Cooperative Agreement H1D1IHS1212

NATIVE PROJECT SDPI - NATIVE PROJECT IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION STARTED IN 1989 AND OPERATES AN URBAN INDIAN HEALTH CLINIC AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC ALONG WITH OTHER PROGRAMS IN THE WEST CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD OF SPOKANE, WA. THE MISSION OF NATIVE PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES THAT PROMOTE WELLNESS OF MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT FOR INDIVIDUALS, STAFF, FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY. SPOKANE HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 14,000 AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE. EACH YEAR THE MEDICAL TEAM AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM REVIEW THE DIABETES AUDIT, THE GPRA SCORES AND THE OVERALL CLINIC PATIENT DIAGNOSES TO SEE HOW PATIENT CARE IS PROGRESSING. THE BEST PRACTICE FOR THIS YEAR WILL BE TO FOCUS ON SCREENING SMOKING STATUS AND OFFERING SMOKING CESSATION COUNSELING. THERE IS A REAL NEED TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT PATIENTS WHO MADE THE DECISION TO QUIT SMOKING. THE OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS WILL BE ON REDUCING THE A1C OF PATIENTS WHO ARE 9 OR OVER, HELPING WITH FOOT CARE AND HYPERTENSION AS WELL AS WORKING ON PREDIABETES. DIABETES EDUCATION CLASSES WILL ALSO BE OFFERED AS WELL AS FOOT CARE AND DIABETES DAY CLINICS. AS NATIVE PROJECT WAS STARTED AS AN ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH ISSUES, WE ALSO FOCUS ON MAKING THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND FAMILIES AWARE OF DIABETES AND OFFER SOME STRATEGIES TO AVOID OR LESSEN THE RISK OF DIABETES. THE OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ENGAGING IN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER OUTREACH EVENTS TO THE PATIENTS AND THE NATIVE COMMUNITY SO THAT DIABETES CARE AS WELL AS GENERAL HEALTH CARE BECOMES A PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. NATIVE PROJECT HAS A TALENTED AND HARD-WORKING HEALTH TEAM AND COUPLED WITH THE MOTIVATED PATIENTS, THE HOPE IS TO MAKE A DENT IN THE MANY HEALTH DISPARITIES FACING THE NATIVE POPULATION TODAY. THIS NEW FOCUS AND APPROACH IS EXCITING FOR ALL INVOLVED AND THE DIABETES TEAM LOOKS FORWARD TO GETTING STARTED.