate coursework. He recently graduated with his Mas-ter’s in Healthcare Administration from Oklahoma State University. LT Stearns began his career in the USPHS during his PGY1 pharmacy residency at Claremore Indian Hospital. Upon completion of his residency, LT Stearns transferred to the Chickasaw Nation to serve at the Pharmacy Clinical Applications Coordinator for the entire Chick-asaw Nation Department of Health in Ada, Oklahoma; including the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in Ada as well as satellite clinics in Ardmore, Tishomingo, and Purcell. LT Stearns achieved voting membership in AIANCOAC in 2017, has been involved with the Fundraising subcommittee and now serves as the Secretary. When LT Stearns is not working, he enjoys playing with his 3-year-old daughter, riding bicycles, traveling, building furniture/woodworking, and enjoying the great outdoors.

SECRETARY, LT KENNETH STEARNS

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TREASURER, LCDR KARSTEN SMITH A Native Oklahoman, LCDR Smith was raised in Del City, OK. Prior to attaining his PharmD from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, he supervised a technical support cen-ter and managed the software quality assurance department for Ordermatic Corp., a proprietary software and manufacturing company. After graduation, LCDR Smith began serving Native peoples as the PGY1 pharmacy resident at WW Hastings Hospital in Tah-lequah, OK, where he stayed on as a Senior Pharmacist I for 3 more years. LCDR Smith has recruited both formally and informally for the Commissioned Corps. He has served as a guest lecturer on multiple occasions at the Northeastern Oklahoma State Univer-sity School of Optometry speaking on pharmacology, and has presented on a variety of pharmacy topics in the Oklahoma Area and nationally. He has previously participated on the COF Symposium planning committee and has delivered the opening prayer for the CMAG awards ceremony. LCDR Smith is a tribal member and has ancestry within both the Cherokee and Creek Nations. He started attending meetings as a guest with AIAN-COAC in 2016. In 2017, he became an Advocate member and has also facilitated a lead-ership book club. LCDR Smith was approved as a voting member of AIANCOAC in 2018.

SENIOR ADVISOR, CAPT DANA HAYWORTH

CAPT Dana Hayworth, MSN, RN, is a member of the Cherokee Nation and Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. CAPT Hayworth graduated from Southwestern Oklaho-ma State University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and from Loyola University New Orleans in 2012 with a Master of Science in Nursing. She also holds a certificate in Mastery in Infection Prevention from the Association for the Health-care Environment. She received her commission into the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 2007. She has served on Rapid Deployment Force 4 since 2009 and currently serves as Deputy Team Commander. She has numerous de-ployment credits including the Ebola Response in Liberia, Hurricane Irma/Maria, Lou-isiana Flooding, Unaccompanied Children and five Remote Area Medical missions. CAPT Hayworth has spent her career of 30+ years in Indian Health Service (IHS) providing care to the American Indian and Alaska Native people. Her duty stations include: Claremore Indian Hospital, Cherokee Nation W. W. Hastings Hospital, and the Clinton Indian Health Clinic where she currently serves as the Ambulatory Care Nurse Manager. She was recently detailed to IHS Headquarters in Rockville, MD to serve as the Acting Chief Nurse Officer for the Agency. In her spare time, CAPT Hay-worth enjoys traveling, going to junk stores, and Sooner Football.

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2019 AIANCOAC Honor Award Recipients

RADM GEORGE BLUE SPRUCE JR. FLAG OFFICER AWARDRADM BRANDON TAYLOR

In Recognition for Outstanding Leadership, Dedication, and Contributions in Advocating for and Promoting the Professional Development and Career Advancement of Minority Officers and Civilians.

RADM Brandon Taylor serves as the Chief of Staff for the Indian Health Service (IHS), overseeing the coordination of key agency activities and supporting the Office of the Director in a broad range of duties related to the development and implementation of IHS initiatives and priorities. RADM Taylor, an enrolled member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation, has worked throughout his career to improve access to care in underserved communities throughout the nation and world.

RADM Taylor previously served as the IHS Southeast Region Commis-sioned Corps Liaison, where he was the principal advisor to over 500 officers, chief executive officers, area directors, tribal leaders and super-visors for all Commissioned Corps matters from 2014 to 2018.

