Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for action-packed plenary sessions, informative workshops from experts across Indian Country, and consultation and listening sessions with federal agencies. Make sure to stick around for the last day of the conference for sessions dedicated to technology in American Indian and Alaska Native health systems! This year’s conference will feature listening and consultation sessions with the Indian Health Service (IHS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Our plenary sessions will feature Tribal leaders, federal agency leaders and Members of Congress, including Victor Joseph (Native Village of Tanana), White House Health Equity Task Force, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Dr. Matthew Fletcher, University of Michigan.

Read More, View the Agenda, and Register here.

On September 20, 2021, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) sent a Dear Tribal Leader Letter announcing Tribal Consultation on recommendations to facilitate Tribal access to medical countermeasures and supplies that may be needed in public health emergencies. As part of this consultation, they are seeking input on the following questions:

Please send your written comments and recommendations to [email protected] by October 22, 2021. Read the letter here. 

On September 17, 2021, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected recommending Pfizer (now Comirnaty) booster shots for most recipients of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, boosters are recommended only for people who are 65 or older, or at high risk of severe COVID-19, that received their second dose of the vaccine at least six months ago. The FDA has the final word on vaccine approvals, and while it does not have to follow the committee’s recommendations, it usually does. The FDA is likely to make a decision soon. An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which sets vaccine policy and issues recommendations on who exactly should receive them, is scheduled to meet on Wednesday (September 22) and Thursday (September 23) to discuss booster shots. You can watch the webcast of these meetings here.

For more information on the FDA’s decision, listen to this podcast, watch this virtual FDA meeting, or read Pfizer’s announcement.

On September 21, 2021 Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced new data supporting the long-lasting protection of its COVID-19 vaccine. Data also indicated that protection against COVID-19 increases when a booster shot of the J&J vaccine is administered. Data showed a booster increased protection by 94% when given at two months, a four-fold increase in antibodies when given at two months, and a 12-fold increase in antibodies when a booster was given at six months. The current J&J vaccine is administered in one dose. It received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people ages 18 years and older. Read more.

·   Albuquerque: Primary and Alternate

·   Nashville: Primary and Alternate

·   Navajo: Primary and Alternate

·   Tucson: Primary and Alternate

·   Bemidji: Alternate

·   Billings: Alternate

Nominations can be submitted to Michele Muir-Howard at [email protected]. For more information on NTAC, click here.

Applications are due this Friday, September 24, 2021

National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is requesting applications for a new opportunity for supporting maternal American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health through Tribal-led Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). NIHB anticipates funding for up to 12 proposals from Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations for up to $7,500 each. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in a self-assessment over an 8-month period to explore key components of Tribal-led MMRCs and assess their readiness to establish and sustain a Tribal-led MMRC. Tribal-led MMRCs that respect American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture may result in identification of meaningful and effective maternal mortality prevention strategies for AI/AN communities. The intended outcomes for the Tribal-led MMRC Self-Assessment project include: Understanding the unique needs of Tribes for maintaining a successful MMRC, increasing knowledge capacity in AI/AN maternal mortality prevention efforts, and increasing partnerships among Tribes and Tribal organizations. The application deadline is this Friday, September 24, 2021 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. To download the application packet and read more about the project, click here. 

Due: This Friday, September 24^th 2021, at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are pleased to announce the fourth cycle of funding for Strong Systems, Stronger Communities (SSSC) for Tribes. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in self-assessment of capacity and departmental needs or perform work by choosing projects related to performance improvement or systems improvement. NIHB anticipates funding up to 8 proposals under 2 categories:

The application deadline is this Friday, September 24, 2021, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Please read the full funding description and download the application packages here.

NIH Maternal Health Funding for Prevention of Perinatal Depression: Improving Intervention Delivery for At-Risk Individuals

Due date: October 9, 2021

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced two funding opportunities for applications to refine and examine preliminary effectiveness of perinatal depression preventive interventions in settings where women receive perinatal care. Tribal entities are encouraged to apply. Read more on RFA-MH-21-240 or RFA-MH-21-241.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a “Community Development Block Grant Program for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages.” This grant program will provide funds for housing rehabilitation, economic development projects, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, and many other infrastructure related projects within Tribal communities. For the application instructions to apply for this funding click here. To apply for this funding click here. Any questions or comments regarding this funding can be sent to [email protected]. 

On August 9, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities released a funding opportunity for a selected resource center to provide both support and technical assistance for Tribal Epidemiology centers. This funding is being awarded to aid in research and data science capacity relating to American Indian and Alaska Native populations. If awarded this funding, the center would begin work in July of 2022. If you or an organization within your Tribal community is interested in receiving these funds, please submit a letter of intent by October 30, 2021. To apply online click here.

Applications due November 8, 2021

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and national service, has launched Public Health AmeriCorps, a new partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the recruitment, training, and development of a new generation of public health leaders who will be ready to respond to the nation’s public health needs.

