The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced the release of their 2020 Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) Report to Congress, Changing the Course of Diabetes: Charting Remarkable Progress.

This new report highlights SDPI's ongoing and outstanding contributions to improvements in diabetes care and health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. In the report, Ann Bullock, Director of the IHS Division of Diabetes states, “These improvements have huge implications for quality of life and health care costs. Sustained efforts in diabetes prevention and treatment are critical to ensuring continued advances in the health of AI/AN people. The SDPI has been, and continues to be, key to this remarkable progress.” Read more here.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antiviral drug ‘Veklury (remdesivir)’ for use in adults and pediatric patients 12 years old and older weighing at least 40 kilograms for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. The approval of Veklury was supported by the agency’s analysis of data from 3 randomized, controlled clinical trials that included patients who were hospitalized with mild-to-severe COVID-19. Possible side effects of treatment include: increased level of liver enzymes, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, low blood oxygen level, fever, and shortness of breath. Veklury should only be administered in a hospital or healthcare setting that is capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care. Read more here.

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, [email protected], or 202-507-4078.

Applications due by Friday, November 6, 2020

On October 16, the Indian Health Service (IHS) published an announcement on the "Urban Indian Education and Research Program." This program is intended to make health care services more accessible to urban Indians by funding an organization to provide COVID-19 education and service in five project areas. These areas include, public policy, research and data, training and technical assistance, education/public relations/marketing and payment system reform/monitoring regulations to act as COVID-19 public health support partners. Read more here.

The Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, in partnership with the National Association of County and City Health Officials, is developing a work group of Tribal data experts, public health practitioners serving Tribes, and other partners serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The purpose of the workgroup is to identify legal and practical strategies that support public health focused data sharing, and inform the development of products to support effective data sharing by and with Tribal and urban Native communities. Sub-contract stipends of $2,500 are available for 15 work group members. For questions, contact Joshua Smith ([email protected]) or Sujata Joshi ([email protected]). Apply here.

Call for Proposals: Indigenous Systems: Revitalizing Inherent Alignment

Submissions due by Friday, November 13, 2020 at 5:00 PM PT

Seven Directions, A Center for Indigenous Public Health, in partnership with Red Star International, Inc., is announcing a Call for Proposals for the Indigenous Systems: Revitalizing Inherent Alignment Project. This project is a practice-based study of how health care delivery, public health, and social services systems work together to achieve mutually shared goals and desired impact. Seven Directions is evaluating the Theory of Change (ToC) framework as it applies to Tribal Nations’ efforts in this area.

Tribal health departments interested in submitting an application should review the Call for Proposals Instructions, which outlines eligibility and submission guidelines. There will be an informational call today, October 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM ET to provide an overview of the project, the grant application, and questions from those interested in applying. Read more here.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project. The purpose of this 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.

First award cycle deadline: Monday, February 15, 2021

On October 13, the Indian Health Service (IHS) released an initial notice of their Loan Repayment Program for Repayment of Health Professions Educational Loans. Criteria for individuals to apply include the completion of a fulltime clinical service, be an enrolled member of a Tribe, have a degree in a health profession and license to practice in a state, be eligible for selection for service in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, and be employed in an Indian health program without service obligation. The loan can be used for both undergraduate and graduate levels. Read more here.

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 ([email protected]). If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Wheeler.

In addition to our everyday lives, the coronavirus pandemic has also affected how we participate in celebrations. For the upcoming fall holidays, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has described general considerations that individuals and families should keep in mind when celebrating, moderate- to high-risk activities that should be avoided, and low-risk activities that are suggested as alternatives. Read more here.

New! COVID-19 Resources:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration COVID Response At-A-Glance Summary

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.

Twice a week, October 5 - December 3, 2020

The United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) is currently holding an eight-week webinar series to further its mission of fostering the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native youth. These webinars are hosted twice a week with topics including social media, suicide prevention, and youth councils. UNITY's soonest webinar, Building Community Support for Youth Councils, is occurring today at 3:00 PM ET. Read more here.

Join the American Hospital Association (AHA) COVID-19 Living Learning Network (LLN) for their Open House event on Temperature Checks and COVID-19 Screening. This format will provide hospitals and health systems an open platform to pose questions and share their promising practices and creative solutions on specific COVID-19 topics. Come to the event with questions for your peers and a desire to share your facility’s practices! Register here.

Join the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region II National Preparedness Division for a webinar on face mask guidance and specific considerations for people with disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a face mask as an important way to slow the spread of COVID-19. There are many masks to choose from and Duke University has recently developed a low-cost technique for the measurement of face mask efficacy for filtering droplets emitted during speech. This webinar will describe the set-up of this technique, preliminary results from a range of commonly available face mask types, and the potential of this technology as a demonstration and testing method for the community. This webinar will also discuss when to wear a face mask, reasons why a person with a disability might not be able to wear a face mask, and the legal rights a person has under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The webinar is not intended to be legal advice but rather general guidance. Register here.

Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET

Trust for America's Health will be hosting a 90-minute virtual congressional briefing that will explore the findings of the report The State of Obesity 2020: Better Policies for a Healthier America. This year’s report finds that rates of U.S. obesity continue to climb, and racial, ethnic, income and geographic disparities persist and also features a special section on the connection between food insecurity and obesity, an issue that has become especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Briefing speakers will cover the latest national obesity rates and trends, highlight promising approaches states and localities have undertaken to ensure healthy communities, and offer policy recommendations that incorporate innovative approaches that help all Americans lead healthier lives. Read more here.