Author Archives: Christian Bigwater

GANADO, Ariz. – Project “Chizh for Elders” is aimed at supporting the elderly population within the Sage Memorial Hospital service area by providing wood during the cold winter months. Under the guidance of Facility Director Jarom Prows and his dedicated team, the project effectively utilizes surplus wood from hospital construction activities, to supply the community’s elderly population with free firewood, crucial for heating during the cold season.

Since launching in mid-December 2023, Project “Chizh for Elders” has delivered over 42 loads of wood, making a real difference in the lives of elders in SMH service area, whih includes the communities of Ganado, Steamboat, Klagetoh , Wide Ruins, Greasewood Springs, Cornfields, Kinlichee and Nazlini.

“The project is not just about providing heat but also about showing respect, care, and recognition to the elders, honoring their contributions to the community,” said Jonathan Hubbard, Facility Lead Supervisor, “The gratitude from the elders has been amazing. They live in remote places with not much around, and they really count on this firewood to keep warm.”

According to hospital staff, many of the elders reached out to express their gratitude and even shed tears at the simple act of receiving firewood.

For some, this program has made a significant impact on their daily lives and well-being. One elder shared her story of how she had to use furniture to burn for heat and was struggling to keep warm without any access to firewood.

This project is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the facilities department in conjunction with the diabetes team. It focuses on providing assistance to the community’s most vulnerable members, who are identified through patient referrals. This ensures that those who are most in need receive the support and resources through this donation program.

“We are doing this because we care about our community, our elders, and preserving our culture,” says one of the employees spearheading the program. “These elders have so much knowledge and wisdom to share, and it’s important that we support them and keep their traditions alive.”

Sage Memorial Hospital invites the community to join in this effort to support their elders. Together, they hope to make a lasting impact on the lives of those who have given so much to their community.

GANADO, Ariz. – In our spotlight series featuring innovators at Sage Memorial Hospital, we interviewed Deidrea Salabye, Director of Rehabilitation Services and her team. Deidrea has been instrumental in expanding the Rehabilitation Services at Sage, bringing culture change to the department, and fostering a collaborative and supportive team environment.

Salabye took on the role of Director of Rehabilitation on March 2023, and since then has significantly worked on improving the department’s services. Patients now have access to both outpatient and inpatient services, with specialized care for all ages from pediatric to geriatric. However, Deidrea recognizes that there is still room for growth and improvement.

“The department is not fully staffed yet,” says Salabye. “We are in need of an Occupational Therapist and a permanent Physical Therapist. With additional staff, we can take in more patients and offer even better care.”

“Our mission has always been to provide comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, from Speech-Language Pathology to Occupational and Physical Therapy,” said Salabye. “Despite facing staffing challenges, we have maintained a high level of service through our dedicated staff and innovative approaches to care.”

Salabye provided an overview of the department’s offerings, including plans for the new hospital, “We deliver both outpatient services in our clinic and inpatient services to those staying in the hospital, including our swing bed patients,” said Salabye. “The new space is designed with our patients’ privacy, dignity, and specific rehabilitation needs in mind, allowing us to offer a more individualized approach to rehabilitation.”

The new rehabilitation space will include two enclosed exam rooms for PT/OT, a pediatric room, a speech-language pathology room, a significantly larger gym, and a room designated to ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) training. Our patient bathroom will also be designed to assist with shower and toilet training.

Salabye highlighted the importance of rehabilitation practical life skills, “We currently don’t have the space or equipment to practice life skills like dishwashing, dressing, laundering clothes and cooking. However, in the new hospital, we will have an area and a rehab clinic where we can do those things.”

“We are able to work on balance while performing complex activities because a lot of patients don’t care if they can curl a ten pound weight, they care if they can make themselves dinner or do their dishes or sweep and mop their floors – so really tailoring to the needs of our patient is very important,” Salabye explained.

