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National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
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The NIHB, a non-profit organization, conducts research, policy analysis, program
assessment and development, national and regional meeting planning, training and
technical assistance programs, and project management. The NIHB advocates on
behalf of all 569 federally-recognized Tribes in the development of national
Indian health policy. They present the tribal perspective while monitoring
federal legislation and opens opportunities to other national health care
organizations to network and engage their support on Indian health care issues. |
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This NIHB agreement provides a mechanism whereby any CDC program can partner
with an established American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) organization to
accomplish their work. The project will strengthen public health system
connectivity by increasing collaboration among public health partners at
national, region, state, tribal and local levels; ensure that AI/AN communities
are equally protected from infectious, occupational, environmental and
terrorists threats; and influence the public health workforce pipeline to ensure
that more Native students enter public health schools and related careers. |
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NIHB has a proven track record of providing direct and indirect services to
Native populations for 35 years through a community-based approach and proven
delivery system channels that represents an exact model for strengthening
program capacity and reducing health disparities. |
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Since 1972, the NIHB has advised the U.S. Congress, Indian Health Service and
other federal agencies, and private foundations on health care issues of AI/ANs.
NIHB staff maintains close communication with tribes, Area Health Boards and
national Indian organizations to give voice to AI/AN health policy concerns
through participation in numerous national organizations |
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NIHB principal goals are: |
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Support the collaboration of the NIHB and its established infrastructure of Area
health Board with the CDC and its established Tribal Consultation Advisory
Committee (TCAC) |
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Strengthening Public Health System Connectivity |
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Identify and Develop Culturally-Appropriate Approaches to Reduce Disease Burden |
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Strengthen AI/AN Public Health Systems Capacity. |
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The purpose of the program announcement is to: |
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The overarching purpose of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the
NIHB and
build upon the formal, ongoing collaborative relationship between NIHB and CDC.
This relationship will benefit both organizations to better carry out their
respective missions and goals as they apply to AI/AN populations throughout the
U.S.. |
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Specifically, the program is intended to: |
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Coordinate capacity building and training efforts for Tribes and AI/AN regional
and national organizations by focusing on key chronic health diseases where
health disparities between Natives and non-Natives has been identified and
prioritized. Crucial program strategies will be implemented to support partners
in the development of AI/AN culturally appropriate programs/activities and
conducting health impact assessments to ascertain measurable benefits of
capacity building support with Tribes and Native communities. |
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Develop culturally-appropriate, innovative approaches that will holistically
reduce health risks and disease burden in AI/AN of all life stages. At the same
time, the NIHB will build stronger public health systems capacity within Tribal
organizations and Tribal governments serving AI/AN populations. |
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Work with CDC through NIHB and its established infrastructure of Area Tribal
Health Boards and area Tribes to increase and expand collaborative relationships
and strategies to positively impact public health issues affecting AI/ANs.
Particular deliberation will be given to state/county/city jurisdictions to
ensure that tribal perspectives are considered. Jurisdictions will be made
aware of the tribal cultural variations and assisted to recognize the need for
divergent solutions to similar challenges. |
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Increase disease prevention and health promotion activities to elevate the
health status at both the individual AI/AN and their communities and provide
tribes need technical assistance to build stronger prevention systems. Many
tribes already have outstanding, disease specific programs, but lack a
coordinated infrastructure to sustain system-level surveillance and prevention
efforts. Actively engaging Indian Country in CDC activity can help move program
silos to system approach. Tribal entities have emphasized the need for a more
robust federally-based public health workforce, improved linkages to public
health network, and stronger organizational capacity. |
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NIHB
is responsible for the following activities: |
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With CDC support, NIHB is well poised to promote concepts, methods and systems
of prevention accessible to AI/ANs in the same manner already enjoyed and
considered standard practice by mainstream America. |
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NIHB will facilitate the
implementation of CDC's Tribal Consultation Policy, participate in strategic
relevant meetings and training opportunities, and assist to increase AI/AN
tribes and communities knowledge of resource related to effective population
