February 2024 | Issue 35

NEW FROM PATH

Quick Guide: Suicide Prevention and Care Resources | Download the guide

Suicide rates are up to three times higher among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people compared to any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. This quick guide provides facility staff with links to resources, tools and evidence-based practices to support hospitals in the prevention and care of suicidal patients.

Let's TALK Resources

It can be challenging for patients to get their needs met during the short time of a doctor's visit. Let's TALK! helps patients and health care providers take four simple steps during medical appointments to put together a plan for care. Let's TALK! stands for: Tell us what is going on; Ask what you can do about it; Learn where to get more information; Keep healthy by taking action.

Check out these Let's TALK tools:

• Let's TALK! video (05:11) - This video provides an overview of how patients can engage in conversations about their health.
• Let's TALK! flyer - Hang this flyer on the wall or hand it out to patients. The flyer includes a QR code to direct patients and health care professionals to the Let's TALK! video.
• Let's TALK! postcard - A smaller version of the flyer, this postcard-sized handout can be given to patients and also includes the QR code to navigate to the Let's TALK! video.

IHS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Going Digital to Improve the Discharge Process

TAKE 5 FOR SAFETY

National Patient Safety Awareness Week

National Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 10-16 -- just a couple weeks away!

Get tips for celebrating Patient Safety Awareness Week in this month's edition of Take 5 for Safety.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) provides examples of how others across the country have recognized Patient Safety Awareness Week, including activities in AI/AN communities. Free webinar recordings are also posted to IHI's website.

IHS also has a wealth of resources about patient safety.

• Last year, IHS recommitted to strengthening patient safety across the IHS health care system by releasing the IHS 2023 Agency Work Plan.
• IHS has a Total System Safety Strategic Plan that provides a road map to strengthening patient safety and includes a patient safety fact sheet.
• The Indian Health Manual also covers patient safety in chapter 42, which includes an outline of health care professionals' responsibilities when it comes to patient safety.

PATH EVENTS

Leading a Culture of Safety

Register Now | View Event Flyer

Wednesday, February 28

2-3:30 p.m. ET | 1-2:30 p.m. CT | 12-1:30 p.m. MT | 11-12:30 p.m. PT

Join us for a free, 90-minute learning session for current or potential nursing leaders to discuss the importance of patient and employee safety based on current evidence and industry guidelines. Participants will take away recommendations for action and resources necessary for fostering a Culture of Safety. Register today!

We will summarize the basic components of a Culture of Safety, identify the role of leaders in demonstrating and reinforcing a Culture of Safety, and describe additional resources and support for further development in leading a Culture of Safety. One and a half (1.5) hours of nursing continuing education units (CEUs) will be available to those who attend this session. To receive CEU credits, the completion of a post-event evaluation and nursing license number will be required. CEUs approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing.

IHS Opioid Surveillance Dashboard Office Hours | Register now

Every third Wednesday, February through May

2-3 p.m. ET | 1-2 p.m. CT | 1-12 p.m. MT | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. PT

Join the IHS National Committee on Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE Committee) and PATH for open office hours sessions on the use of the IHS Opioid Surveillance Dashboard (OSD). This call will support IHS users of the IHS OSD through

• discussing dashboard functionality and use cases;
• responding to dashboard questions;
• providing a forum to discuss requests, recommendations or enhancements;
• highlighting techniques to get the most out of this dashboard.

This event is free and open to IHS staff only. Registration is required to receive the call-in information.

Event Recording

Health Literacy: Using Plain Language to Support Patient Wellness and Improve Outcomes

On January 31, IHS leaders and the PATH team presented a 90-minute Learning Circle on health literacy entitled Health Literacy: Using Plain Language to Support Patient Wellness and Improve Outcomes. This event was recorded and can be viewed at any time. The event covered the following topics:

• Why health literacy is important to patient care
• How to assess a patient’s health literacy level
• Strategies to promote patient understanding
• Discuss about documentation in the electronic health record (EHR)

This PATH Learning Circle will be helpful to anyone working with indigenous communities. 

2024 CMS Quality Conference | April 8-10

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a "transformative health care journey"

at this year's quality conference. This year's theme is "Resilient and Ready Together:

Creating an Optimal Environment for Quality Health Care for Individuals, Families and Communities."

Participants can attend in person in Baltimore, Maryland, or tune in virtually.

Registration is required for both in-person and virtual participants. Though an agenda is not yet available, days one and two will consist of general sessions, and day three will focus on nursing home care. The PATH team is preparing to present during one of the sessions on "Using Community Health Assessments and Leveraging Community Resources to Improve Health Equity and Reduce Health Care Disparities."

This material was prepared by Comagine Health for the American Indian Alaska Native Healthcare Quality Initiative under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. NQIIC-AIHQI-489-02/13/2024