Salabye also gave praise to the staff, from the warm reception by Administrative Assistant, Florene Long, to the expert care provided by Physical Therapists Eli Morales and Daniella Peters, Speech-Language Pathologists Angela Curtright and Jeffrey Meeks, and the support of PT technicians Truman Slim and Cynthia Bob, “their ability to work with patients is just unmatched – I’m so grateful to have them. We just do a really good job at creating a safe place for patients to heal.”

GANADO, Ariz. – My name is Brenda Yazzie I am the Healthcare Recruiter at Sage Memorial Hospital. I have been in healthcare for thirty years in various roles. I am often asked “why recruiting?” and my answer is “to bring healthcare professionals to take care of our Diné people and our surrounding communities. We all have elders and family members that we care for and knowing that our loved ones are being taken care of, is why I do it.”

I am passionate about helping our Diné people to ensure that we are giving the best quality of care by making Sage Memorial Hospital’s core values of Bee łá’í ‘dlį (Together/ Unity) | Hodílzin (Sacred) | Hózhó (Beauty/Balance) | Ił’ílį (Respect) as a cornerstone of Sage Memorial Hospital’s recruitment and retention program. Recruitment and retention in healthcare requires a strong organizational mission, vision and core value statements.

Sage Memorial Hospital provides behavioral health services, dental, diabetes & community health, emergency and urgent care, lab, medical imaging, medical/telemetry, optometry, outpatient clinic, pharmacy, rehabilitation therapy, and a mobile unit for community outreach. Our satellite clinic, Greasewood Springs Clinic provides outpatient care services, adult and children’s primary care, dental, pharmacy, and basic lab services.

As a Recruiter, knowing the clinical services that we provide is crucial to the search and recruitment of the best and utmost certified healthcare professionals who provide the most adequate and safe care possible to our patients. Therefore, it is vital that we fill our positions with highly educated, highly trained, licensed and board-certified health professionals to enhance and deliver effective and efficient care while employed with Sage Memorial Hospital. It is imperative that recruitment stay involved with the hiring processes, to collaborate with department leaders, to identify vacant and non-vacant healthcare professional positions.

For marketing, we use billboards in North Gallup, New Mexico, and Cameron, Arizona, to reach our community. I’m optimistic about expanding our advertising strategy to use radio, newspapers, and social media in the future. My vision also includes adding QR codes on our mobile units linking to the SMH “Careers” page for wider job visibility. Additionally, I would also like to create an employee referral program because our employees are our best advocates.

Since, I took on the role as the Healthcare Recruiter my main objectives were to create and foster partnerships, market and promote, and find the best medical staff. Sage is now working with the Indian Health Service who now posts Sage’s job openings on the IHS.gov/jobs website. Other partnerships include working with our local universities, colleges, and technical institutions.

Also attending career fairs and virtual fairs to network and gain insight on other opportunities. Another aspect of recruiting is working with our younger generation who are enrolled in universities pursuing their healthcare education. Sage Memorial Hospital has partnered with several universities that have created Affiliation Agreements to allow Native students to complete their clinical rotations at Sage and hopefully one day they return to work for Sage Memorial Hospital.

Sage Memorial invests in its clinical employees by providing Loan Repayment Options. Our employee benefits include Grand Canyon University discounted rates for employees who want to return to school. Verdguard (HMA) provides a comprehensive plan that covers medical, dental, pharmacy and vision insurance. Mutual of Omaha provides coverage for Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D. Nationwide Retirement Plan provides coverage for 403(b) retirement plan. Other benefits include Traditional Healing Reimbursement, Employee Recognition Program, Personal Time Off & Paid Holidays, including two (2) Floating Holidays, free membership to the Hoo’zhoo’gii Wellness Center, Child Care Services, and on-site housing for eligible positions.

I am fortunate to have a talented team to support our recruitment efforts here at Sage Memorial.

Please visit our careers page on www.sagememorial.com for vacancies at Sage. Please contact me if you should have any questions at brenda. yazzie@sagememorial.com.