Robyn Sunday-Allen
CEO
Robyn
Sunday-Allen, Cherokee, RN, MPH, is the CEO of
Oklahoma City Indian
Clinic.
She and her staff of 110 nurses, physicians and others
provide comprehensive medical and behavioral health
services to all tribal members in the Oklahoma County
area. When the following interview was published, she
was the clinic's director of nursing. Over the years she
worked her way up to the top position in the clinic.
When it was announced that Sunday-Allen was to be the
CEO, Everett
Rhoades,
president of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic’s board of
directors, said this about Sunday-Allen, “She is not
only an experienced nurse with a master’s degree in
public health administration but has also gained
national recognition for several programs that improved
the clinic and the services it provides.”
(See
the Update following the article.)
Front Line Nurse
JW:
What kinds of opportunities are available for American
Indian nurses?
RS: If you are
an Indian nurse, you will never be unemployed because there
is so much need among Indian people for nurses. The
preference is to hire Indian nurses to take care of Indian
people. You can work in a rural area, an urban area or for
IHS in any of their sites, including places in Alaska. If
you get tired of one kind of nursing, such as ambulatory
nursing, you can go into other kinds of nursing, such as
emergency room, intensive care, and home health nursing.
JW:
How did you get involved in nursing?
RS: I had
always known that I wanted to do something in the health
professions. Both of my grandparents are diabetic. As a
little girl I would spend all day with them at the
Claremore Indian Hospital. As I’d sit there, I’d think,
“Someday I’m going to do something for Indian people.”
When I was taking a course in allied health at the
University of Oklahoma, a guest speaker talked about all of
the opportunities that are available for nurses, so I
started taking classes that were prerequisites for nursing.
Then I applied and got into the nursing program. In 1993 I
finished a bachelors in psychology. (I had already taken a
lot of psychology courses because they were interesting.)
In 1995 I got my bachelors in nursing.
My first job, right out of college, was as an ambulatory
nurse here at the clinic. Within 6 months, I was the
director of nursing. I only had one course that prepared us
for management positions. I could have used a lot more. Now
with the nature of health care and with managed care, I
would definitely recommend that students take courses in
business as part of their electives.
JW:
Do any Indian student nurses have clinical learning
experiences here at your clinic?
RS: Yes. Every
semester I’ve had a student over here. If they are LPN
[licensed practical nurse] students, they follow the LPN.
If they are an RN [registered nurse] student, they follow
the RN. By the time they leave they may be doing what the
nurse they were following is doing.
JW:
For readers who aren’t familiar with the different levels
of nursing, could you please briefly describe the levels.
RS: A license
practical nurse is degreed out of a vocational school.
Those programs are usually 18 months long, post high
school. An associate degree nurse goes to a junior college
for two years and is considered an RN after being licensed.
For a bachelors of science in nursing, you need two years
of prerequisite college-level work and two years of nursing
school.
Master’s-prepared nurses include nurse practitioners. In
some states nurse practitioners are so autonomous that they
write prescriptions and run their own clinics. Depending at
the university, you can also get a master’s level education
in pediatrics, women’s health administration, research etc.
As an advanced level nurse, you can take avenues other than
patient care.
JW:
As a director of nursing, what qualities do you look
for in candidates for nursing positions?
RS: First I
look for someone who is culturally sensitive and receptive
to learning about other people’s cultures. I give
preference to Native Americans. I look for people who are
good communicators, both written and oral, and work well on
teams. Of course, I want nurses who are caring and
compassionate. I don’t want people who are just in it for
the money.
JW: What about men in nursing?
RS: The last
two positions that I’ve filled here have been with men.
Nursing is no longer considered a female profession.
JW:
Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers who
are considering nursing as a career?
RS: Nursing
school is not hard. It’s time consuming. It’s an endurance
test. And you’ll make it!
This
article was originally published in the Winter 2000
issue of
Winds of Change. (The cover
artist is Ben Shorty, Navajo.)
