Message from Ralph Forquera, Executive Director
In 2008, the Seattle Indian Health Board made a major investment in its future. After more than a year of planning, we implemented two significant technology upgrades including the addition of an Electronic Health Record (EHR). The implementation of the EHR will make it possible to better track the health of our patients, help assure that preventive testing and screening is done in a timely fashion, and allow our physicians to better care for patients while in the hospital using a secured computer connection to protect confidentiality.
Making these changes was a daunting task that consumed thousands of staff hours in planning for the change. Management spent considerable time investigating the pros and cons of various systems, each with benefits and shortcomings that had to be carefully evaluated. The Board provided guidance and trust in our decisions as this shift was not a cheap investment. Choices had to be made along the way as converting from paper charts to an electronic record is not a direct transfer. Implementing this 21st century technology into our agency is a major shift in thinking, and staff was remarkable in adjusting, recognizing that the effect will be better care for our community.
Building on the success of the SIHB/UIHI's release of the "Invisible Tribes: Urban Indians and Their Health in a Changing World" report at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. in November of 2007, the SIHB/UIHI hosted a special consultation for the National Library of Medicine (NLM) this past June. NLM is preparing an exhibit to recognize American Indian concepts of health and wellness. The consultation brought together a dozen individuals to discuss how to include urban Indian health into the exhibit. This exhibit is now scheduled to be installed at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland in 2011.
The Seattle Indian Health Board continues in its quest to be a leader in the health of urban Indians both locally and throughout the nation. Hosting special initiatives like the NLM consultation and managing the Urban Indian Health Commission provides us with a rare opportunity to raise our voice to those with influence and resources to further our work. The Board and staff are remarkable in their ability to support and manage these activities, giving the Seattle Indian community recognition and promoting the image of the Seattle Indian Health board as a premiere institution. It is a great pleasure to help guide this work!
Ralph Forquera M.P.H., Executive Director (Juaneno Band of California Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation)
