Chinle Medical Homes

Improving Patient Care (IPC) is a nationally recognized partnership between the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Indian Health Service (IHS).  Chinle was one of the first IHS sites to participate in the program.  Along with many Indian health sites across the country, we are working to improve care for patients with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.  This effort aims to improve the experience of care for patients and the availability of services to communities.  To do so requires innovation and change in the way we conduct healthcare.

What is a medical home?
At Chinle Hospital, we have developed a medical homes where our patients receive care from specific healthcare teams.  Teams are made up of registered nurses, nursing assistants, medical support assistants, health technicians, and health care providers.

“Táá hwí’ájítéego – It’s Up To You!”
Most healthcare happens outside of the health center. Healthcare professionals provide valuable knowledge and skills which are most useful when patients feel empowered to make healthy choices.

By creating medical homes, we are encouraging our patients to be active members of the team. Patients and their families play the most important role on the team by choosing healthy activities, eating healthy foods, having safe behaviors, and getting the most from their healthcare visits.

Over half of our pediatric patients and 40% of our adult patients have chosen to join our medical homes.
 
Our adult teams are named for herbs used in the Navajo tradition for healing:

Ghad ni eełíí
Cedar is an herb used in the Navajo tradition for healing.  Cedar is used to ward off bad spirits and in ceremonies. Cedar leaves can be used as a tea and can also be burned as incense to help clear the mind of stress and imbalance in your life.

Ghád
Juniper is an herb used in the Navajo tradition for healing.  Juniper is used in ceremonies as a type of tea and incense.  Juniper berries can be used as food (i.e. blue corn mush) and the wood can be used as shelter and fire for the home.

Tsááh
Sage is an herb used in the Navajo tradition for healing and purification.  Sage is used to help cleanse the body and to keep the body healthy.  It can be chewed or used as a tea.  Sage helps the immune system prevent illness.

Tsá’ásze’
Yucca is an herb used in the Navajo tradition for healing and purification.  Yucca is used in ceremonies to purify the body and the mind.  The root of the yucca plant can be used as soap and can strengthen hair.