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Comprehensive Health

Welcome Services Provided Meet the Management Team Proposed Integrated Campus Project Work at Comprehensive Health Events Media Room

Welcome

Welcome to Oneida Comprehensive Health Division (OCHD) where we provide health care services for members of the Oneida Nation, their descendants and surrounding Tribes. Our team of professional health care providers believe in a holistic and culturally sensitive approach to care.

VISION:
A progressive sustainable health system that promotes tsi?niyukwalihot^ (Our Ways).

MISSION:
We provide the highest quality, holistic health care to ensure the wellness for OUR Oneida Community.

VALUES:
· Responsive Leadership
· Safety
· Communication
· Culturally Sensitive
· Respect
· Trust is the foundation

HISTORY:
Many years ago, a handful of Oneida women had a vision and a dream to provide health care for tribal members. This vision and dream led to our present-day Oneida Community Health Center. In the beginning, health care services were provided in a small suite of rooms at the Norbert Hill Center. A Director, a Secretary, four (4) Community Health Representatives, a RN, and an LPN offered limited services, but it was a start. As the demand for health services grew, a move was made to the Civic Center where a small lab was added. The medical staff grew to include volunteer doctors, a nursing staff, counselors for alcohol and other drug abuse and a social worker. Dental services were also provided by volunteer dentists from Milwaukee, offered on the weekends in a small office at the Tribal Building on Fish Creek Road and Highway H.

Indian Health Services and Indian Health Service Commission Corps providers offered some holistic health services, but due to limited space and equipment, many services were contracted out.

Increased health care needs of our community members helped to push growth and expansion. In May 1978, the Oneida Community Health Center opened its doors in a new building at the corner of Highways E and EE. For approximately 25 years this facility was the hub of health care services for Native people in and around the Oneida area. The facility and operations continued to grow until the site could no longer be expanded. The planning then began for the creation of a “new” health center to provide expanded health services to the Oneida Community.

On November 4, 2002, a state-of-the-art ambulatory health clinic opened at 525 Airport Drive. The demand for health care services increased as our community continued to grow. In 2006, the Oneida Comprehensive Health Division (OCHD) was formed, which combined the programs of the Oneida Community Health Center, Oneida Behavioral Health and the Anna John Nursing Home (AJNH). In 2008, the Oneida Employee Health Nursing Department joined the Division in an effort to consolidate all health care services into one area within the Oneida Nation. In June of 2013 the residents of the AJNH moved from their facility at the corner of E and EE into a new facility at 2901 S. Overland Road. The facility was designed to be more than a nursing home, so the name was changed to the Anna John Resident Centered Care Community or AJRCCC.

OCHD continually monitors and evaluates services to meet the demands of our community’s needs. New services, technology, equipment and customer demand are evaluated to support advanced and continuous quality health service for the Oneida Community.

Services Provided

“All of the staff I worked with were amazing. I have never felt more comfortable and welcomed in a medical setting.” -an OCHD patient

Oneida Comprehensive Health Division, in keeping with our name, offers a broad range of health-related services for members of the Oneida Nation, their descendants and other tribes that acknowledge and incorporate foundational elements of our history and culture.

Over time, with community input, we have expanded the services we provide to those shown below. In the spirit of our founding members’ dream for healthcare for the Oneida community, we will continue to listen to community members and expand our offerings as we are able, and resources become available.

Medical services, including
- Internal medicine
- Family practice
- Pediatrics
- Diabetes care
- Podiatry
- Obstetrics/Gynecology
- Ancillary- labs, x-rays, mammograms
Dental services, including
- General dentistry
- Periodontics
- Orthodontics
Optical services, including
- Routine exams
- Exams for patients with specific health concerns
- Emergency ocular care
- Glasses and contact lens availability
Therapy services, including
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy (this page needs to have content added)
- Speech therapy (this page needs to have content added)
Behavioral health services, including
- Triage counseling
- Individual, couples and family therapy
- Psychiatry (including medication management)
- Substance use services (including harm reduction resources)
- Social work services and family support teams
Community health services, including
- Case management
- Long-term care case management
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- WIC/nutrition services
- Population-based programming
  - Immunizations
  - Car Seat Installation
  - Prenatal Care Coordination
Pharmacy services, including
- Filling/refilling prescriptions
- Medication consultations
Skilled nursing care services at Anna John Resident Centered Care Community, including
- Skilled care for Native and non-Native individuals
- Assistance with Durable Power of Attorney
- Rehabilitative care (therapy)
- Long-term placement care
Employee health services for employees of the Oneida Nation
Telehealth services

Meet the Management Team

Meet the management team at Oneida Comprehensive Health Division (OCHD) by clicking on a link below. Our management team shares a strong connection to our community and believes in a holistic approach to your wellbeing by providing care in a culturally sensitive manner to achieve positive outcomes.

Jennifer Webster – Oneida Business Committee Liaison
Debra J. Danforth, BSN, RN – Division Director-Operations
Sidney J. White, DPT, MPT, cert. MDT, CSCS – Assistant Operations Director
Mercie Danforth – Business Operations Director
Jamie Willis – Executive Assistant

Mari Kriescher, MS, LPC, CSAC, ICS – Behavioral Health Director
Michelle Tipple, BSN, RN – Community/Public Health Officer
Yvonne White, DDS, RDH – Dental Director
Linda Taylor, PhD, RN – Director of Nursing-Medical
Mary Cornelissen, RN – Employee Health Manager
Karen Lane, DO – Medical Director
David Larson – Nursing Home Administrator
Lisa Slaby, OD – Optometry Director
Dennis Reckelberg, PharmD – Pharmacy Director
Sheri Forgette – QA/Accreditation/Safety/Coordinator

Proposed Integrated Campus Project

Proposed Expansion to Help Address Access to Care

Click here for a project FAQ.