RADM Taylor began his Commissioned Corps career as a pharmacy stu-dent, completing three Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Externship Program (JRCOSTEP) tours with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In 1998, RADM Taylor received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the Campbell University School of Pharmacy and began his IHS career as a pharmacy practice resident at W. W. Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, OK. Following residency, RADM Taylor served in various pharmacist positions before serving as the Director of Pharmacy for the Cherokee Nation Hastings Hospital from 2011 to 2014. Dr. Taylor has held national board certification in Pharmacotherapy (BCPS) since 2004 from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties.

Throughout his career RADM Taylor has served in various positions of leadership. He served as team commander of Tier I response team, Rapid Deployment Force 4 (RDF-4), and has deployed for numerous mis-sions, notably to Puerto Rico in 2017 for Hurricane Maria and to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2008 as part of the Afghanistan Health Initiative. RADM Taylor played a key role in revitalizing the Corps’ partnership with Re-mote Area Medical (RAM), leading three humanitarian missions in rural Oklahoma. From 2016 to 2019, RADM Taylor served as the senior advi-sor to the American Indian/Alaska Native Commissioned Officer Advi-sory Committee (AI/ANCOAC), providing guidance and support to AIAN-COAC leadership. In 2017, the Surgeon General appointed RADM Taylor to serve as the Senior Advisor for the Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC), representing leadership from the chartered minority groups.

RADM Taylor is the recipient of several honors and awards including the VADM Richard H. Carmona Inspiration Award issued by the Junior Offi-cer Advisory Group (JOAG), IHS National Director’s Award, USPHS Out-standing Service Medal, Cherokee Nation Medal of Patriotism, and IHS Oklahoma City Area Senior and Junior Pharmacist of the Year Awards.

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ANNIE DODGE WAUNEK AWARDLCDR ERICA ZIMPRICH

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to improving the health literacy of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, and for her efforts in building trusting relationships at the Fort Thompson Indian Health Center.

LCDR Erica Zimprich is a descendent of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. She graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the South Dakota State University, College of Pharmacy in 2012 and then with her Masters in Healthcare Administration from Oklahoma State Uni-versity, School of Health Care Administration in 2016. She obtained a Certificate in Public Health from North Dakota State University in 2015. Additionally, she maintains certifications in Advanced Cardia Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Immunization De-livery. LCDR Zimprich began her career with the United States Public Health Service in 2008 serving as a JRCOSTEP at the Fort Thompson Indi-an Health Center. She went on to complete two additional tours as a JRCOSTEP in Pine Ridge and then back at Fort Thompson in 2009 and 2010, before serving as a SRCOSTEP with the Lower Brule Indian Health Center in 2011. She practiced as a staff pharmacist in Lower Brule from May 2012-February 2014, then transferred to her current position as an Advanced Practice Pharmacist at the Fort Thompson Indian Health Center in March of 2014.

LCDR Zimprich has had the opportunity to be involved in numerous activities in support of the Corps. She completed two terms as a voting member of the American Indian/Alaska Native Commissioned Officer Advisory Committee where she served for three years as the Mem-bership Subcommittee Chair. In 2019, she will start her third year sit-ting on the Great Plains Area Commissioned Corps Awards Review Team. She has served as both a mentee and mentor in the Junior Offi-cer Advisory Group’s JRCOSTEP Mentoring Program. In September of 2017 she was named the National Pharmacy Council Recruitment and Retention Committee’s Lead JRCOSTEP Coordinator. She is passionate about building her leadership skills while having a positive impact on both minority officers and the people she serves.

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ELIZABETH PERATROVICH LEADERSHIP AWARDLCDR LENORA LITTLEDEER

LCDR Littledeer is nominated for significant contributions to meeting the IHS mission through her leader-ship work at Pine Ridge hospital which led to re-eligibility to apply for CMS certification.

