Letter from Lisa

Dear Friends,

I am happy to report that 2022 was a year of great growth for Chapa-De Indian Health.

While we faced challenges in workforce shortages and a particularly difficult cold and flu season, we made significant strides in advancing our mission and meeting the growing needs of our communities.

I am honored to work with such an outstanding team who continues to go above and beyond to provide our patients with the very best high-quality, compassionate care.

We have much to look forward to in the months and years ahead as we continue to expand our services by adding a third clinic site in Rocklin. I am proud to highlight some of the many accomplishments that we achieved together in 2022.

Thank you to all who support Chapa-De Indian Health and best wishes for a prosperous 2023!

With gratitude,

Lisa Davies, MPH
Chief Executive Officer

Welcome Back! Annual Elder’s Christmas Party

After three challenging pandemic years, we were excited to bring back our annual in-person Elder’s Christmas Party. At the beautiful Ridge Golf Course in Auburn, we started the party off with a prayer. The space was decorated with holiday decor and Elders’ laughter and conversations filled the room. We passed out gifts, ate delicious food, listened to festive holiday music, and shared stories of our people’s rich history. The room had a spot that was decorated for picture taking and we were even graced by Santa.

While it was technically a Holiday Party, it felt more like a family reunion. There were many people who hadn’t gotten together since before the pandemic and were able to reconnect at this gathering. Being able to reconnect, hug each other, and share stories honors our people in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Stories about early Chapa-De were also shared– mentioning how even despite our growing pains, our health centers have affected so many lives for the better.

We thank everyone who attended and made it such a wonderful event. The sharing of stories and wisdom is not only important to us, but to future generations as well.

Other Key Encounters

Top 10 reasons Patients Seek Care

1. Dental Services
2. Immunization(s)
3. Person under investigation for COVID-19
4. Routine Child Health Examination
5. Hypertension
6. Depression & Anxiety
7. Counseling
8. Diabetes Care
9. Fitting and adjustment of eye glasses and contact lenses
10. Therapeutic drug monitoring

Building Our Care Coordination Services

This year, we added a new member to our Care Coordination Team. We now have a Community Health Representative dedicated to assisting Latin@ patients!

Care Coordinators are staff members at Chapa-De who help patients with barriers that affect their care and wellbeing. They work directly with patients to connect them to a wide range of programs and services. This can include housing, food, transportation, and more. Our providers give patients the healthcare they need at our health centers and our Care Coordinators help make sure that patients have basic necessities and are getting the help they need in their daily lives.

Our Care Coordination Team now includes two Patient Care Coordinators, a Community Health Representative dedicated to American Indian patients, and a Community Health Representative dedicated to Latin@ patients. We also have a new Care Coordination Program Manager to help further strengthen our navigation and case management programs.

The Power of Care Coordination: One Patient’s Story

Patient Care Coordinators at Chapa-De often go above and beyond to help our patients. In 2022, Patient Care Coordinator Donna Jenkins was able to help a longtime Chapa-De patient secure safe and stable housing after learning he was experiencing homelessness. This was no easy feat and took 5-months of Donna’s constant attention with support and collaboration with the patient, AMI Housing and FREED.

After another team member recognized the patient’s need for housing and services, Donna stepped in to help. She personally contacted AMI housing and got the patient registered for the coordinated entry housing system through 211. The patient was also connected with a caseworker at FREED.

After not seeing a lot of progress after several weeks, Donna dug deeper and learned that while the patient was connected with the right housing resources, he wasn’t getting the help he needed so she stepped in to assist. Donna helped the patient fill out a section 8 housing voucher packet and arranged for the patient to get copies of his birth certificate, social security card, and bank statements which were required to complete the process.

Once the paperwork was completed and approved, Donna helped the patient secure housing that accepted a Section 8 voucher. The patient was incredibly grateful to everyone who helped him get off the street and especially Donna who he continues to visit each week.

Prenatal Care & Baby Luv Program

Our Prenatal Care and Baby Luv programs in Auburn and Grass Valley:

• We welcomed more than 70 babies in 2022
• Established 112 new Prenatal patients in 2022
• Served a total 126 Prenatal patients in 2022

The Baby Luv program helps educate soon to be mothers about what to expect during each trimester, as well as helping mothers after birth, by planning for the future. Our hope is that through this program, we are empowering mothers to be confident and educated in their pregnancy.

“Babies of mothers who do not receive prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do obtain care. While the statistics are concerning, I am happy to share that there are many resources readily available to expectant mothers in our community. Receiving early and regular prenatal care improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy for all individuals.”

