Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) Overview:

Ketchikan, Alaska is a cozy coastal town, rich in community and culture. Ketchikan Indian Corporation has the honor to be the governing body for the Natives in the Ketchikan area. The Tribe began direct delivery services to the native residents with only two staff Members in 1975. The staff has grown to over 100 employees with the increased identification of the Tribal community needs. Beginning in 1992 KIC became a signatory in a compact of self-governance between Southeast Tribes and the United States of America, providing services to Tribal Members in a Government to Government Relationship, upholding Sovereignty for Tribal Members. The Tribal Council, as the established governing body, provides oversight and works in collaboration with the KIC staff, who focus on daily business operations to provide the highest quality of programs and services to Tribal Members. Traditional Southeast Tribal values drive KIC. The KIC mission is to preserve Tribal Member’s sovereignty, enhancing economic and cultural resources and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for their citizens through collaboration, service, and advocacy. KIC partners with the community and Tribal Members to deliver services and provide assistance in improving the lives of all Tribal Members.

Work LOCATION: 201 Deermount Street, Ketchikan, AK, 99901

INDIAN PREFERENCE:

Consistent with Public Law 93-638 and other federal laws recognizing inherent right of the Tribe to exercise Indian Preference. Documentation of Tribal Enrollment must be included with application submission.

Job Summary

Incumbent will provide direct acute primary health care services including diagnosis, treatment, referral, and follow-up requirements.  Stresses preventative measures to patients in avoiding health problems as well as necessity for compliance with prescribed treatment measures. Record accurate and complete medical records of all patient contacts, both inpatient and outpatient.  In conjunction with other medical/pharmacy/dental staff, assist with development of the appropriate formulary for the clinic. 

Essential Job Functions:

ESTABLISHES A COMPASSIONATE ENVIRONMENT BY

• Providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends and families.

PROVIDE PATIENT CARE SERVICES BY

• Contributes to physician's effectiveness by identifying short-term and long-range patient care issues that must be addressed; providing information and commentary pertinent to deliberations; recommending options and courses of action; implementing physician directives;
• Assesses patient health by interviewing patients; performing physical examinations; obtaining, updating, and studying medical histories;
• Determines abnormal conditions by administering or ordering diagnostic tests, such as x-rays, electrocardiograms, and laboratory studies; interpreting test results;
• Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records;
• Performs therapeutic procedures by administering injections and immunizations; suturing; managing wounds and infections;
• Instructs and counsels patients by describing therapeutic regimens; giving normal growth and development information; discussing family planning; providing counseling on emotional problems of daily living; promoting wellness and health maintenance;
• Provides continuity of care by developing and implementing patient management plans;
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Complies with federal, state, and local legal and professional requirements by studying existing and new legislation; anticipating future legislation; enforcing adherence to requirements; advising management on needed actions;
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies;
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

PROMOTES PATIENT’S INDEPENDENCE BY

• Establishing patient care goals;
• Teaching and counseling patient, friends, and family and reinforcing their understanding of disease, medications, and self-care skills.

MAINTAINS DOCUMENTATION OF PATIENT CARE SERVICES BY

• Auditing patient and department records;
• Performing quarterly peer review.

MAINTAINS PATIENT CARE SERVICES PRODUCTIVITY BY

• Monitoring workload of functional areas;
• Identifying peak and slack periods;
• Making operational or staffing adjustment.

RESOLVES PROBLEMS BY

• Addressing complaints regarding patient care services and works with supervisors to resolve;
• Consulting with laboratory managers, technical coordinators, directors, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals;
• Attending and participating in appropriate administrative and committee meetings.

MAINTAINS MEDICAL SERVICES EQUIPMENT BY

• Establishing quality standards;
• Inspecting and evaluating the physical condition of the patient care area, recommending necessary changes to Maintenance to improve sanitation, appearance, and efficiency;
• Developing operations, quality, and troubleshooting procedures;
• Ensuring staff compliance;
• Certifying instrument performance;
• Arranging equipment replacement, service, and repair.

ESSENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

MAINTAINS A COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP AMONG HEALTH CARE TEAMS BY

• Communicating information;
• Responding to requests;
• Building rapport;
• Participating in team problem-solving methods.

IDENTIFIES PATIENT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS BY

• Establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand service requirements.

ASSURES QUALITY OF CARE BY

• Developing and interpreting clinic and medical department philosophies and standards of care;
• Enforcing adherence to state board of licensing requirements and to other governing agency regulations;
• Measuring health outcomes against standards;
• Making or recommending adjustments.