Lenora Littledeer is a Lieutenant Commander with the U.S. Public Health Service and is currently the Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Lawton Service Unit IHS facility. Prior to being commissioned, she was a civil servant for 13 years. She is a Registered Nurse and has been in the nursing profession since 1990. In 2004, LCDR Lit-tledeer was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Oklaho-ma but has remained focused and employed in healthcare. She is a lifelong learner and her education background consists of: Prac-tical Nursing Certificate, Tahlequah, Oklahoma 1990; Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Bacone College, Muskogee, Oklahoma 1993; Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, 1997; Juris Doctor, University of Oklahoma College of Law, Norman, Oklahoma 2004; and Master of Health Administra-tion, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2009. Currently, she is in her final semester of course work as a PhD student at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing and her research interests rest in measurement science. LCDR Littledeer’s nursing specialties include emergency nursing and nursing administration. She has applied her administrative ex-pertise to other IHS facilities while serving on assignments in Win-nebago, NE and Pine Ridge, SD. She possesses experience as a clini-cal financial analyst in the private sector where she provided senior leadership with complex data reports involving operations and clin-ical performance. She projected and wrote operation, payroll, and capital budgets and provided analyses for service expansion. Her past employers include: Norman Regional Health System, Norman, Oklahoma; W. W. Hastings Indian Hospital, Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Medical Home Health, Stilwell, Oklahoma; and Memorial Hospital, Stilwell, Oklahoma. Her professional associations currently include: Oklahoma Bar Association, American Nurses Association, Oklaho-ma Nurses Association, Emergency Nurses Association, Sigma The-ta Tau, and the Western Institute of Nursing.

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DR. TAYLOR MCKENZIE SENIOR OFFICER AWARDCDR ANGELA FALLON

For administrative and professional contributions to the Office of Clinical and Preventive Services that fur-thered the agency’s mission at the National, Area and Service Unit levels.

CDR Angela Fallon is the Deputy Director of the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) for the Indian Health Service. The IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care advocate and provid-er for American Indians and Alaska Natives. CDR Fallon is an en-rolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation and a descendent of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck, Montana.

The Office of Clinical and Preventive Services (OCPS) aims to im-prove and promote wellness for American/Indian and Alaska Na-tive (AI/AN) people by serving as the primary source of national advocacy, policy development, budget development and alloca-tion for clinical, preventive, and public health programs for IHS, Area Offices, and Service Units. As Deputy Director of OCPS), CDR Fallon provides leadership in voicing the clinical, preventive, and public health needs of AI/AN, including consultation and techni-cal support to clinical and public health program functions.

CDR Fallon most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Tohono O’odham Nation Health Care (TONHC). In this capacity, CDR Fallon was responsible for administering a compre-hensive health care delivery system for TONHC. During her time as CEO, CDR Fallon was instrumental in the transition from Sells Service Unit to Tohono O’odham Nation Health Care.

CDR Fallon has over 15 years of healthcare leadership experience and is currently a nurse officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. CDR Fallon is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. CDR Fallon holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Business Admin-istration.

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JUNIOR OFFICER AWARDLT KENNETH STEARNS

His expansion of pharmacy services and his work resulting in changes to the National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

LT Kenneth Stearns is a Clinical Informatics Coordinator and acting Point of Sale Billing pharmacist currently stationed at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center with the Chickasaw Nation in Ada, Oklahoma. LT Stearns is a proud member of the Chicka-saw Nation and has served the American Indian population at both Federal and Tribal sites for nearly 4 years. LT Stearns has served at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center for nearly three years, and served as a PGY-1 pharmacy resident his first year as a USPHS Commissioned Officer. Additionally, LT Stearns has served as a voting member of the American Indian/Alaskan Na-tive Commissioned Officer Advisory Committee over a year and is the Secretary for AI/ANCOAC.

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Upcoming Meetings/Trainings for Health ProfessionalsSubmitted by LCDR Lindsay Edwards, PharmD, BCPS (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)

May 2-4, 20191st Annual Native American and Rural Emergency Medicine Conference Flagstaff, AZ

May 6-9, 201954th USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium Minneapolis, MN

May 13-15, 2019National Tribal Public Health Summit Albuquerque, NM

May 14-16, 2019GONA Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Indian Country Niagara Falls, NY

May 15-17, 2019AI/AN National Behavioral Health Conference Albuquerque, NM

June 3-5, 2019Native HOPE Training Conference Albuquerque, NM

June 10-11, 201910th Annual Native American Healthcare Conference Temecula, CA

August 6-9, 20192019 Diabetes in Indian Country Oklahoma City, OK

August 8-11, 201948th Annual [American Indian Physicians] Meeting & Health Conference Chicago, IL

August 27-29, 2019National Conference on Tobacco or Health Minneapolis, MN

September 15-18, 20194th Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition Prior Lake, MN

September 16-20, 201936th Annual NIHB National Tribal Health Conference TBD, CA

October 10-12, 2019AISES [Science & Engineering] National Con-ference Milwaukee, WI

November 19-21, 2019Being Trauma-Informed Anchorage, AK

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Diabetes Alert Day Event hosted at Claremore Indian HospitalSubmitted by LT Bobi Tallman (Umatilla Tribe)

