Tribal leaders from six of the Indian Health Service Areas and four Tribes-at-large members gathered virtually for the 21st Biannual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Tribal Advisory Committee (CDC TAC) meeting on February 3, 2021. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the newly appointed CDC Director, addressed the TAC and emphasized CDC priorities of equity and core public health infrastructure, including data use and sharing, data modernization, lab capacity, and the public health workforce.

The Tribal leaders stressed to CDC the importance of government-to-government relationships, Tribal consultation, the need for direct funding to Tribes, and investments in Tribal public health infrastructure. Learn more about the CDC TAC, including the roster here, and access summaries from past meetings here. The NIHB contact regarding the CDC TAC is Tyler Dougherty, [email protected].

Nominations extended to tomorrow, Friday, February 12, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) is currently recruiting delegates for the Nashville Area, Phoenix Area, and Tucson Area to increase Tribal health, wellness, and inclusion by providing CDC/ATSDR input and guidance on policies, programs, and priorities. The deadline to submit nomination letters has been extended to February 12, 2021. To access the Dear Tribal Leader Letter, TAC eligibility criteria, and a nomination letter sample, read more here.

On January 28, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published a notice on a series of meetings for the Advisory Committee on Childhood Vaccines for the following dates:

These meetings will cover topics like policy, program development, issues like implementation of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and other updates from different Department of Health and Human service agencies. Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide comments and may submit written statements in advance. Read more here.

On February 3, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded nearly $10 billion in supplemental Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program funding to states, territories, and Tribes to address the needs of child care providers and families resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 265 Tribes received a total of $275,000,000, about 2.75% of the total amount. Funds can be used for a range of activities, including providing relief from copayments and tuition payments for families; delivering technical assistance regarding the safe provision of child care services; and supporting other allowable CCDF program activities. The Office of Child Care (OCC) will provide further guidance to states, territories, and Tribes, including information on reporting requirements for these funds, through the OCC COVID-19 Resources page.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking examples of Tribal policies with best and promising practices that support vulnerable people living with cognitive impairment and their caregivers, especially during emergency situations. This type of policy may reside within Tribal codes or alongside health, mental health, aging, social services, food distribution, emergency management, public safety, transportation, or other types of policies.  Your thoughts are welcomed if no such policy or best and promising practice exists.

The purpose of this request is to inform the development of a toolkit, intended for Tribal health leaders and Tribal Government officials, to support people living with brain health challenges and their caregivers during a pandemic or other emergency conditions. If you have examples that you are willing to share or would like to provide general input on the contents of the toolkit, contact Karrie Joseph, [email protected], or (202) 507-4079.

The International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA2) is seeking 2-3 elders or caregivers with experience or interest in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (ADRD) as participants to serve on a national Tribal advisory group for ADRD. IA2 is looking for rural as well as urban-dwelling American Indian or Alaska Native representatives. There is a small annual honorarium available for elder or caregiver representatives. Elders who are experiencing early cognitive issues are welcomed and encouraged to participate. Contact Jolie Crowder ([email protected]) for more information.

Additionally, IA2 is conducting an environmental scan to gather information resources (flyers, posters, videos, etc.) for AI/AN populations focused on ADRD and to learn more about other ADRD “assets” including programs, people, and Tribal public health laws (and policies) for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. If you have Native-specific ADRD resources, you can share or recommend either by emailing them to [email protected] or here to submit information online. 

In support of Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevention & Control Capacity Building Program, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is offering an opportunity to participate in a mentorship program. This mentorship program will connect interested mentees with industry professionals (who will serve as mentors) to introduce them to Infection Prevention and Control programs. For more information about the application process please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected]

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is continuing to accept applications for the Tribal Infection Control (TIC) Steering Committee. The TIC Steering Committee will assist in reviewing and advising on program materials and provide advisory for developing and implementing infection control projects in support of Project Firstline. Project Firstline is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the purpose of the project is to provide infection prevention and control (IPC) training and provide technical assistance to Tribal Health Officials and Tribal Health Systems. For more information contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected]. The application can be found here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has a scholarship opportunity available for Tribal infection control officers and health officials to complete online infection control training courses. Scholarship funds can also be used to complete either the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiologists (CBIC) certification exam. For additional information, contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected] or you may find the application here.

Job descriptions are available at www.nihb.org.

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published a series of Advisories based on existing Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) and Technical Assistance Publications (TAPs). These Advisories summarize updated guidance and recommendations on topics in the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment field.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) has partnered with American Indian and Alaska Native communities to promote health, prevent disease, and strengthen cultural connections to improve health and promote wellness. The Healthy Tribes website offers a variety of resources and information in four action areas: epidemiology and surveillance; environmental approaches; health care system interventions; and community programs linked to clinical services. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Visit our COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center for more information and resources.

For more information on this event and other upcoming events in this series click here.

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover essential dental services, like check-ups, x-rays, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and fillings. For February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month, the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign webinar will showcase significant oral health data trends among children and will also promote the Campaign’s resources available to incorporate into Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment efforts. Read more here.

Register by Tuesday, February 16, 2021

February 22-24, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be hosting a virtual National Forum on the COVID-19 vaccine. This event will bring together practitioners from national, state, Tribal, local and territorial levels who are engaged in vaccinating communities across the nation and is meant for practitioners focused on vaccine implementation and those who champion vaccine uptake within communities. Read more here.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force (VTF) is working to operationalize COVID-19 vaccines approved under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The first two COVID-19 vaccines approved under an EUA have been available for over a month in the US. There are many lessons learned since the initial launch of the vaccines, and IHS will share important details about the process of storing, monitoring, administering, and documenting vaccines. This series of webinars will inform healthcare team members at all levels about clinical aspects, logistics and complexities of the novel COVID-19 vaccines. Read more here.