Health leaders talk babies, ‘visits,’ new app | Health

TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation health leaders updated the Tribal Council on a record number of babies, patient visits versus services, and a new pharmacy app during their monthly Health Committee meeting on Dec. 15. 

Baby Boom

In his Health Committee report, Cherokee Nation Health Services CEO Dr. Stephen R. Jones noted the tribe saw a record 110 babies born in October.

“That was our biggest month ever on record,” he said. “We also hit the 1,000 mark. Last year, we were right up to the end – we got 997 for the year. In November of Thanksgiving week, we hit the 1,000 mark. So, we’re already way above where we were last year.”

The births reflect totals from W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah and also, for the first time, Cherokee Nation Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center. The tribe took over the former Claremore Indian Hospital from the Indian Health Service on Oct. 1.

Patient Visits Now ‘Services’

Instead of referring to the number of “patient visits” within Cherokee Nation Health Services, the tribe will now point to “patient services” to reflect “everything that was being done,” Jones said.

“As we looked at the metric on (patient visits), we didn’t feel like it really does justice for the work that’s being done,” he added. “So, we started looking at what other things we should be measuring. So, we’re going to start talking about services. You’ll hear that term, ‘patient services,’ because if a patient came in and saw their provider and went to the pharmacy, it’s counted as one visit. But there was a lot of work that went on with two different situations. One was with the primary care, and one was with the pharmacy. So, we’re looking at services that are performed that expend resources or manpower. So, you’ll see those numbers start to change.”

The numbers, Jones said, “are going to be quite a bit bigger.”

“We weren’t capturing everything that was being done with the patient visits,” he said. “One visit could mean four or five services rather than a person coming in for a wellness check or something like that.”

Pharmacy App

Cherokee Nation Public Health Executive Director Lisa Pivec lauded the tribe’s new mobile app and website, Cherokee Nation Rx, which enables Cherokee citizens to manage their prescriptions anytime, anywhere.

“I am one of the early adopters,” she said. “I absolutely love it. It works really well. It helps me remember everything. It sends me reminders, and it’s just super quick. I hope more patients use that … for their prescriptions and see how easy it is to use and how convenient.”

The innovative platform, powered by mscripts technology, provides access to prescription refills, medication reminders and pharmacy notifications through text messaging and mobile applications.

It is available for download on both iOS and Android devices. Citizens can also access the service through the web portal at health.cherokee.org. For more information about registering for the Cherokee Nation Rx app, citizens should contact their local Cherokee Nation pharmacy or visit the Cherokee Nation Health Services website.