Beginning January 15, 2022, individuals with private health insurance coverage or covered by a group health plan who purchase an over the counter COVID-19 diagnostic test authorized, cleared, or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be able to have those test costs covered by their plan or insurance. Insurance companies and health plans are required to cover eight free over the counter at-home tests per covered individual per month. There is no limit on the number of tests, including at-home tests, that are covered if ordered or administered by a health care provider following an individualized clinical assessment, including for those who may need them due to underlying medical conditions.

Read more here. 

In late 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized COVID-19 vaccines, which have been a promising and important tool in the fight to end the pandemic. Tribes across Indian Country have worked diligently to vaccinate their citizens and have high vaccination rates, however there are those that remain unvaccinated. Some of the vaccine hesitancy may be due to religious or spiritual beliefs. Faith leaders across the world have spoken up about the COVID-19 vaccines.

On January 10, 2022, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 2013 urged countries, including the U.S. to vaccinate their populations. Pope Francis stated getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a “moral obligation” as part of caring for the health of oneself and others. Similar comments have been made in Indian Country. “Vaccines are not a magical means of healing, yet surely they represent, in addition to other treatments that need to be developed, the most reasonable solution for the prevention of the disease,” Pope Francis added.

Read more about the statement from Pope Francis here.

Abstract Deadline: February 14, 2022, 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) invites Tribal public health practitioners, researchers, and community-based service providers to submit presenter abstracts to the National Tribal Public Health Summit 2022 (TPHS). The summit is currently planned to be in-person for the first time since 2019, unless circumstances require otherwise and will be held May 10-12, 2022. The traditional homelands of the Dena’ina Athabascan people in Anchorage, Alaska will host summit attendees from across the country. Please see the COVID-19 statement for more information here.

Submit your abstract here.

Read more about NIHB’s request for abstracts here. 

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) invites Tribal health directors from entities of varying sizes and locations to pilot the revised Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS) instrument. NIHB will be hosting the pilot over February 2022. As an incentive, if you participate in the pilot phase of PHICCS II, you will NOT need to complete the scan again during the launch period. You will also receive any incentives that will be provided to participants during the launch period. We ask that pilot sites:

Contact Nina Martin, Program Manager, Public Health Policy and Programs at [email protected] to indicate your interest.

Deadline Extended: February 3, 2022, 7:30 PM ET

On November 24, 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a Dear Tribal Leader Letter announcing that applications for HRSA’s National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP) are now open. As a reminder, HRSA is once again dedicating $15 million to clinicians serving at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribally-Operated 638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs (ITU’s). The deadline for NHSC LRP applications is February 3, 2022, by 7:30 PM ET.

For additional information, here is the NHSC LRP Application Checklist which is a guide through the application and a Comparison Graphic that aides in choosing which of the three programs is suitable for applicants.

Read the Dear Tribal Leader Letter here.

Application Deadline: February 3, 2022

The Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial

Support (CSTLTS) is currently seeking

candidates for the position of Director, Office of

Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances (OTASA). OTASA connects Tribal nations and Tribal-serving organizations to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) programs, and provides funding for building and improving Tribal public health infrastructure. This is an important position for Indian Country as the Director will serve as the official CDC point-of contact and authority for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) public health.

Read more about the position here.

Apply for the position here. External candidates may apply to job announcement HHS-CDC-D1-22-11341153.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2022 Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, Public Health Dentistry, and Dental Hygiene. The purpose of this program is to enhance predoctoral dental, dental hygiene, and other oral health care trainee’s clinical ability to care for populations and individuals with medically complex health conditions, special and/or behavioral health care needs, and focus on patient-centered care so students gain a better understanding of the social determinants of health, in order to improve the oral health of vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations.

Tribes and Tribal organizations are among the entities eligible to apply provided they can carry out the grants to plan, develop, and operate an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry for dental hygiene students, or dental hygienists, or other approved primary care dental trainees, such as dental therapists, as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Entities may be accredited, or in the process of receiving accreditation, or who propose to develop an accredited program, however, the applicant or partner organization(s) must be accredited by the Secretary of Education or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) by July 1, 2023.

Read more here. 

EPA Announces $20 Million Grant Opportunity for Air Monitoring with $2 Million Tribal Set Aside

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $20 million funding opportunity to support community air quality monitoring. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Air pollution is a leading cause of many poor health outcomes including lung cancer, asthma, and heart attacks. According to the National Tribal Air Association, 85 Tribes operated air quality monitoring programs in 2021, and over 400 major sources of air pollution were present across Indian Country.

Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board is seeking qualified candidates for entry to senior executive level positions available in operations, administration, communications, public health, Congressional relations, policy, and federal relations. Full-time, salaried positions in Washington, DC. Job descriptions available here.