MAINTAINS SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT BY:

• Reporting any unsafe conditions to appropriate supervisor upon discovery.
• Adhering to all local, state, and federal regulations
• Complying with federal and state laws and regulations regarding the protection of the health of employees and provide for appropriate occupational health services for those employees

MAINTAINS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROCESS BY

• Understands the Tribe’s and employees needs by demonstrating courtesy, diplomacy and tact during interactions with internal and external parties;
• Prepares and monitors indicators for quality and continuous improvement;
• Demonstrates continuous initiatives for improvement of nursing services;
• Takes a systems approach to problem solving and process improvement, which involves staff.

CONTRIBUTES TO TEAM EFFORT BY:

• Participating in the appropriate patient care services committees and other workgroups;
• Initiating and directing training programs and in-services for new employees;
• Performing other related duties as directed by supervisor.

MAINTAINS PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY

• Attending educational workshops;
• Reviewing professional publications;
• Establishing personal networks;
• Benchmarking state-of-the-art practices.

Additional Job Duties: 

• Being accessible to staff for consultation as needed;
• Maintain partnership with other medical organizations at local, state, and national level;
• Recognize, identify, and resolve problems and issues without direct supervision;
• Provide instruction to other employees of this or similar job classification in all aspects of procedure and technique relating to the duties required by this job description unless such instruction requires a specialized certification which the employee doing the training does not have;
• Perform other related duties as directed by supervisor.

KIC Competencies:

Cultural Competency: To be respectful and responsive to the health beliefs, practices, and cultural and linguistic needs of KIC Tribal Members. Developing cultural competence is an evolving, dynamic process that takes time and occurs along a continuum.

Commitment: To serve Tribal Members and set a high standard for yourself in your performance; strive for results and success; convey a sense of urgency and bring issues to closure; and stay persistent despite obstacles and opposition. 

Customer Service: Meet/exceed the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; identify, understand, and monitor the needs of both internal and external customers, always talk and act with customers in mind; and recognize working colleagues as customers.

Effective Communication: Ensure important information is passed to those who need to know; convey necessary information with respect, clearly and effectively orally or in writing

Responsiveness and Accountability: Demonstrate a high level of conscientiousness; hold oneself personally responsible for one's own work; and do the required fair share of work.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge in the general concepts, principles and practice of medicine;
• Knowledge of AAAHC Accreditation requirements
• Knowledge and ability to carry out rules of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects patient rights;
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and RPMS computer application skills;
• Knowledge of office equipment and limited maintenance;
• Skills in conceptual thinking and orderly planning in the diagnosis treatment of patients
• Skill in writing as would be required for reports, plans, grants proposals, program justifications, etc.
• Ability to exercise mature judgment in working with patients to allow for good communications and doctor-patient relationships
• Ability to work effectively with physicians, nurses, supervisors, and ancillary staff
• Ability to perform consistently from day to day and under unusual stress
• Ability to analyze complex situations efficiently
• Ability to express oneself clearly and succinctly through oral and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate professionally over the telephone and in person in a positive and clear manner;
• Ability to manage simultaneously multiple tasks, including telephone, computer operations and in-person visits;
• Ability to be flexible in order to perform at the highest level as a team player;
• Ability to utilize maximum degree of professionalism and diplomacy with those who may be experiencing a high degree of stress both mentally and/or physically;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and able to prioritize assignments;

Physical Activities Include

Must be able to hear.  Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  Ability to use hands to finger, handle, or operate objects tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch; and taste or smell.  Each of the listed activities also requires standing, sitting, walking, bending, and stooping, climbing on stools and ladders, and routinely lifting and carrying items and boxes up to forty (40) pounds.

Writing by hand and using a personal computer. Long hours in front of computer screen.  Frequently required to work extended hours.  Attending evening and lunch time meetings as requested by supervisor.  Traveling occasionally, using air and/or water transportation, to out-of-town meetings and functions.

License(s)

Employee must have a permanent full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Alaska, another state, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Possess current valid State of Alaska driver's license with a record acceptable to KIC’s Insurance carrier.

Education and Experience

Must meet all credentialing requirements.

• Post-licensure professional experience in the general practice of medicine;
• Approved internship training;
• Approved residency training;
• Graduate-level study in an accredited medical school;
• Post-licensure professional experience in a specialized area of practice;
  • Other advanced study or training (outside of medical school or hospital) creditable toward satisfaction of training program requirements for Board eligibility.