C;vep-gū: The Spark That Lights the Fire of Change

Executive Summary

Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) is the largest medical center in the Indian Health Service (IHS), with over 100,000 users annually. This project will address the question, “How do we simplify access to appropriate care for patients on campus?”

When patients arrive at PIMC they often do not know where to go to receive care. At the clinic level, they are often instructed to go to a different clinic or area to receive the care they need. This process results in care delays, fragmented care, and frustrated patients. The patients voice concerns that they do not understand where to go on campus for which problems, and express a need to have their needs met without being shifted around campus.

To address these problems/concerns several solutions will be discussed and possibly tested for efficacy. The proposed solutions may include pictoral maps with color coding, television/video story telling education campaigns, a toolkit for staff to communicate with patients, outlining clear expectations for staff and patients about what care is provided in the clinics on campus, and integration of patient educational material on the facebook page.

If the proposed solutions work it would lead to continuity of care without care delays. This would allow Phoenix Indian Medical Center to begin to rebuild trust with the staff and patients.

A project supported by the: HHS Ignite Accelerator

Team Members

Brandy Cloud (Project Lead), Phoenix Indian Medical Center, IHS
Juliana Upshaw, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, IHS
Cinnamon Spear, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, IHS

Milestones

March 2016: Project selected into the HHS Ignite Accelerator
April 2016: Time in the Accelerator began

Project Sponsor

Camlesh Nirmul, Directory of Ambulatory Services, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, IHS