Drowning is preventable and more prevention efforts are needed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in drowning death rates in the U.S. Read more here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) is currently accepting nominations for several Areas:

Read here for more information.

Nominations due by Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Outstanding Service Awards. Each year, the NIHB invites nominations for awards that recognize excellence, achievement and contributions that go "above and beyond" the call of service and honors efforts made by individuals, organizations and programs that have enriched and improved American Indian and Alaska Native health, health systems or policy at the local, regional, and national level. All nominations must be received through the online form by 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Submit a nomination here.

Rolling applications for September 2021 program

The New to Public Health (N2PH) Residency Program, offered by the University of Wisconsin – Madison, is a new 12-month, professional development program designed to support new to public health professionals within their first year of governmental public health practice. Professionals in their first year of public health practice and currently employed with local, regional, Tribal, or state governmental public health agencies are eligible for the program. An informational webinar will be held on August 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM ET. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking qualified candidates for the following open positions in the Public Health Policy and Programs Department based in Washington, DC.

Job descriptions are available here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has developed a quality improvement survey to gather input and information from Tribal Health Directors on COVID-19-related challenges that their respective Tribes and Tribal organizations experienced from July 2020 to February 2021. NIHB is requesting Tribal Health Directors to please consider completing the survey and share any information. Through the survey, NIHB is seeking to understand what has occurred and what is currently taking place on the COVID-19 front lines in the Tribal communities we serve. There is much to learn from our experiences over the past year and NIHB stands ready to listen, learn, and act, according to the wishes of the Tribes.

One of the goals of The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevention and Control Capacity Building Program is to “develop and/or adapt existing materials to inform Tribal health professionals about important components of infection prevention and control (IPC)”. To support this endeavor, NIHB is in the process of compiling current materials and plans which Tribal Health Organizations and Systems currently use or have used. NIHB is seeking assistance with gathering information about existing infection control learning materials and/or infection control response plans. Recognizing that many Tribes and Tribal organizations have set an example in their response through great planning, NIHB requests that anyone willing to share their materials to please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected].

Those interested are invited to participate in one in-depth interview with NIHB staff on the following topics, including but not limited to:

We expect each interview to last between 45 to 60 minutes, and will be conducted over Zoom or phone. At the end of these sessions NIHB will compile general themes from the additional interviews to inform a white paper that will help guide future CDC injury prevention surveillance activities for AI/AN communities.

If you are interested in participating in an interview, please contact Nina Martin at [email protected] or 202-548-7299!

On the National Indian Health Board’s Brain Health for Tribal Nations webpage, you can now submit a request for technical assistance for implementing the Roadmap to Indian Country strategies, hosting a Brain Health Action Institute, locating resources, starting conversations on brain health in your community, and more. To request assistance or learn more, read more here.

The report features a snapshot of both qualitative perspectives and real-time polling from the participants, along with considerations for how health departments and Tribal governments can use these findings, collaboratively with their community partners, in their efforts to support equitable COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Read more here.

New! COVID-19 Resources

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

Please join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), for an Infectious Disease Preparedness Learning Community (IDLC) webinar on how viruses, bacteria, and fungi can cause illnesses and spread diseases. Webinar attendees will gain knowledge on the following:

Information provided can assist Tribes in educating their citizens on the basics of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites and how it can spread and cause illnesses. Read more here.

Quality improvement (QI) is a critical part of implementing and measuring program improvements. The use of not just effective, but appropriate evaluation techniques and tools, can support the enhancement of Tribal public health programs and services. This involves a continuous and ongoing effort of stakeholder engagement, choosing best-fit evaluation techniques, and gathering credible evidence. Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) as we explore best practices for evaluation and effective QI measures. For questions, please contact Jessica Dean at [email protected].

Please join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for a Tribal Infection Control Learning Community (TICLC) webinar: Screening and Patient Placement Training for Tribal Frontline Staff.

The webinar will provide information about current guidelines for patient screening and patient placement considerations for Tribal Frontline Healthcare workers. The discussion will focus on the guidelines for preparedness and evaluating patients for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The presenter will share information about how the guidelines were applied in the Tribal healthcare facility they serve. For more information contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected] or register for the webinar here.

The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC) is pleased to announce a Peer-to-Peer Training Opportunity for Tribal domestic violence programs and shelters on human trafficking. The goal of this peer-to-peer training is to foster an informative, engaging, interactive learning experience in a virtual setting and offer a wide range of intersecting topics such as domestic violence, child sex abuse, LGBTQ2S, and work with vulnerable populations. Registration and agenda to come. Read more here.

The Public Health Foundation will host a virtual town hall meeting for discussion of the draft on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM Eastern. Registration information can be found here.

Please join the National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB’s) Brain Health Learning Community to discuss strategies for addressing dementia in your community. The first meeting will focus on the first set of Road Map for Indian Country strategies: educating and empowering community members, individuals living with dementia, and caregivers. Register here.                      

“Resilience for Tomorrow… Together,” the American Indian elders conference hosted by the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) will unfold in Reno, NV, at the Nugget Casino and Resort from August 1-6, 2021. In addition, the International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA²) will host trainings and listening sessions, as well as offer up to 25 travel scholarships to help staff who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend the trainings. Read more here and here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) is hosting a meeting to hold a consultation with federally recognized Tribal nations to receive input and guidance on improving the current CDC/ATSDR Tribal Consultation. CDC/ATSDR is seeking feedback on how the agency can improve its policies and practices to better engage with Indian Country through meaningful consultation. This feedback will be used to edit the current CDC's Consultation Policy. All elected Tribal officials are encouraged to submit written Tribal testimony to the contact person and mailing address listed below or by email at [email protected].

Read the Dear Tribal Leader Letter here and register here.