On March 26, 2019, Claremore Indian Hospital (CIH) hosted their first Diabetes Alert Day event and had a total of 101 participants. Partic-ipants included CIH patients, CIH staff, and community members of Claremore, Oklahoma. This event was proposed at a Total Diabetes Care meeting as a way to provide information to patients about dia-betes prevention and diabetes management, but also as a means to get more involved with the local community and tribal organizations. This event involved a multidisciplinary team. This team consisted of, Adult Medicine Clinic (LT Bobi Tallman, RN), Diabetes Education (Joyce Hansen, Certified Diabetes Educator), Dietary (Stefanie McLain), Pedi-atrics (Miranda Johnson, LPN), Women’s Health (LT Melissa Wallace, RN), and Public Health Educators from Cherokee Nation Diabetes Pre-vention Program (Ronnie Neal and Tony Ballou). Education materials for diabetes prevention and diabetes management were presented and provided for patients to take home. The education provided was in multiple areas of diabetes including: diabetes prevention, gesta-tional diabetes, Type 1 diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes. Information from Cherokee Nation included local diabetes education groups and promotion of the Cherokee Nation Wings program that encourages participation in local running events. Along with all the education and diabetes support, all participants had the opportunity to participate in healthy activities such as a one mile walk, stick ball, and/or traditional Cherokee marble games. Healthy snacks were also provided by the Claremore Indian Hospital dietary department. We were excited to have such a great turnout and look forward to hosting this event next year!

Diabetes Alert Day: LT Bobi Tallman with patient at the 2019 Claremore Indian Hospital Diabetes Alert Day Walk

Diabetes Alert Day: Charles and Carolyn, CIH Employees, enjoying the Diabetes Alert Day Walk.

CDR Carl Murray learning tradi-tional stickball by Tony Ballou, Cherokee Nation Public Health Educator.

Diabetes Alert Day: Valerie Dool-ey, Adult Medicine Medical Sup-port Assistant, Miranda Johnson, Pediatrics LPN, and Ronnie Neal Cherokee Nation Public Health Educator.

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Pediatric Healthy Weight Group in Northern Navajo Submitted by LT Brenda Riojas, RD, LD (Hispanic and Lipan-Apache Tribe of Texas)

The Northern Navajo Medical Center Pediatric Healthy Weight Group is a multidisciplinary team consisting of health-care providers who have dedicated additional clinical hours by creating a tertiary prevention program, which aims at promoting healthy lifestyles in an effort to prevent the rising rates of childhood obesity within the Shiprock Commu-nity. The team is committed to creating a program that focuses on multiple aspects of promoting healthy lifestyles and disease prevention, including healthy eating and physical activity recommendations and the implementation of behavioral health changes.

In the clinical setting, the Iiná Ba’Hózhó (which translates to a “beautiful life” in the Navajo language) Clinic, is a bi-monthly specialty clinic that takes a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment and support of pediatric patients who are overweight or obese. Patients and their families meet with a dedicated Registered Dietitian, Physician, and fitness specialist to receive Medical Nutrition Therapy sessions, health education, goal setting strategies and follow-up as needed. The clinic is dedicated to providing the best clinical care for patients using evidenced-based guidelines and was selected to participate in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Childhood Obesity in Primary Care Quality Improvement Project to include updated evidence-based approaches to assist children achieve healthy weight goals. As result of this clinic, families have made positive behavioral changes resulting in an overall decrease in rates of obesity.

Our team knew that it was equally important to work with our community partners to increase access to healthy foods and provide health education in the Shiprock Community. We collaborated with Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment Program (COPE) and Office of Diné Youth to deliver the Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Pro-gram (FVRx) to families in the community. Families received vouchers to buy fruits, vegetables, and healthy traditional Dine foods at our local grocery store, and received health education classes for six months. Preliminary results show that program participants ate more fruits and vegetables, experienced increased food security, and that a significant percent of participants who were initially overweight or obese achieved a healthy weight.

We also collaborated with the local grocery store at Shiprock City Market and Chapter House officials. This was essen-tial in order for the community to be aware of prevention programs that are available to the youth. This encouraged the local farmer’s market to work with the FVRx program to redeem items by using the FVRx vouchers prescribed for families participating in the program. In addition, this team worked with the grocery store management to build a stand where children could sample free fruit. With the Chapter House’s support, we are working on long-term chang-es that would help promote healthy foods and decrease the intake of unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverag-es in our community. We have also worked to promote physical activity in our children and families by collaborating with Diné College to hold group workouts for both children and their parents. We also collaborate with Camp Dibé

Nitsaa, a free camp for patients between the ages of 9-13 years old, to provide health education and traditional cooking lessons to promote health.