Update
2010
During the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic’s Red Feather Gala,
Robyn Sunday-Allen learned that the Governor of Oklahoma,
Brad Henry, had named November 14, 2009, “Robyn
Sunday-Allen Day” in Oklahoma.
Her accolades also include being a finalist in the
Journal Record “Oklahoma’s
Most Admired CEO’s”. Below is a profile of Sunday-Allen
that was written for the
Journal Record’s “50 Making a
Difference” series.
Sunday-Allen is dedicated to community development and so
serves on several boards including the Oklahoma City
Chamber of Commerce, the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation, the American Red Cross, and the Oklahoma Blood
Institute.
Publication:
Journal Record (Oklahoma City, OK)
Date:
Friday, October 2 2009
50
Making a Difference Profile: Robyn
Sunday-Allen, Oklahoma City Indian
Clinic
Byline:
Journal Record Staff
It can be extraordinarily difficult to walk the line
between family obligations, cultural traditions and the
demands of a busy executive office. Yet it's a line that
Robyn Sunday-Allen walks with great skill and effectiveness
as chief executive officer of the Oklahoma City Indian
Clinic. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Sunday-Allen grew
up using the Indian Health Service (IHS). “As a child, both
of my grandparents had chronic illnesses that caused us to
visit the IHS facilities often, she said. I knew then that
I wanted to become a health care professional who worked in
the IHS system serving American Indian people.”
Sunday-Allen earned her bachelor's degrees in psychology
and nursing as well as a master of public health degree
from the University of Oklahoma. She joined the Oklahoma
City Indian Clinic in 1995 as a registered nurse. She was
subsequently promoted to nurse manager of health services
in 1997, to chief operating officer in 2001, and to chief
executive officer in early 2009. She is a member of the
Oklahoma Nurses Association and the Oklahoma Public Health
Association.
“It has been a thrill to implement so many innovative
health care programs that have affected thousands of Indian
people in Oklahoma - programs that have changed the face of
preventive medicine, diabetes management, early obesity
intervention, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse in our state,”
she said. “To be involved with Native people and to see
health, pride and joy return to the faces of those who once
hurt so badly has been my greatest accomplishment.”
Sunday-Allen is also motivated by the knowledge that she is
helping people who would otherwise have little or no access
to health care, and that she sets an equally positive tone
for the employees who report to her.
In 2009, Oklahoma Business magazine recognized the Oklahoma
City Indian Clinic as one of the Best Places to Work in
Oklahoma. Personally, she also received Outstanding
Leadership and Outstanding Performance awards from the
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.
“My mom is my most important influence,” Sunday-Allen said.
“As a single mother and licensed clinical social worker, I
saw her daily trials and tribulations, as well as her
dedication to charitable issues outside of our home. She
made a difference for so many, and at an early age I vowed
to uphold her good work.”
Sunday-Allen has kept that vow in spades. In addition to
her professional obligations, she serves on the advisory
board of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and is on the
board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation. She also volunteers for American Red Cross and
Oklahoma Blood Institute.
“One of Robyn's most outstanding characteristics has to be
her ability to walk the fine line necessary to deliver
health services from a 21st century perspective while
upholding the traditions and culture of the Native
Americans she serves,” said Kay Bills, director of Native
American Business Development, Tourism and Trade Promotion
for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “A Lakota proverb says it
best. 'We are known by the tracks we leave behind.' Robyn
has left her tracks for other women to follow, and they are
well-known in her professional field and in business.
Sunday-Allen said she is able to balance all the duties on
her plate through dedication and a reliance on her family
and Cherokee heritage. On one hand, I am a busy CEO of a
large organization. On another, I am a wife and mother to a
very active five-year-old son. And, I am a Cherokee woman
deeply steeped in the culture and traditions of my people,
she said. I endeavor to daily walk the trail that leads to
balance, peace, dignity and happiness. By doing this, I
honor my people, my organization and my family.”