The program is anticipated to fund up to 5,000 AmeriCorps positions over the next five years and comes as part of a larger $7 billion investment in the public health workforce announced by the Biden-Harris Administration.

On September 10th, 2021, AmeriCorps released the notice of federal funding availability for Public Health AmeriCorps through AmeriCorps’ State and National program. The competition is open to nonprofit, faith-based and community-based organizations; higher-education institutions; state, local and territorial government entities, such as cities or counties; and Indian Tribes. New organizations are encouraged to apply for these grants.

AmeriCorps will host a variety of technical assistance calls, webinars and workshops to answer questions about this funding opportunity, including how to submit an application. Times and dates for these calls, along with additional technical assistance information, will be posted on its funding opportunity page. Questions from organizations about the grant competition can be directed to [email protected].

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.

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].

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a coloring storybook about staying safe from COVID-19, titled Community Protectors: Children Help Communities Stay Safe from COVID-19. CDC, CDC foundation, and Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners created Community Protectors to educate children to stay safe and help protect their communities from the spread of COVID-19. Community Protectors is written by James Wallace (Choctaw Nation) and Patrick Polo (Bad River Band of Ojibwe). The original Eagle Books provided the illustrations to color. This 20-page coloring book follows the same characters of the Eagle Books and contains a lively story that conveys culturally relevant and science-based messages for Native children about preventing the spread of COVID-19. It was created for children age 5-10. A downloadable version of the coloring storybook is available here. There are also copies available for order.

National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is offering technical assistance to support Tribal injury surveillance and prevention efforts. Topics include but are not limited to analyzing state policies that may impact data sharing or establishing data sharing partnership agreements.

For questions and more information, contact Nina Martin ([email protected], 202-548-7299).

CDC Releases New Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Materials Available for Healthcare Providers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed and tested new materials to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) in diagnosing and treating multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a rare, but serious, complication associated with COVID-19 in children, adolescents, and young adults where multiple organ systems can become inflamed. Minority groups, including American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), have shown higher rates of MIS-C. MIS-C symptoms are likely to appear within six weeks after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Common symptoms may include ongoing fever, along with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, conjunctival injection, and dizziness or lightheadedness with low blood pressure. However, not all children have the same symptoms. These resources are available for download or print to share.

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.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great tool to help you make decisions on when to seek testing and medical care. Tribal members who are 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 can use the tool to help decide when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Tribal members can use the on-line tool to find recommended actions and resources based on their response to questions in the Self-checker tool. 

CDC - COVID-19 Leadership: Best Practices for Team Leads

This training is not recorded. It is a live, instructor-led training. Full attendance and active participation for all two days are required to obtain a certificate. Our trainings are offered by demand, so register only if you will attend. This virtual skills-based course is designed for public health leaders who manage case investigators and contact tracers supporting COVID-19 programs. Read more.

Indian Country Dementia ECHO for Health Care Workers and Caregivers 

The Dementia Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Program is designed to support I/T/U clinicians and caregivers to strengthen the knowledge and care around dementia for Tribal patients. The program occurs the 2nd Thursday (clinical program) and 4th Thursday (caregiver support program) each month from 2-3pm ET. Learn more.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will host the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) during the next Tribal Public Health Accreditation Advisory Board (TPHAAB) meeting on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern.

During this meeting we will overview the proposed Version 2022 of the PHAB Standards & Measures, which are now available for feedback. PHAB is seeking input from the Tribal public health field to weigh in on the proposed Version 2022. Feedback is crucial to ensuring that Version 2022 reflects the changing landscape of public health practice in Indian Country and incorporates important feedback from Tribal public health practitioners. If your Tribe has participated in or has interest in public health accreditation, please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this event.

Register in advance for this meeting here.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 1:30-2:30pm ET

Join Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health on Wednesday, September 29th for a discussion on cultural resilience during the pandemic. The featured speakers include Oglala Lakota elders, Richard Two Dogs and Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance, either through the registration link or by emailing Anna Sundbo at [email protected]. There will also be additional time during the presentation reserved for live Q&A. Register for the webinar here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is hosting a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call to discuss Post-COVID conditions (PCC), an umbrella term for the wide range of health consequences present four or more weeks after infection with SARS-CoV-2, which includes Long-COVID. It can be difficult to distinguish symptoms of fatigue and post-exertional malaise caused by PCC from symptoms that occur for other reasons. The burden of PCC is expected to reflect the disproportionate burden of infection by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and to highlight ongoing inequities in healthcare. Read more.

Join the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) and Jorge R. Mera (Director of Infectious Diseases at Cherokee Nation Health Services) on September 24 or October 4 for a very important webinar. Read the description below:

Register for the September 24th webinar here.

Register for the October 4th webinar here.