Karina Gookin, MD

Expanded Partnerships with First 5 Placer

Community support is an important part of programs like our Maternal Child Health (MCH) program, creating access to critical resources for those who need it. In partnering with First 5 Placer, we are able to do just that for our patients.

First 5 Placer is an organization dedicated to supporting the healthy development of children during their first five years of life. Under the Road to Resilience Initiative led by First5, Navigators from partner organizations including Sierra Native Alliance, KidsFirst, and Granite Wellness Center visit Chapa-De’s Auburn health center on a weekly basis to meet with Prenatal/OB patients and parents of medical patients who are under age 1. These Navigators are coordinators and advocates certified by their programs to assist patients with housing, SUD(Substance Use Disorder) treatment/management, mental health services, education resources, and cultural and family resources for Native families.

We are thankful that our team has been able to partner with many important organizations in the Auburn and Grass Valley areas.

Saving Lives Through Overdose Prevention

Our communities have experienced an alarming increase in the number of accidental overdoses and overdose deaths due to fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic (lab-made) opioid that is used to treat severe pain related to surgery or complex pain conditions. Although FDA-approved, fentanyl has been made and distributed illegally in increasing amounts over the past decade, leading to a dramatic rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States.

With this information in mind, Chapa-De is working to educate our patients about harm reduction strategies. We also provide free resources to empower community members in an attempt to prevent overdose. Chapa-De patients can get Narcan, which is a potentially life saving medication designed to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, as well as free fentanyl test strips at both our Auburn and Grass Valley health centers.

In 2022, Chapa-De gave out 5,700 free fentanyl test strips within our health centers and at community events. These test strips can alert community members if fentanyl is mixed into a product.

Click here to learn the signs of opioid overdose.

New Grass Valley Administration Building

After renovating more than 17,000 square feet within our health centers in 2021, we broke ground on our new 10,000 square foot Administration Building in Grass Valley. Staff moved into the new building in July 2022.

This new building offers:

• Meeting Spaces
• Medical & Dental Call Centers
• Referrals Office
• Training Rooms
• Health Information Services Office
• IT Offices
• Administration Offices

Adding this building was important in order to maximize space for patient services within our health centers. We are proud to be able to offer our staff comfortable places like these to help further their support for fellow coworkers and patients.

Dr. Glenn Gookin
Director

Dr. Julie Garchow
Associate Program Director

Training Our Next Generation Of Medical Providers

Through a partnership with CommonSpirit Health (formally Dignity Health), we have worked to create a rural residency program for Family Medicine – the new Sierra Nevada Family Medicine Residency Program.

This is a multi-year training program, for physicians after they complete medical school, to focus on and further their work and education in family medicine. This allows those physicians to become eligible for a board certification.

The residency program is led by Chapa-De’s Dr. Glenn Gookin (Director) and Dr. Julie Garchow (Associate Program Director).  Over the last three years, Dr. Gookin and Dr. Garchow, and various Chapa-De Leadership members, have been working closely with teams from CommonSpirit Health and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital to lay the groundwork for the launch of this important program. The rural residency program will bring medical residents to Grass Valley for specialized training in delivering quality healthcare in a rural setting. The residents will receive two years of primary care training at our Grass Valley location and will also spend time at CommonSpirit hospitals in Sacramento and Grass Valley.

“In Northern California, and throughout the United States, rural communities experience health disparities that are tied to a lack of healthcare services. It is much more difficult to recruit providers to practice in rural areas – something we know all too well based on the time it takes to fill open positions in Grass Valley. The goal of our new residency program is to attract doctors who want to make a difference in rural communities. They will get to experience the unique challenges and rewards of providing whole person primary healthcare to underserved populations in locations that do not have immediate access to large hospitals or a robust network of specialists. Our program will train highly skilled physicians who will learn from the Chapa-De team about the barriers faced by our patient population and who will develop the cultural competence to make a difference in Grass Valley and other similar communities.” 

Lisa Davies, CEO Chapa-De Indian Health

Meet Julie!

One of our many success stories. With the support of her Chapa-De Primary Care Provider and the Diabetes Program, Julie has lost over 30 pounds and is feeling more comfortable with herself.

Diabetes Prevention Program Receives CDC Recognition

Diabetes care and prevention continues to be one of Chapa-De’s core focuses. With many in the AI/AN community and wider community living with diabetes, our team of lifestyle coaches, registered nurses, registered dietitians, and program staff consistently strives to provide the best quality care and create new support systems for these patients.

