[Federal Register: July 8, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 130)]
[Notices]
[Page 45124-45125]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08jy02-67]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Regional Tribal Consultations
In 2001, a draft Tribal Consultation Policy was published with
other Department of Health and Human Services tribal consultation
policies. CDC is now seeking further tribal guidance on the proposed
CDC policy and its implementation through regional tribal consultations
and national meetings. We are inviting elected Tribal leaders,
Executive Directors of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)
organizations, Health Directors of AI/AN Programs, and AI/AN community
members to attend scheduled Consultation meetings. The intent of this
consultation process is to establish a mutually acceptable and more
effective process of communication between CDC and AI/AN governments
and communities. The goal is to establish protocol and to identify
public health problems and priorities so that the needs of AI/AN
populations are better incorporated into CDC plans and programs.
SUMMARY: CDC has scheduled a series of Regional Tribal Consultations to
occur throughout the United States during the time frame of June
through early October 2002. The CDC Regional Tribal Consultations will
be geographically linked to the Indian Health Service areas as follows:
Aberdeen Area (9/02), Alaska Area (8/23/02), Albuquerque Area (8/02),
Bemidji Area (8/02-9/02), Billings Area (8/14/02), California Area (7/
19/02), Nashville Area (6/12/02), Navajo Area (8/02), Oklahoma Area (7/
9/02), Phoenix & Tucson Areas (7/17/02), and Portland Area (6/21/02).
In addition, open forums & national tribal consultations will be
scheduled at the following national meetings of AI/AN organizations
during late summer and early fall of 2002: the Association of American
Indian Physicians (AAIP), the National Alaska Native American Indian
Nurses Association (NANAINA), the National Council on Urban Indian
Health (NCUIH), the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), the Indian
Health Leadership Council, the Self Government Advisory Committee, and
the National Congress of American Indians.
Background: The CDC is committed to improving the public health of
AI/AN communities, and recognizes both the unique relationship it has
with its AI/AN constituents and the cultural diversity of that
constituency. To formally guide its efforts to develop and implement a
tribal consultation, CDC has established an agency-wide Tribal
Consultation Working Group (TCWG), members of which are native and non-
native representatives from each of the Centers, Institute, and Offices
that compromise CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). In addition to the TCWG, CDC has established two
full-time professional staff positions within the Office of the
Director to help plan and coordinate CDC programs for AI/AN
communities: (1) The CDC Senior Tribal Liaison for Policy and
Evaluation and (2) the CDC Senior Tribal Liaison for Science and Public
health. Located in Atlanta, GA and Albuquerque, NM, respectively, these
CDC staff members report directly to the Associate Director for
Minority Health and serve as CDC points-of-contact for programs/issues
relevant to issues of AI/AN public health.
The Agency's commitment to AI/AN public health is further
demonstrated by the active engagement of more of its professional staff
in broader, more systematic efforts to partner with AI/AN communities
across the United States. Prominent among these efforts is the
placement of CDC staff in situations that enhance tribal access to CDC
personnel and resources (e.g., at least 12 CDC professionals field-
assigned to work exclusively on AIAN issues in Indian Country). CDC is
also expanding its partnerships with the Indian Health Service (IHS)
through multiple intra-agency agreements, collaborative projects, and
the establishment of the IHS-CDC-ATSDR Senior Policy Group. A priority
for IHS-CDC partnerships is the expansion of the Tribal Epidemiology
Centers Program. Overall, CDC and its partners (tribal governments and
communities, state health departments, academic institutions, and other
federal organizations) are addressing multiple health issues that
affect AI/AN communities including, but not limited to, diabetes,
injuries, tobacco use, cardiovascular health, cancer, maternal-child
health, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, other sexually
transmitted diseases, hepatitis, antibiotic-resistant bacterial
infections, and hantavirus.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To express interest in attending and/
or participating in the regional or national consultations and to
obtain additional information, contact:
Captain Pelagie ``Mike'' Snesrud, RN, Senior CDC Tribal Liaison for
Policy and Evaluation, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, MS-D39, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, Atlanta, Georgia
30329, Phone: 404-639-0432; Fax: 404-639-2195, Email: pws8@cdc.gov.
or
Captain Ralph T. Bryan, M.D., Senior CDC Tribal Liaison for Science and
Public Health, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, c/o IHS National Epidemiology Program, 5300 Homestead Rd.
NE., Albuquerque, NM 87110, Phone: 505-248-4226; Fax: 505-248-4393, e-
mail: rrb2@cdc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the CDC is to promote health
and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and
disability. CDC accomplishes its mission by working with partners
throughout the United States and the world to monitor health, detect
and investigate health problems, conduct applied research to enhance
prevention, develop and advocate sound public health policies,
implement prevention strategies, promote healthy behaviors, foster safe
and healthful environments, and provide leadership and training. CDC's
priorities are: Strengthen science for public health action,
Collaborate with health care partners for prevention, Promote healthy
living at all stages of life, and Work with partners to improve global
health.
The CDC will honor the sovereignty of American Indian/Alaska Native
Governments, respect the inherent rights of self-governance and commit
to work on a government-to-government basis. The CDC will confer with
Tribal Governments, Alaska Native Organizations and AIAN communities,
before taking actions and/or making decisions that affect them.
Consultation will include all AI/AN governments and organizations.
[[Page 45125]]
As does the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC considers
consultation to be ``an enhanced form of communication which emphasizes
trust, respect and shared responsibility. It is an open and free
exchange of information and opinion among parties which leads to mutual
understanding and comprehension. Consultation is integral to a
deliberative process which results in effective collaboration and
informed decision-making.''
Once all Regional Tribal Consultations National meetings are
completed, a draft implementation document will be prepared and
submitted to the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of
American Indians, and tribal governments for review and final comments.
Thereafter, the finalized document will be published in the Federal
Register, posted on appropriate federal and AI/AN websites, and made
available to AI/AN governments and organizations.
The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been
delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to
announcements of meetings and other committee management activities,
for both the CDC and the ATSDR.
Dated: July 1, 2002.
John C. Burckhardt,
Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, CDC.
[FR Doc. 02-16936 Filed 7-5-02; 8:45 am]
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