This week, the White House announced that they will be supplying Americans with free at-home COVID-19 tests and N95 masks. Every home in the U.S. is eligible for four free at-home rapid tests. Test sets can be ordered now! N95 masks will be available to pick up at thousands of pharmacies and community health centers across the country. Masks will be available late next week, and the program will be fully running by early February.

Order COVID-19 tests here.

Read more about the N95 masks here.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to use Clean Air Act authority to examine the impact lead in the fuel used by piston-engine aircraft has on public health. The agency will issue a report for public comment in 2022 and publish final actions, including possible regulations, by 2023.

An estimated 167,000 piston-engine airplanes use leaded fuel between nearly 20,000 public and private airports, and leaded aircraft fuel accounts for 70% of all lead air pollution nationwide. Piston-engine aircraft are typically smaller than airplanes used for commercial transportation. Commercial jets do not use leaded fuel.

EPA estimates that 78,000 American Indians/Alaska Natives live within a 500 meter radius of an airport, meaning they are at higher risk of exposure to lead exhaust.

Exposure to lead is disastrous for health, with high lead concentrations in blood strongly correlated to heart and pulmonary system problems, memory loss, kidney disorders, behavioral disorders, and brain damage. Exposure to lead by pregnant people is correlated to a higher incidence of miscarriage.

Read more here. 

The Indian Health Service (IHS) released the scholarship application for several health professional areas, including preparatory, pre-graduate, and graduate programs.

Environmental health, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and social work are some of the professional areas highlighted by IHS as eligible for the scholarship. Read the IHS comparison chart for more information.

According to a presentation on the scholarship, the program provides qualified American Indian and Alaska Native health professions students an opportunity to establish an educational foundation for each stage of their preprofessional careers. The scholarship program provides financial support in exchange for a minimum two-year service commitment within an Indian health program in the chosen health professional discipline.

Read more, including how to apply, here. 

Yvette Nolan, an Algonquin playwright living in Canada has published a new online play, The Case of You, which explores Indigenous perspectives on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Nolan, who has received the vaccine, wanted to explore reasons Indigenous people might not have been vaccinated at this point. She encourages people to have conversations grounded in love with relatives, friends, and neighbors who for one reason or another have not gotten vaccinated.

For more information, and to watch The Case of You, click 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) being held May 10-12, 2022.

Read more and submit your 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, please review the NHSC LRP Application Checklist which is a guide through the application and a Comparison Graphic that aids 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 and Alaska Native 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 (CSTLTS) 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 two-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 Associate, read more here. Interested in becoming a host site, read more here.

The new season of the "American Diagnosis" podcast will explore the impact of hundreds of years of adversity on the health of Indigenous peoples in America, examining the resilience of the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In "Rezilience: Surviving Manifest Destiny," host Dr. Céline Gounder investigates how COVID is the latest chapter in a long history of Indigenous resilience to adversity—on the "rez" (reservation) and beyond. The series will feature conversations with Indigenous leaders, scholars, health workers, activists, historians, and poets.

Read more and listen to the podcast 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.

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 focus on vaccine traumas and explain the science behind the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Register here.

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 National Indian Health Board (NIHB) as we host the first Tribal Accreditation Learning Community (TALC) for 2022. TALC is a free, monthly webinar series held the third Monday of every month. It is designed for sharing and learning about public health performance improvement, system improvement, and accreditation in Tribal communities. Each month, Tribes will convene to learn and engage across various public health topics of interest and relevance.

The January TALC will take place on Monday, January 31 at 3:00 PM ET, and will kick-off with a public health visioning training, “Building your Tribal Public Health Department Utopia”. Participants will describe the structure of their public health systems, practice creating organizational structures and network webs, and identify changes that can promote public health capacity building for their departments and communities. Read more here. 

Join the meeting 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.