LCO Nursing Director Receives National IHS Award for Nurse of the Month

Submitted by LCO Health Center

The IHS Division of Nursing Services is pleased to announce the recipient of the Nurse of the Month for June 2023 is Christian Clarquist RN, from the Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center in the IHS Bemidji Area.

Christian Clarquist serves as the Director of Nursing of the Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center, where her passion for excellence, strong leadership and compassion for her staff and patients is limitless. Christian is a tribal member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Chippewa Indians and serves as a role model for tribal youth.

In addition to her many duties as Director of Nursing, she inspires the next generation of nurses as she trains student nurses with patience and energy. She writes policies and ensures they are both kept current and executed in accordance with requirements and national standards. In 2022, she supervised the distribution of over 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. During this same time, the health center had seen a patient volume that almost doubled to 8,100 patient visits. She also fostered a seamless integration of a Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program (Buprenorphine and Vivitrol) into the primary care program, improving access to care for patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD). These are just a few of the many accomplishments and examples of Christian’s invaluable leadership.

Congratulations Christian!