In 2022, Chapa-De’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was recognized by the CDC for our outstanding quality and outcomes, receiving CDC Full Plus Recognition. This award is reserved for programs who meet very strict quality and outcome standards. Full Plus Recognition means our program had at least 60% of DPP participants finishing a whole year-long program and meeting the below criteria:

– At least 5% weight loss 12 months after the cohort began, or

– At least 4% weight loss and at least 150 minutes per week on average of physical activity reported 12 months after the cohort began, or

– At least a 0.2% reduction in baseline HbA1C (recorded within one year of enrollment).

The DPP Program is free and is proven to help patients avoid the onset of diabetes, to live healthier, and to feel better while doing the things they love.

DPP offers:

• Nutrition counseling to lose weight in a healthy way
• Exercise counseling modified to your needs and levels
• Help managing stress
• Group discussions to learn from others
• Lifestyle coaches to support you through the program

Our Foundation

Chapa-De Indian Health has a longstanding record of serving our community. In 1974, our founding mission was to address the lack of healthcare services for American Indians living in our area. We aimed to create a space for native individuals and their families to receive  appropriate and welcoming care within the community. While our mission has expanded to offer care to more underserved neighbors, our first priority remains to deliver high-quality and culturally informed healthcare services to American Indian people.

Our Future

Chapa-De continues to expand and grow throughout our region. New developments and renovations allow us more space to serve our patients. We are able to expand our team, facilities, and patient service areas. However, we prioritize honoring our foundation in all that we do. We acknowledge that Chapa-De is located on the traditional lands of the Nisenan, Miwok, and Maidu people. We look at the land’s history with gratitude and will honor the land and the Nisenan, Miwok, and Maidu people in the present and in the future.

Our Commitment

Throughout all of our changes and growth, we remain committed to ensuring that American Indians feel comfortable and at-home in our health centers. Chapa-De offers a wide variety of free and low-cost services to verified American Indian patients. We know the importance of offering culturally competent care and are continually evolving to respond to the needs of our community.

2022 Employee Survey

One of the many ways we check-in with staff is through employee engagement opinion surveys. These surveys help us to stay in-tune with the needs of our team and communities.  

With a score of 81, we are proud to share that Chapa-De has excellent employee engagement that is well above the industry average.

We are also happy to announce that approximately 90% of Chapa-De employees agree that we are fulfilling our mission and 9 out of 10 employees (91%) agree that Chapa-De is dedicated to providing high-quality care regardless of financial situation or ethnicity.

88% of our employees are also “very” or “extremely satisfied” with the benefits provided by Chapa-De, which is 31% higher compared to industry standards, and 90% of team members feel that Chapa-De responded very well or extremely well to the COVID-19 pandemic.

95% of our team members reported that they are proud to work at Chapa-De and over 90% of employees said their work was enjoyable, interesting, and contributed to the overall success of the organization. Furthermore, we met or exceeded healthcare industry and U.S. benchmarks on almost all measures in our survey. The feedback we gathered this year helps to provide us understanding on what works well and what we can improve on.

Thank You Chapa-De Team! We are so proud of these results. Our staff are the foundation of Chapa-De. We are so lucky to have such amazing and talented individuals come to work with us every day. No matter how difficult, stressful or trying, our employees are ready to make a difference in our patient’s lives.

Meet Alexandra Wilkins, FNP

In 2022, we were proud to welcome Alexandra Wilkins, FNP at our Grass Valley Health Center, where she provides adult and pediatric medical care.

Education: Received Master of Science in Nursing, University of Southern California
Board Certification: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Languages Spoken: English

Alexandra is proud to be a provider at Chapa-De and believes that all people, regardless of their financial position, are deserving of high-quality, compassionate care. She is happy to have the opportunity to work in a clinic that serves Native Americans and other underserved populations.

“I love to care for others. My goal in providing care is to meet the patient where they are and try to educate them in how to help themselves medically and non-medically. My hope is that my patients feel empowered to care for themselves.” 

Alexandra Wilkins, FNP

Join Our Growing Team

We are always looking to hire highly-engaged individuals who have a passion for helping others. We offer competitive salaries above market rates, generous paid time off and robust career opportunities.

At Chapa-De, We believe that you should have time and energy to enjoy the people and activities that you love most. We very much value work-life balance, which drives us to ensure employees have manageable workload and schedules.

We update the Careers page of our website regularly with all open positions. Go to www.chapa-de.org/careers to learn more.