Areas of Specialty
Draft policy and protocol guidelines for Navajo Nation HIV/AIDS program implementation of education, prevention and screening for HIV.
Assist with draft enabling legislation for Navajo Nation Division of Health to become a Department of Health with full public health authority.
Assist and facilitate the development of the Navajo Epidemiology Center to conduct epidemiologic investigations and surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks (iGAS) and development of a cancer control plan for the Navajo Nation.
Assist and facilitate the planning and development of data sharing agreements between the Navajo Epidemiology Center, Navajo Area Indian Health Service and the State Departments of Health of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Develop policies for the implementation of the Navajo Nation Commitment Act. Facilitate the development of the Navajo Nation Ten Year Wellness Plan.
Facilitate the development of a plan for the Navajo Nation Emergency Medical System.
Member, NN Medicaid Feasibility Taskforce, July 2012-current. Taskforce will provide guidance to CMS on delivery of report to Secretary Sebelius on the feasibility of the NN to become a Tribal Tri-State Medicaid agency.
Founder, NN CEO/Providers Network, May 2012. Network meets quarterly to improve access, quality and efficiency of services delivered to NN patients.
Presenter, ?The Navajo Nation Trauma System? and ?The Navajo Nation Emergency Preparedness Plan?, US DHHS Region IX Tribal Consultation, Window Rock, AZ. March 22 and 23, 2012
Guest, Escuela Latinoamerica de Medicina (ELAM), Havana Medical School, Havana, Cuba. Traveled with NN Vice President to visit with Dean of ELAM to discuss recruitment of NN students to ELAM, March 2012.
Lead Advisor, NN Telecommunications/Telehealth Broadband Plan, February 2012 to current. Lead collaborative team for a grant submission to the USDA for a telehealth project on the Navajo Nation.
Special Medical Advisor and DMSB advisor to Glaxo-Smith Kline study, NN Human Research Review Board, January 2012.
Courses Taught
TEACHING INTERESTS
The development of a culturally competent curriculum is important in the teaching and education of medical students, residents and faculty. The Ethics Certificate program offers a lecture on NA healthcare and ethics in which I am involved in the discussion of this portion of the course.
I serve as preceptor two half days a week for the Family Medicine residents at the Albuquerque Indian Health Center. I provide a continuity clinic to a first-year medical student at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center. I enjoy being a circuit rider for the PIE student rotation at an Indian Health Service site. Yearly, I have been involved with the intern and HO II orientation to cultural competency pertaining to Native American populations.
Delivery of culturally sensitive healthcare to Native American people is the very reason for my pursuing a medical career. This especially is important in how medical students and residents participate in this process. It is very important that minority populations receive culturally appropriate healthcare in that may eventually alleviate health care disparity that may arise from such encounters. I enjoy teaching medical students or residents in primary care and especially in areas that deal with native patients.
Research and Scholarship
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Engaging and understanding research from the perspective of Native American communities is an important role as Director of the Center for Native
American Health (CNAH). CNAH has sponsored and delivered an annual
New Mexico Tribal Research Summit since June 2006. This summit affords the opportunity for tribal communities to dialogue with University institutional partners in understanding research protocol and priorities from the tribal community viewpoint. Assisting in development of a process by which dialogue, consensus, and knowledge is shared between the institution and tribal communities will be an important step for further advancement of research partnerships with tribal communities. This is a research interest of mine.