Unfortunately, the rates of obesity and diabe-tes are especially high among children in Native American Communities. This team is proud to serve as a multidisciplinary team, inside the clin-ic and out in the community, to work towards improving quality of patient care. This team plans to continue working on these communi-ty-based health-promotion and disease-pre-vention programs.

Participant in Fruit and Veggie Rx Program enjoying fresh fruit

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Call for Nominations for AIANCOAC Membership Submitted by LCDR Karly Lucero (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)

Tis the “nomination season” once again! The AIANCOAC is seeking motivated officers or civil service personnel inter-ested in serving a three-year term beginning January 2020. The AIANCOAC is one of four chartered minority advisory groups (CMAGs) that advises the Surgeon General, Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC), and other programs on American Indian and Alaska Native issues. A common question regarding membership is “Do I need to be Ameri-can Indian or Alaskan Native to be a member?” A member does not need to have tribal affiliation to self-nominate! AIANCOAC is focused on diversification and building a group of members that is mission oriented and dedicated to advancing AIANCOAC objectives (https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/aiancoac/charter.aspx). Self-nominations are due by Au-gust 2, 2019.

There are additional opportunities to become active in AIANCOAC if voting membership is not feasible:

• Advocate Member-formally supports the AIANCOAC mission for a three-year term, is a non-voting memberbut is expected to attend meetings and join committees

• To be considered for advocate membership, individuals must follow the self nomination process butare not required to submit a CV or obtain supervisor endorsement

• General Membership-attends monthly meetings when desired on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 1300-1430 CST

• Listserv: Joint the AIANCOAC Listserv for regular updates https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=AIAN-COAC&A=1

Please direct questions to the Membership Committee Co-Chairs:

LCDR Amber Beardslee LCDR Karly [email protected] [email protected] 202.507.2261

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Editor’s NoteSubmitted by LT Verdaleen Denetdale (Navajo)

Hello, AIANCOAC!

My name is LT Verdaleen Denetdale and I am a member of the Navajo tribe. I have been on active duty in the Dietitian Category since June 2014. I am currently sta-tioned at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM and working as a Senior Clinical Dietitian.

I am happy to introduce myself as the new Editor-In-Chief for the AIANCOAC Newsletter. I would like to thank LCDR Shannon Saltclah for her outstanding leadership and taking the lead to create the first-ever AIANCOAC News-letter, now entering its third year of publication. Within this newsletter, we are able to showcase our American Indian and Alaska Native Officers in their health profes-sional careers and accomplishments. The newsletter has demonstrated the various American Indian tribes that are represented and serving within the United States Public Health Service. I encourage students, ad-vocates, USPHS Active and Retired Officers to write an article or submit action photos that we can utilize within the Newsletter. You can utilize this opportunity to high-light your field of work and your accomplishments, and potentially inspire others!

If you have any questions, comments or would like to submit photos or articles, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

AIANCOAC In Action

2018 AISES Conference: Left to Right: LCDR Chris Peltier, LCDR Todd Law-rence, LCDR Shannon Saltclah, LCDR Amanda Wyatt, LT Sara Kernell

2018 AISES Conference: Left to Right (back row): LCDR Shannon Saltclah, LCDR Todd Law-rence, LCDR Dodson Frank, CDR Battiste, LCDR Chris Peltier. (L-R: Front Row: LT Sara Kernell, LCDR Amanda Wyatt

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AIANCOAC In Action

PHS Athletics Event: Annie Dodge Wauneka 5K RunLeft to Right: LCDR Esther Arviso, LT Jennifer Manning, LCDR Shealyn Lucero, LT Brenda Riojas, LT Verdaleen Denetdale, LCDR Janet Hayes, CDR Kari Wato

2018 AISES ConferenceLCDR Shannon Saltclah and LCDR Amanda Wyatt

Four Corners COA Honor GuardLeft to Right: LT Verdaleen Denetdale, LCDR Janet Hayes, LCDR Fiona Chao, LCDR Shealyn Lucero

