Tribal Public Health Broadcast
Weekly News, Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Events in Indian Country

October 22, 2020
News
Judge Denies Tribes’ Bid to Halt Keystone Pipeline Work

A federal judge has denied a request by Tribes to halt construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada over worries about potential spills and damage to cultural sites. Work started this spring on the pipeline, which would carry oil sands crude from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska. However, much of it is stalled after a separate ruling in July by the nation's top court. Read more here.
Announcing EPA’s New Indoor Air and COVID-19 Webpage

COVID-19 is known to spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person. There is uncertainty about the relative importance of other routes of transmission for COVID-19. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends taking certain precautions to reduce potential airborne transmission, including increasing ventilation with outdoor air and air filtration. Read more here for topics covered on the EPA’s Indoor Air and COVID-19 webpage.
Funding & Opportunities
Public Health Accreditation Board Seeks Members for Tribal Workgroup

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), in partnership with the National Indian Health Board, is seeking members to inform the development of the next iteration of the PHAB Standards and Measures, Version 2.0. The workgroup will meet several times in November, 2020. If you have knowledge and experience with the PHAB Standards and Measures v1.5 and are interested in participating in this workgroup, contact Sarah Price, sprice@nihb.org, or 202-507-4078.
IHS Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) - Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project
Applications due by Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The purpose of this Indian Health Service (IHS) grant is to address the opioid crisis in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities by developing and expanding community education and awareness of prevention, treatment and/or recovery activities for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. The intent is to increase knowledge and use of culturally appropriate interventions and to encourage an increased use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Approximately 33 awards will be issued for a 3-year project period, with awards of up to $500,000 per year. Read more here.
Call for Tribal COVID-19 Resources

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking to create a pool of resources which Tribes can access when planning or implementing their own COVID-19 response. To this end, NIHB is asking Tribes to share with us any tools, operational plans, guides, policies, communication products, etc. that has helped your Tribe combat this pandemic.  The materials can be de-identified, if needed. These resources will be placed online within NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Response Center alongside other community health materials. We hope this aids Tribes to build on successes and support each other in the collective effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Indian Country.
To submit any materials or resources, please email Courtney Wheeler (cwheeler@nihb.org). If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Wheeler.
Resources
2018 National Violent Death Reporting System Restricted Access Database Now Available

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated its Restricted Access Database (RAD) to include 2018 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The NVDRS RAD consists of data from 38 states, 21 California counties, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The NVDRS RAD is a de-identified, multi-state, case-level dataset comprised of hundreds of unique variables and includes short narratives that describe the circumstances related to violent deaths. There is no cost for accessing the NVDRS RAD and is available to researchers who meet certain criteria. Read more here.
Fact Sheet: Data Governance Strategies for States and Tribal Nations

The Network for Public Health Law has published a fact sheet on data governance strategies for states and Tribal nations. This fact sheet focuses on strategies states should take to support Indigenous data sovereignty. Read more here.
New! COVID-19 Resources:

National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine - Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities. Download free copy here.
NIHB COVID-19 Contact

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 cwheeler@nihb.org or 202-507-4081.
Events
Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee
Today! Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET

The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research’s (CBER) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet foran open public session to discuss the development, authorization and/or licensure of vaccines to prevent COVID-19. No specific application will be discussed at this meeting. Materials for this meeting will be available at the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee meetings main page. The online web conference meeting will be available here. Read more here.
Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community Webinar Events

Join the Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community as Bonnie Duran, Jeanne Corrigal, and Elvina Charley lead the following webinars to explore mindfulness and meditation. Although the event is free, there is an opportunity to donate here. Read more here.

Introduction to Mindfulness through an Indigenous World View
  • Friday, October 23, 2020 from 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET
  • This event is for individuals who identify as Indigenous or a Person of Color.

Indigenous Presence: A Retreat with Wisdom Teachings from the Indigenous & Insight Meditation Traditions
  • Saturday, October 24, 2020 from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET
  • Sunday, October 25, 2020 from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
  • This event is open to anyone interested in attending.
DEA Take Back Day
Saturday, October 24, 2020 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM ET

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, and can lead to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in partnership with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, businesses, medical offices, agencies, and first responders, will host events to collect and safely dispose of unwanted medications. Make plans to dispose of unused and unwanted medications during DEA National Rx Take Back Day. Read more here.
COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Virtual Training Opportunity for Tribal Programs

The National Network Disease Intervention Training Centers (NNDITC) has designated two dates reserved for Tribal Communities and Programs. In order to attend, participants need to provide documentation that they are working under the authority of a health department and that they have completed either the ASTHO Making Contact or Johns Hopkins online Contact Tracing courses. Participants may register using the appropriate link below and can register for both courses if they will be conducting contact tracing and contact investigation. Read more here.

October 27-29, 2020 at 1:00 PM-5:00 PM PT
November 3-5, 2020 at 8:00 AM-12:00 PM PT