health protections and promotion activities and systems. |
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Project Period: |
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Four Years |
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To learn more about the Organization NIHB
Click Here. |
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Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB)
Tribal EpiCenter Consortium (TECC)
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As Indian Health Service has decentralization and downsized, their ability to
undertake public health surveillance and health research within many of its 12
administrative areas of the country, which roughly correspond to the 10
administrative regions of DHHS has decreased. Increasingly, the responsibility
for managing and utilizing health data has shifted to individual tribes and the
EpiCenters. This has brought with it the opportunity for the EpiCenters to
pursue innovative approaches to health data collection and utilization that are
responsive to the needs of the tribes that they serve. The EpiCenters are
ideally situated to work locally and be responsive to the needs and
sensitivities of tribal communities while cultivating close collaborative
relationships with state and federal agencies and academic departments. |
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The lead agency for this project is the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (NTEC)
(located at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board) which serves 43
federally recognized tribes in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, approximately
272,000 AI/ANs. The two consortium partners are the Southern Plains
Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (SPIEC), located at the Oklahoma City Area
Inter-Tribal Health Board, that serves 4 federally recognized tribes in Kansas,
38 in Oklahoma, 1 tribe in Texas, and 4 Urban Indian Health Centers, some
654,911 AI/ANs and the California Tribal Epidemiology Collaborative (CTEC), a
partnership of the California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc., the Indian Health
Council, and the Riverside San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. Together,
these organizations serve four DHHS regions (Regions VI, VII, IX and X). The
Consortium establishes a formal collaboration between the two newer EpiCenters
(California and Oklahoma) and one of the longest standing and productive
EpiCenters (Northwest). The EpiCenter Consortium model establishes a number of
mechanisms for ongoing consultation with constituent tribes and a list of joint
projects, allowing each EpiCenter to benefit from the experience and expertise
of the others. |
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The short term goal for the TECC is to share the tools and experience of
existing and prior data collection projects and interventions in Indian Country
to increase the cultural competence, effectiveness, and penetration of injury
prevention programs in all three areas. Long term goals is to use this
collaboration model to establish a National Network of 11 Tribal EpiCenters
serving all regions of Indian Country, maximizing resources and experience and
further building of tribal Epi capacity with community based participatory
methods |
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NPAIHB principal goals are: |
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Continue the formal interregional collaboration of three tribal
epidemiology centers. |
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Increase the integration of EpiCenters into the data collection systems
and public health resources that already exist among their constituent
tribes through analysis of the tribal capacity assessment. |
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Increase the standardization of data analysis among the three regions to
allow better comparability of AI/AN health data across regions on a
national level. |
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Increase the capacity of EpiCenters to assist their constituent tribes or
tribal consortia in using epidemiologic data in a locally-determined and
culturally relevant way to effect policy changes in their communities. |
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Promote the sustainability of the EpiCenter system and maintain the
personnel infrastructure at each EpiCenter to support a steady funding
stream and to ensure that the services offered to tribes remains
consistently available. |
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The purpose of the program announcement is to: |
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Over the four years of the project, the Consortium is designed to become a
national network among the tribal epidemiology centers (“EpiCenters”) in all
areas of the United States. In the first year, they will establish an
interregional network of 3 EpiCenters that will collaborate in building tribal
epidemiologic and public health capacity, and promoting the standardization and
culturally competent use of health data to improve the health of Native people. |
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The short term goal for the TECC is to share the tools and experience of
existing and prior data collection projects and interventions in Indian Country
to increase the cultural competence, effectiveness, and penetration of injury
prevention programs in all three areas. Long term goals is to use this
collaboration model to establish a National Network of 11 Tribal EpiCenters
serving all regions of Indian Country, maximizing resources and experience and
further building of tribal Epi capacity with community based participatory
methods. |
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Specifically, the program is intended to: |
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Curb the health disparity trend affecting AI/AN communities, assist tribes and
community based organizations to initiate capacity building strategies, such as,
technical skill building, management skill building, management systems
development, resource diversification, network building, organization