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AIANCOAC In Action

2018 AISES Conference: LCDR Dodson Frank and LCDR Amanda Wyatt

2018 AISES ConferenceLeft to Right: LCDR Shannon Saltclah, LT Sara Kernell, LCDR Amanda Wyatt, LCDR Dodson Frank, LCDR Todd Lawrence

CDR Geri Tagliaferri, RN, BSN, MPH, CCHPDuty Station: Fort Snelling, MN: DHS/ICE/ERO/IHSCNurse Consultant, Infection Control LeadTribe: Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe of Wisconsin

CDR William Freiberg PharmD, BCACP, NCPSDuty Station: Rock Hill, SC, IHS/Catawba Service UnitClinical Pharmacy Specialist, Ambulatory CareTribe: Ponca Tribe of Nebraska (Nebras-ka) and descendent of the Turtle Moun-tain Band of Chippewa (North Dakota)

LT Jennifer Manning, OTR/L, CHTDuty Station: Shiprock, NM, IHS/Northern Navajo Medical CenterOccupational Therapist and Certified Hand TherapistTribe: Chippewa Tribe

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AIANCOAC VOTING MEMBERS MEMBERSHIP YEARCDR Goodwin, Robin 2017-2019CDR Warner, James 2017-2019LCDR Davis, Adele 2017-2019LCDR Lucero, Karly 2017-2019LCDR Saltclah, Shannon 2017-2019LCDR Smith, Samantha 2017-2019LT Stearns, Kenneth 2017-2019CDR Cummins, Carol 2018-2020LCDR Freiburg, William 2018-2020LCDR Smith, Karsten 2018-2020CDR Beauvais, Velliyah 2019-2021CDR Henson, Mike 2019-2021CDR Wasson, Lynette 2019-2021CDR Wato, Kari 2019-2021LCDR Beardslee, Amber 2019-2021LCDR Frank, Dodson 2019-2021LCDR Hayes, Janet 2019-2021LCDR Junes-Harvey, Juliane 2019-2021LCDR Schossow, Melissa 2019-2021LT Denetdale, Verdaleen 2019-2021

AIANCOAC ADVOCATES MEMBERSHIP YEARCDR Bartholomew, Michael 2017-2019CDR Tagliaferri, Geri 2017-2019LCDR Dele, Lessina 2017-2019LCDR Weise, Karla 2017-2019LCDR Battese, Angela 2017-2019LT Kernell, Sara 2017-2019LT LaMere, Jennifer 2017-2019CDR Maxon, Jeff 2018-2020CDR Meredith, Maury 2018-2020LCDR Lowe, Shannon 2018-2020LCDR Lucio, MacArthur 2018-2020LCDR Sampson, Docia 2018-2020LCDR Smith, Seneca 2018-2020LCDR Uttchin, Venus 2018-2020LT Holiday, Charisse 2018-2020CAPT Hayworth, Dana 2019-2021CDR Nichols, Cara 2019-2021CDR Ruano-Russil, Jorge 2019-2021CDR Smith, Jonathan 2019-2021LCDR Edwards, Lindsay 2019-2021LCDR Johnson, Kristi 2019-2021LCDR Sampson, Lindsay 2019-2021LCDR Standing Soldier, Tasha 2019-2021LT Valdez, Brian 2019-2021

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AIANCOAC Website: https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/aiancoac/

AIANCOAC Leadership

Chair, LCDR Dodson Frank Seminole

Vice Chair, LCDR Shannon Saltclah Navajo

Secretary, LT Kenneth StearnsChickasaw Nation

Treasurer, LCDR Karsten SmithCherokee & Creek

Senior Advisor, CAPT Dana HayworthCherokee Nation & Eastern

Shawnee Tribe

AIANCOAC Newsletter Workgroup

Editor in ChiefLT Verdaleen Denetdale

Copy EditorsLCDR William Freiberg LCDR Shannon Lowe

EditorsCDR MacKenzie WilsonLCDR Lindsay Edwards

LCDR Janet HayesLCDR Shannon LoweLCDR Nancy ScheragaLCDR Venus UttchinLCDR Erica Zimprich

LT Sara KernellLT Abigail Petrulis

Contributors CDR Robin Goodwin

LCDR Lindsay EdwardsLCDR Dodson Frank

LCDR Shannon SaltclahLT Brenda Riojas

LT Kenneth StearnsLT Bobi Tallman

american indian & alaska native commissioned …medical center in ada as well as satellite...

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