2011 IHS IHCRC Employees

IHCRC Employees receive IHS Awards

The Eighth Annual Oklahoma City Area Office Indian Health Service (IHS) Director's Awards Ceremony and Banquet was held. This annual event recognizes individuals and health teams who have helped advance the goal of the Indian Health Service to ensure comprehensive health services are provided in a culturally competent manner to American Indian and Alaskan Native people. Individuals working at federal Indian health, tribal health and urban health (I/T/U) facilities within Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma were recognized at the awards ceremony for excellence in job performance.

The Eighth Annual Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service Area Director's Awards Ceremony and Banquet was held on July 21, 2011 in Oklahoma City. This event recognizes individuals and health teams who have helped advance the goal of the Indian Health Service (IHS) to ensure comprehensive health services are provided in a culturally competent manner to American Indian and Alaskan Native people.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Behavioral Health, is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The provision of health services to members of federally-recognized tribes grew out of the special government-to-government relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes.

Individuals working at federal Indian health, tribal health and urban health (I/T/U) facilities within Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma were recognized at the awards ceremony for excellence in job performance. Five employees of Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa (IHCRC) received an Area Director's Award at the 2011 Annual Ceremony, along with the entire Diagnostic Imaging Department.

Michael Scott, MD, Medical Director - Superior Management Award

Michael Scott, MD returned to work for Indian Health Care for the third time in February 2007. In his position as the IHCRC Medical Director, he currently supervises three physicians, three physician assistants, a nurse practitioner, the Dental Director, one optometrist, the diagnostic imaging supervisor and the Pharmacy Director. Dr. Scott joined IHCRC in 1995 as a Family Practice physician. He left his employment with IHCRC twice to pursue humanitarian efforts in South Africa where he assisted in building a hospice and a church.

Dr. Scott has been a key figure in the clinic's successful AAAHC reaccreditation efforts in 2010, the rollout of EHR and the implementation of new diagnostic imaging equipment. He serves a leadership role on the Multidisciplinary Team, Credentialing Committee, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and the Leadership Team.

In addition to being a fine leader and medical professional, Dr. Scott is liked by staff and patients. He treats all individuals with the same respect and professionalism regardless of their title or responsibilities. Dr. Scott is both a person who is well educated and who excels in a wide variety of fields and is one who has the extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge to be considered a true renaissance man.

Karen McAhren, ASRT, ARRT, Diagnostic Imaging Supervisor – Peer Recognition Award

Karen McAhren, ASRT, ARRT is the Mammographer and Supervisor of Diagnostic Imaging at Indian Health Care. Karen joined IHCRC in January 2008 and has been making a very positive impact ever since. During her tenure, Karen has been a very productive asset to the organization. Her productivity has consistently tripled the number of mammograms conducted by any of IHCRC's previous mammography technologists, conducting 1,306 mammogram exams last year.

In 2010, Karen successfully achieved the American College of Radiology (ACR) three-year accreditation by the Committee on Mammography Accreditation of the Commission on Quality and Safety. Karen serves on several external committees and participates in many activities to increase community awareness about breast cancer. Much of her efforts on these initiatives is performed on her personal time, including work with the American Cancer Society to teach women self breast exams and the Tulsa Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Karen serves as IHCRC's representative at the local and state levels for breast cancer awareness initiatives. Karen was instrumental in researching and evaluating the digital x-ray and mammography equipment vendors before management moved forward with selection of the best bidder.

Steve Gregg, Facilities Technician - Area Director's Excellence in Customer Service Award

Steve Gregg joined IHCRC in June 2009 as the Facilities Technician. He consistently proves himself as an individual who goes above and beyond in his performance and duties to help out wherever needed. Steve maintains a positive can do attitude and is a quick responder to all internal and external requests - he never drags his heels. When he's not busy hurdling an immediate customer service need, his day-to-day responsibilities include vehicle, landscape and building maintenance, assisting equipment inventory and acquisition, assisting with OSHA compliance, facility safety and security.

Jessica Collins, Dental Receptionist - Merit Award

Jessica Collins joined IHCRC on January 26, 2004. She has demonstrated the dedication and skills set to perform in a number of capacities including Pharmacy Clerk, Pharmacy Technician, Accounting Floater/Trainer and the Clinical Office Specialist in the Dental Department. She also assists the Optometry staff, when needed. She assists patients with questions or needs, answers the telephone and maintains provider schedules in dental and pulls charts. She also runs Medifaxes on all dental patients and facilitates monthly reporting for the Dental Department.

Diagnostic Imaging Department - Exceptional Clinical Group Performance Award

Karen McAhren, ASRT, ARRT, Beth Conner, ARRT and Karly Fenscke, ARRT work in concert to provide exemplary customer service and state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging services for the American Indians living in and around Tulsa. The Diagnostic Imaging Department was completely remodeled at the time of the new digital equipment installation. IHCRC's Diagnostic Imaging department has excelled over the past few years seeing more and more patients each year and by providing the educational component which is key to early detection.

With the 2010 rollout of digital x-ray and mammography equipment, patients at IHCRC not only benefit from remarkably well trained and competent staff but also from higher quality, detailed images that are provided to the medical staff and to the patient in an expeditious manner. Gone are the days of loaning out or borrowing x-ray and mammography films - patients are now given permanent copies of their digital films on a CD. Older film-based images in medical history files are being digitized as well. In 2010, a total of 1812 x-rays were performed, even though the Diagnostic Imaging Department closed down for one month for facility remodeling and installation of the new digital imaging equipment.