cross-fertilization, and multisectoral collaboration in order to build their
organizational capacity. |
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Assist state and federal agencies to respect the tremendous diversity among
individual tribes and regions of Indian Country, both in terms of the health
characteristics of the population and the manner in which health services are
delivered. Tribes and tribal consortia all over the country are implementing
excellent community-based efforts and the impact of these programs can be
maximized by adapting these models to other Native communities. |
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Assist tribes to participate in state and federal surveillance activities, and
with utilizing health data to bring about positive changes in the health of
their communities. Increase collaboration among EpiCenters in different regions
as essential to maximizing the expertise and scarce resources that exist to
serve the public health needs of the tribes. |
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Facilitate the sharing of successful programs, practices, and interventions
among the tribes in these three areas. By virtue of their partnerships with
most or all tribes in their area, EpiCenters are an ideal mechanism to
disseminate locally generated knowledge and expertise through formal and
informal collaborations so they get the exposure and publicity that they
deserve. |
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NPAIHB
is responsible for the following activities: |
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The NPAIHB will promote the collection and dissemination of high-quality health
data with the aim of eliminating health disparities facing AI/AN communities. As
the responsibility for managing and utilizing health data has shifted to
individual tribes and the EpiCenters, it has brought the need and opportunity
for the EpiCenters to pursue innovative approaches to data collection and
utilization that are responsive to the needs and sensitivities of tribal
communities while cultivating close collaborative relationships with state and
federal agencies and academic institutions. This program supports OMHDs efforts
to identify and foster partnerships and collaborative activities with public,
non-profit, private organizations and agencies, and academia to improve their
organizational capacity. |
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Project Period: |
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Four Years |
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To learn more about the Organization NPAIHB
Click Here. |
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OS/HHS Inter-Departmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA)
Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) |
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The purpose of this agreement is to establish a mechanism
whereby the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Divisions contribute
to meet the need for administrative support for the Intradepartmental Council
for Native American Affairs (ICNAA). The ICNAA was reactivated by former
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson to address Native American issues within the HHS in
2002. |
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ICNAA principal goals are: |
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To develop and promote a HHS policy to provide greater access and quality
services for AI/AN/NAs throughout the Department and where possible, the Federal
Government. |
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The ICNAA is located in the Immediate Office of the Secretary. The Secretary’s
Deputy Chief of Staff provides general oversight to the Council and, in the
absence of a Chairperson, serves as the Acting Council Chairperson. The IGA
provides executive direction and coordinates with the Council Chair and Vice
Chair on all Council activities. |
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The purpose of the ICNAA Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) is to: |
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The ICNAA, authorized by the Native American Programs Act of 1974, as Amended,
serves as the focal point within the Department for coordination and
consultation on health and human services issues affecting the American Indian,
Alaska Native and Native American (AI/AN/NA) populations, which include over 560
federally recognized tribes, approximately 60 tribes that are state recognized
or seeking federal recognition, Indian organizations, Native Hawaiian
communities, and Native American Pacific Islanders, including Native Samoans.
The ICNAA membership consists of the heads of HHS Operating Divisions, Staff
Division heads, the Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA), the
Director, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBI), the Executive
Secretary (ES) to the Department, and two HHS regional representatives. |
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Specifically, the IAA is intended to: |
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The INCAA is to promote implementation of HHS policy and agency plans on
consultation with AI/AN/NAs and Tribal Governments in accordance with statutes
and executive orders. The Council is to identify and develop legislative,
administrative, and regulatory proposals that promote an effective, meaningful
AI/AN/NA policy to improve the health and human services for AI/AN/NAs. The
Council also identifies and develops a comprehensive Departmental strategy
proposal that promotes self-sufficiency and self-determination for all AI/AN/NA
people. Lastly, the Council promotes the Tribal/Federal government-to-government
relationship on a Department-wide basis in accordance with Presidential
Executive Order. |
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ICNAA
is responsible for the following activities: |
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The IGA will use the funds contributed by way of this agreement to support the
activities of the Council. Compliant with statute, the ICNAA meets twice a year.
