Kristen Janis

I started my healthcare career at the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, where I initially worked as a receptionist before being let go. I then joined the Workforce Investment Act program, which allowed me to work at IHS for 3 months with the possibility of being hired on. I started in the PRC department as a receptionist, filing claims and sending mail, but I get bored easily so I constantly asked staff if there was more I could do to help. They started teaching me how to enter referrals in the system. When my 3 months ended, I didn't have enough experience for the PRC position, so I applied to the OB ward as a medical support assistant and worked there for 3 years. During that time, I overstocked everything and remade all the newborn mom packets because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and the documents were faded. After 3 years, I reapplied for the PRC position and got it. I then became the AP specialist for 3 years, processing invoices and payments, managing contracts for locum providers and medical supplies, and overseeing 15 different budgets. During this time, our PRC manager went on extended leave, so I became the acting PRC manager while still handling AP duties. Since only the CEO and I were authorized users for Sage Intacct, our payment system, I couldn't take leave because I didn't want patients going into collections or providers not getting paid. For the past 2 years, I've been the supervisor of the PRC department. My approach is to work smarter, not harder - I'm a critical thinker who's always looking for ways to streamline workflows. I reached out directly to Epic headquarters in Wisconsin to suggest making their system more IHS-friendly, and I'm working with Involon to get our claims submitted electronically instead of manually processing paper claims by fax and mail. I'm most proud of my work implementing Hello Heart, a digital blood pressure monitoring tool that will help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes in our Native American patients. I'm collaborating with the tribe's new greenhouse program to create care baskets with healthy recipes, and I'm coordinating with multiple tribal health programs to provide comprehensive patient follow-up. The Hello Heart team has told me I would be a valuable team member when they expand to other IHS facilities, and I'm excited about the possibility of doing work where I can actually make things happen, not just suggest them.