On January 3, the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support launched their host site recruitment efforts for the Public Health Associate Program (PHAP). Many Tribes and Tribal Organizations have taken advantage of this program which places early career public health staff at their sites for a 2-year commitment, paid for by the CDC.  The CDC is looking to recruit both host sites—state, Tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies and nongovernmental organizations—and recent college graduates who are interested in a career in public health. To help, they have created a partner social media toolkit with sample messages for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as diverse graphics for different audiences.

Interested in becoming a Public Health Association, read more here.

Interested in becoming a host site, read more here

Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Self Checker

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 2-12 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. 

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, MPH, Program Manager, Public Health Policy and Programs at [email protected] or 202-507-4081 or visit the COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center.

Today! Thursday, January 13, 2022, 1:30-3:30 PM ET

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), in partnership with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), the Yurok Tribe, and NDN Collective, will host a webinar regarding Indian Country’s participation at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). NCAI and its partners invite you to join this important discussion to hear stories about COP26 and how its outcomes have implications for Tribal Nations in the U.S.

Register for the webinar here. View the agenda here. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) invite you to the 2022 CMS Outreach and Education ACL/NICOA Webinar Series.

Register here.

For any questions, please contact Rachel Ryan Pedersen at [email protected]

Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for a deep dive into key issues from the 2019 Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS I)! This three-part webinar series will explore current topics for Tribal public health infrastructure, including:

The Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Scan (PHICCS) is a national scan, to be conducted every three years by NIHB. The purpose of PHICCS is to assess the capacity of Tribal health and Tribal public health organizations for delivering public health services. This important tool helps Tribes, Tribal organizations, partners and policy makers better understand Tribal public health infrastructure and plan for future improvements.

Find out more about the PHICCS project, including the upcoming PHICCS II in Spring 2022, here! For questions and for Health Directors interested in piloting the PHICCS II instrument, contact Nina Martin, For questions contact Program Manager, Public Health Policy and Programs at [email protected] or 202-548-7299.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is hosting the fourth webinar in the #ACTOFLOVE COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar Series co-hosted with the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP). This webinar, Addressing Trauma Around Vaccines and Legitimizing the Science, will address vaccine traumas and explain the science behind the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

For questions contact Darby Galligher, Project Coordinator at [email protected].

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and amplify the ways in which AI/AN mothers, partners, caregivers, and community members can best keep mothers and babies healthy and safe during pregnancy and beyond. It is essential to work together to protect native families and communities.

Join NIHB and the CDC for a special discussion session on a new campaign segment aimed to support AI/AN healthy pregnancies and postpartum health, based on the existing Hear Her campaign. During the session, CDC speakers will provide a brief overview of the campaign. Time will then be allotted for Tribal participants to provide input on the proposed campaign themes and materials, and best strategies for reaching Tribal communities. This session is for Tribal health directors, Tribal public health professionals, Tribal leaders, and community members who are interested in providing input on a proposed campaign to support healthy pregnancies and postpartum health for AI/AN people.

Register for the session here.

For questions contact Nina Martin, Public Health Project Manager at [email protected] or 202-548-7299.

Hosted by the Indian Health Service (IHS)and presented by Delores Subia Bigfoot, PhD., this free webinar will provide an overview of the trauma resulting from forced separation and relocation of American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth to residential schools. The target audience for this webinar is licensed alcohol and drug counselors, licensed professional counselors, nurses, nurse practitioners, residential school survivors, educators, and teacher. This presentation is open to everyone. Continuing education credits will not be provided for attending this webinar.

For more information or to register for this webinar, click here.

Join the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Region 10 for demonstrations of three virtual tools for health equity planning and analysis.

Register for the webinar here.

For questions contact Renée Bouvion at [email protected].

CDC/ATSDR 23^rd Biannual Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry (CDC/ATSDR) have announced the 23^rd Biannual Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting. This virtual meeting will be an opportunity for CDC/ATSDR and Tribal leaders serving on the TAC to engage in discussion and information sharing about Tribal priorities, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic response, and to hear updates about CDC/ATSDR progress.

A copy of the Dear Tribal Leader Letter is available here. Register for the meeting here. The agenda will be available on the CDC Tribal Health website in January 2022 at www.cdc.gov/tribal.

For more information about the meeting, please contact the Office of Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances at [email protected] or 404-498-0300.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is hosting a virtual Tribal consultation session to receive input and recommendations on a draft document entitled, “American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Worker Safety and Health Strategic Plan, 2022-2031.” NIOSH is proposing research and outreach activities to enhance worker safety and health in Tribal communities and requests input on the draft AI/AN strategic plan. The CIO is requesting feedback from Tribes including:

Input from consultation will be used in the development of the AI/AN strategic plan. A copy of the Dear Tribal Leader Letter is available here. Register for the consultation here. The current CDC Tribal Consultation Policy can be found here. Written remarks can be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to Sherri Diana, NIOSH Docket Office, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, MS C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please send testimonies no later than 5:00 PM ET on February 24, 2022. Additional support can be found here.