One Council meeting focuses on policy issues and the second Council meeting
addresses budgetary needs of AI/AN/NAs. The Council also includes an Executive
Committee, which provides oversight and direction to the Council and meets as
required to perform this function. The Council members are supported by
appointed Liaisons to assist them with Council activities. The Council Liaisons
provide technical support to the Council throughout the year and participate in
assigned workgroups to complete Council activities as may be to required to
address the concerns and initiatives of the Department regarding AI/AN/NAs. As
recommended by the Executive Committee, funds will be contributed to the Council
by the Council’s Operating Divisions members and accepted by IGA for
distribution to the Administration for Native Americans (ANA). During the
funding period, IGA and ANA agree to conduct no less than 2 Full Council
meetings, Executive Committee meetings and convene the Council’s Liaisons on an
as-needed basis for the purpose of carrying out the ICNAA mission. |
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Project Period: |
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Renewed Annually |
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To learn more about the Organization ICNAA
Click Here. |
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Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of
Minority Health (OMH)
Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) |
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This agreement sets forth the work scope to be accomplished by the Office of
Public Health and Science (OPHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC funds will be transferred to the
OMH to support the activities of the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)
Health Research Council (HRAC). |
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HHS AI/AN Health Research Advisory Council (HRAC) principal goals are: |
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To establish a group of tribal leaders to provide input on the health research
priorities and needs of AI/ANs. The Group would serve three distinct but
interrelated functions: |
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Obtain input from tribal leaders on health research priorities and needs for
their communities; |
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Provide a forum through which Operating Divisions (OPDIV) and Staff Divisions (STAFFDIV)
representatives can better communicate and coordinate the work their respective
organizations are doing in AI/AN health research; and |
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Provide a conduit for disseminating information to tribes about research
findings from studies focusing on the health of AI/AN populations. |
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The purpose of this Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) is to: |
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Collaborate with HHS OMH and other OPDIVs to support research on the health
needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives and to gather tribal input on the
research needs and priorities of tribes. While all organizational components of
the Department have tribal consultation policies in place, as does the
Department itself, regularly scheduled consultation meetings tend to focus on
more immediate service delivery and financing issues. AI/AN research priorities
do not receive regular or in-depth consideration at most consultations.
Moreover, none of the Departmental components have AI/AN groups to provide
advice specifically on health research matters. In addition, no active
organization within the Department is charged with coordinating and optimizing
AI/AN health research. |
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Specifically, the HHS/OMH IAA is intended to: |
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Input provided by the tribal representatives will be used as an important source
of information in the developing and coordinating OPDIV/STAFFDIV research
portfolios. Information collected by this group will be in accordance with the
Secretary’s Tribal Consultation Policy that was signed on January 14, 2005. It
will be used as a resource to complement other avenues of input, such as disease
specific advisory groups that are currently active in certain agencies of the
Department. |
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Several division of the HHS will participate in the AI/AN Health
Research Council. To date, the following are included in this effort: the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Office
of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ), the Indian Health Service (IHS), the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), the Office of Minority Health (OMH)/Office of the Secretary, and
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Office of Minority Health will
provide leadership and coordination support for the AI/AN Health Research
Council. |
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Health Research Advisory Council (HRAC)
is responsible for the following activities: |
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The OMH
will use the funds contributed by way of this agreement to support the
activities of the AI/AN Health Research Group. |
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The
Department will convene the subject group 1-2 times per year in the
Washington, D.C. area, with interim conference calls as needed.
Representatives from each OPDIV/STAFFDIV will attend the meetings of the
group. After the formal session, a summary of tribal recommendations
will be developed. Representatives of the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs will bring
this summary back to their home organizations for use in strategic plan
and budget development, as well as for discussions with the
representatives of other departmental organizations about how they might
work together to accomplish some of the stated priority research needs
of the tribal group. The representatives of the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs will
meet formally at least once per year, shortly after the annual group
meeting, to discuss the identified priorities and possible
collaborations. |
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As
recommended by the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs contributing to this effort, funds
will be contributed to the AI/AN Health Research Council and accepted by
OMH. During the funding period, OMH and the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs agree to
conduct no less than 1 full meeting, conference call meetings and
convene the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs on an as-needed basis, for the purpose of
carrying out the goals of the AI/AN Health Research Council. |
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Project Period: |
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Renewed Annually |
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To learn more about the Organization HRAC
Click Here. |
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