Ernestine Nasingoetewa
Whiteriver,AZ
Summary
Experienced program manager with 10+ years in behavioral health and healthcare operations across tribal, nonprofit, and state systems. Skilled in compliance, care coordination, and Medicaid/AHCCCS programs. Strong track record building partnerships with American Indian communities and leading culturally responsive initiatives to improve health outcomes.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Grants Program Coordinator
Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care (AIH-AHEC)
02.2024 - Current
- Coordinate health workforce and clinical training programs for medical, nursing, dental, and behavioral health students, ensuring compliance with accreditation and state requirements.
- Manage stipend processes for clinical rotations, including eligibility review, data validation, and coordination with state fiscal intermediaries.
- Serve as Salesforce System Administrator, improving data integrity and reporting structures to support compliance monitoring.
- Develop dashboards and utilization reports to track participation, expenditures, and outcomes across multiple funding streams.
- Provide technical assistance to academic partners and tribal programs on program requirements and reporting standards.
- Participate in multidisciplinary grant reviews, evaluating applications for compliance and alignment with health system priorities.
- Create SOPs and workflows to ensure consistent implementation and audit readiness.
Out of Home Case Manager
White Mountain Apache Behavioral Health Services
06.2023 - 01.2024
- Coordinated behavioral health care transitions for individuals requiring psychiatric stabilization, ensuring timely discharge planning and continuity of care.
- Reviewed clinical documentation and referral packets to confirm accurate level-of-care determinations and compliance with treatment protocols.
- Served as primary liaison between emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric facilities, crisis clinicians, and Indian Health Service providers to streamline communication and expedite placements.
- Tracked service utilization and enforced adherence to discharge requirements, reducing placement delays and improving patient flow.
- Provided on-call care coordination for urgent behavioral health evaluations and crisis placements, supporting rapid response efforts.
- Maintained precise EHR documentation in compliance with privacy regulations and clinical standards, ensuring audit readiness.
Healthcare Directives Registry Specialist
Contexture
09.2021 - 02.2023
- Oversaw daily operations of Arizona’s statewide health directives registry, ensuring compliance with state statutes and regulatory requirements.
- Conducted audits and quality reviews of advance directive records, identifying compliance gaps and implementing corrective measures.
- Analyzed utilization data and registry trends to inform operational improvements and policy development.
- Developed and maintained SOPs for data intake, validation, confidentiality, and compliance, improving process consistency and audit readiness.
- Partnered with IT teams to resolve HIE, HL7, and Mirth Connect issues, ensuring accurate data exchange and optimal system performance.
- Delivered technical assistance to healthcare providers, tribal partners, and consumers on registry functionality and legal requirements.
- Trained as Client Support Specialist to provision healthcare clinics and facilities into the Health Information Exchange (HIE), managing onboarding tasks based on Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in Microsoft Dynamics.
Lead Family Health Advocate (Supervisor)
Native Health
06.2013 - 08.2021
- Supervised, trained, and evaluated a team of six staff delivering enrollment and eligibility services across medical, dental, and behavioral health departments.
- Oversaw Medicaid, AHCCCS, CHIP, Marketplace, IHS, and Sliding Fee Scale programs, ensuring regulatory compliance and optimal utilization of funding sources.
- Developed performance metrics, dashboards, and utilization reports to monitor productivity, revenue trends, and service outcomes, driving data-informed decisions.
- Served as Project Director for federal grant programs, managing budgets, reporting, staffing, and performance outcomes to meet funding requirements.
- Provided subject matter expertise on public benefits, eligibility policy, and behavioral health access for multidisciplinary clinical teams.
- Cultivated partnerships with tribal and community organizations to expand access to care for American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
- Served on Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance committees; conducted case studies using the PDSA model to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.
Behavioral Health Technician
Native American Connections
08.2012 - 10.2017
- Provided 24-hour care and monitoring for up to 20 clients in a licensed Behavioral Health Residential Facility (BHRF), ensuring safety and adherence to treatment plans.
- Maintained accurate and confidential Electronic Health Records (EHR) in compliance with state and federal regulations.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to assess client needs, identify risks, and implement individualized interventions.
- Responded to critical incidents and medical emergencies, following established protocols for reporting and documentation.
- Delivered crisis intervention and de-escalation support, promoting client stabilization and recovery in a culturally responsive environment.
Administrative Support Specialist
Pinnacle Health Facilities
06.2012 - 06.2013
- Retrieved and delivered lab reports, treatment records, and PASSR assessments for clinical staff, ensuring timely access to critical patient information.
- Utilized AccuNurse for real-time communication with nursing teams, improving workflow efficiency and accuracy.
- Organized and maintained patient documentation, including filing and binding Minimum Data Sets upon admission and discharge to support regulatory compliance.
- Processed Medicare co-insurance billing and private pay collections, ensuring accurate claim submission and adherence to guidelines.
- Managed account recovery efforts by monitoring outstanding balances, initiating collection actions, and negotiating payment plans.
- Posted cash receipts and reconciled accounts to maintain accurate financial records and timely payment application.
- Resolved billing discrepancies, insurance denials, and coding errors to optimize revenue cycle performance.
Education
Associate of General Studies -
Yavapai College
Prescott, AZ05.2026
Skills
- EHR Systems
- HIE
- Salesforce
- Drupal
- Microsoft Excel
- Medicaid/AHCCCS
- Medicare
- ICD/CPT familiarity
- SOP Development
- Quality Improvement
- SharePoint
- Adobe
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Program Management & Staff Leadership
- Provider Relations & Technical Assistance
- Data Analysis, Reporting & Audit Oversight
- Quality Improvement & Performance Measurement (PDSA Model)
- Tribal Health Systems & Intergovernmental Coordination
- Electronic Health Records (EHR), Health Information Exchange (HIE) & Health IT Systems
- Policy Development, SOPs & Process Improvement
ELIGIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS
- Extensive experience with tribal health systems and American Indian communities
- Strong alignment with behavioral health utilization oversight and compliance functions
- Demonstrated supervisory and program management experience
- Prepared to serve as subject matter expert for behavioral health covered services
AWARDS
Local Impact Award – National Indian Health Board (2015)
Timeline
Grants Program Coordinator
Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care (AIH-AHEC)
02.2024 - Current
Out of Home Case Manager
White Mountain Apache Behavioral Health Services
06.2023 - 01.2024
Healthcare Directives Registry Specialist
Contexture
09.2021 - 02.2023
Lead Family Health Advocate (Supervisor)
Native Health
06.2013 - 08.2021
Behavioral Health Technician
Native American Connections
08.2012 - 10.2017
Administrative Support Specialist
Pinnacle Health Facilities
06.2012 - 06.2013
Associate of General Studies -
Yavapai College