2005 American Indian/Alaska Native Commissioned Officers Advisory Committee Annual Awards Presented

The 2005 American Indian/Alaska Native Commissioned Officers Advisory Committee (AI/ANCOAC) Annual Awards were presented to the following:

CDR Kathy A. Holcroft Received the AI/ANCOAC 2005 Leadership Award

CDR Kathy A. Holcroft is the Chief Nurse Executive at Hastings Indian Medical Center in Tahlequah, OK. She is actively involved in executive leadership and has an operational knowledge of the programs that are implemented and in place. She attends workshops and training in order to keep leaders updated on new initiatives and changes.

CDR Holcroft is guiding the nursing staff in preparation for application to the Magnet Recognition Program. Magnet status is the American Nurses Association/American Nurses Credentialing Center’s highest award for excellence in nursing. The purpose is to provide the staff with the autonomy to deliver evidence-based nursing care for a more collaborative effort outcome and giving the very best care possible to American Natives.

CDR Holcroft has served in many areas including Employee Development Investment, Area Recruitment and Retention, mentoring committee, education advocate, nurse advocate, and is one of the original board members that planned, implemented, and evaluated the Executive Leadership Development Program. The executive leadership team values her input due to her vast knowledge on the leadership level.

LT Brian R. Wren Received the AI/ANCOAC 2005 Annie Dodge Wauneka Award

LT Brian R. Wren serves as Chief of Pharmacy Services at Hastings Indian Medical Center in Tahlequah, OK, and is responsible for the total operation of the medical center’s pharmacy service. His duties include supervising staff, planning improvements, personally providing pharmaceutical care, controlling the drug budget, providing educational programs/training to hospital staff, and serving as a preceptor/adjunct faculty member for pharmacy school programs.

LT Wren has also developed the protocols, standing orders, and logistics necessary for pharmacists to manage patients with essential hypertension and/or dyslipidemia. This has allowed patients with these disorders to be referred into the pharmacy-based Medication Management Clinic to receive clinical treatment, education, and continuous follow-up until being assigned a primary physician.

A recent study of patients enrolled in the hypertension clinic showed a clinically and statistically significant mean drop in blood pressure. This data was presented at the Association of Schools of Public Health’s Clinical Meeting in December 2004, thereby providing good exposure of the Indian Health Service pharmacy program as well as recruitment opportunities from the private sector.

CDR Richard S. Harris Received the AI/ANCOAC 2005 Senior Officer Award

CDR Richard S. Harris is a Medical Officer and sole Primary Care Provider at Carnegie Indian Health Clinic (CIHC), Carnegie, OK. Along with providing primary care for all clinic patients, he is actively involved with quality care improvement initiatives, and has been recognized with a PHS Citation award for outstanding medical services.

CDR Harris has contributed greatly to the planning and implementation of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Electronic Health Record at CIHC in order to improve the quality of patient care and patient safety. He is an innovator and early adopter of better practices and positive system changes, and admirably serves his patients, colleagues, and IHS through his efforts to implement and refine new programs. His dedication to patients and to the improvement of patient care has enhanced the overall quality of healthcare delivered to his patients.

LCDR Amy Holder Received the AI/ANCOAC 2005 Junior Officer Award

LCDR Amy Holder serves as the Director of the Dental Support Center (DSC) in a Senior Supervisory Program Management Officer billet in Oklahoma City, OK. As an educator and health promoter, she serves as the Oklahoma City Area (OCA) Continuing Education Training Coordinator for all local and national courses providing training and technical assistance. She has played a vital role in increasing prevention meeting participation by 50 percent and facilitated Continuing Dental Education courses attended by more than 450 employees.

LCDR Holder developed and established the OCA DSC which maintains the infrastructure to recruit, orient, train, advocate for, and support dental providers, and promotes the benefits of the public health model with continued dental surveillance through the analysis of generated data. She enlisted the help of dental specialists to create an informational patient pamphlet. A 2004 “Our Smiles are OK” calendar and a “Sack Out Decay” Head Start Initiative were started to encourage parents to make dental exams a priority. It is a kid-friendly dental health program designed to help reduce the number of cavities children are getting.

LCDR Holder’s administrative role was instrumental in planning and organizing the 2003 and 2004 OCA Annual Dental Meeting. She has demonstrated significant contributions fostering the goals of the Public Health Service and enhancing the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

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