On November 4, 2002, a state-of-the-art ambulatory health clinic opened at 525 Airport Drive to meet the needs of our growing community. It remains a beautiful facility today, and we are grateful that it’s been a resource for better health in our community. Over the past two decades, our community has continued to grow, as has the demand for the holistic health care services that we provide.

We have heard from members of our community with concerns about access to care. Questions are often asked about staffing and the ability to schedule appointments with providers in a timely manner. We are currently limited by the space we have available. To meet the demand for current and future generations, Comprehensive Health is recommending an expansion at the Airport Drive health clinic. We are proposing to add approximately 150,000 square feet to the existing 44,000 square feet building. Providing extra space for each Comprehensive Health department will enable them to add staff, which in turn will help address community concerns about access to care.

Additionally, our departments have been working to improve access to care over the last several years and recently by:
· leveraging new technologies to the fullest extent
· implementing a team-based care approach in the Medical Clinic
· continuing recruitment efforts to hire more providers, especially Oneida community members who have
pursued higher education degrees in health care and related fields
· establishing satellite services, such as dental hygienist chairs in local schools
· evaluating our ability to return to pre-COVID 19 hours

Details About the Integrated Campus Project Proposal
The goal of the Integrated Comprehensive Health Campus proposal is to enhance the ability to provide the highest quality, holistic health care to ensure the wellness of OUR Oneida community. We are aiming to create an integrated campus that would bring all of Comprehensive Health’s offerings under one roof.

Currently, Behavioral Health, Employee Health Nursing and Health Promotions Disease Prevention are housed in other locations. The proposed plan will enable us to bring these services to the Airport Drive location to create a continuum of care with all of our providers having better access to coordinate care. An integrated campus will also allow patients to schedule appointments with multiple providers in one day without having to travel to an alternate location.

Here are details about the proposal (as of January 2024):
· Adding 148,500 square feet to the existing Airport Drive OCH facility, which currently sits on 24 acres
· Of the 148,500 square feet, 51,000 square feet will be reserved for future growth
· After the addition is complete, the existing 44,000 square feet will be renovated, allowing for care to be
provided throughout the project without interruption of service. We have tentatively identified how
much space each department will need, but their actual location in the expanded space is yet to
be determined
· The estimated cost for the project is $122 million
· The project team is evaluating funding sources for the project, including IHS Self-Governance Funding,
and expects that funds will be allocated over multiple years’ Capital Improvement Process budgets.
We are also pursuing a third-party review of our projected financials to help mitigate any risk.
· If approved, we would expect the project to take approximately five years to complete.
· Click here to see the current conceptual plan for the project. This is a preliminary floorplan for space
planning purposes only and location of services are subject to change.

We Value Your Feedback
Based on feedback received during community meetings, we’re looking into the feasibility of offering a drive thru pharmacy option as part of the plan. In order to meet our population’s needs, we encourage you to share your thoughts on the project. If you have questions or would like additional information regarding the project, you can reach us at 920.869.2711 ext. 0 or och_admin@oneidanation.org.

Click here to watch the January 24 Community Meeting related to the project.

Work at Comprehensive Health

Thank you for checking us out. We’re glad you’re here! The team at Oneida Comprehensive Health is dedicated to the health and well-being of members of the Oneida Nation, their descendants and surrounding Tribes. We believe in a holistic and culturally sensitive approach to care.

What exactly does this mean? It means that we provide the highest quality health care for our community in an environment that acknowledges and incorporates our culture and healing practices to promote wellbeing of both the body and spirit. We invest time in learning about Oneida culture and history in order to better provide informed care.

What is it like to work at Oneida Comprehensive Health?
At Oneida Comprehensive Health, our vision says it all, we are a progressive, sustainable health system that promotes tsi?niyukwalihot^ (Our Ways). We are a community. We value responsive leadership, safety, communication, cultural sensitivity, respect and trust.

We were once a dream conceived by a handful of Oneida women who wanted to provide health care for tribal members. Over many decades, we have continued to expand and evolve to meet the growing needs of our community. You can learn more about our history here and our various departments here.

What type of benefits do you offer?
Oneida Comprehensive Health knows that everyone has a life outside of their career, and we offer benefits that make it easy to have a work-life balance. Here are just a few:

· Paid Holidays
· Paid Vacation and Personal Days
· Parental Time – time off for children’s school events
· Exercise at Work Time
· Time Off to Vote
· Time Off to Donate Blood
· Diabetes Prevention Program
· Wellness Coaching
· Onsite Wellness Clinics
· Employee Health Nursing Services
· 100% Employer Paid Health Insurance
· 401K Retirement Plan (with employer match)

Please click here to learn more about the benefits that Oneida Comprehensive Health employees have access to. You can also click here to review current openings across the Oneida Nation.

Are you a qualified individual who is interested in pursuing a healthcare career with our team? Please reach out to us to share your qualifications and learn more today. You can reach us at HRD_Jobs@oneidanation.org or 920.496.7000.

Events

Holiday Closure Schedule for Remainder of Year
For your reference, following is a link to a holiday closure schedule for the remainder of 2024. Click here for schedule.

Oneida Nation Blood Drive
The Oneida Nation Blood Drive will be held on Monday, January 6, 2025. The blood drive will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the Oneida and Cayuga rooms inside the Oneida Hotel. For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org.

Oneida Nation Blood Drive
The January Memory Café will take place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, from 1:30 until 3:00 p.m. It will be held in the main conference room in the health center on the second Wednesday of each month. Memory Café is open to anyone with early memory loss and other dementia symptoms. The Memory Café is an opportunity to be social in an understanding and stigma-free setting. January’s activity is sensory bottles!