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

November 12, 2020
News
Introducing the National Indian Health Board’s Climate Ready Tribes Initiative: Blog Post Series

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and Climate for Health are partnering throughout November for National Native American Heritage Month to amplify Tribal leadership on climate solutions. Over the course of this month a series of blog posts from NIHB's Climate Ready Tribes grant awardees will highlight current climate change work in Indian Country. Read the first post introducing the project here.
DentaQuest Releases New Report: Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and the Mouth

DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement released a new report titled, “The Link Between Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and The Mouth.” This report highlights the connection between oral health and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Some of the key findings of this report are how preventive dental visits can decrease the likelihood of acquiring VAP - one preventive dental visit in the last three years can reduces one’s chances of a VAP diagnosis by 22% - and patients with one or more comorbidities are at greater risk of VAP. Recordings and slides from a webinar are forthcoming. 
2018 CDC WISQARS Released: Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries are leading causes of death for AI/ANs

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in 2018, unintentional injuries, which include motor vehicle accidents, accidental drug overdoses, falls, and drownings were the third leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) across all ages, behind heart disease and cancer. Between the ages of 1-9 and 15-54 years, unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death. This mirrors a similar trend in nationally-reported deaths, where unintentional injuries are the primary cause of death for children and adults aged 1-44 years old. Notably, suicide became the leading cause of death among 10-14 year-olds in 2018, compared to unintentional injuries in 2017. Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for adolescents and adults aged 15-34 years. Among unintentional injury deaths for AI/AN adults aged 25-54 years, accidental poisonings (which include unintentional fatal drug overdoses) were the leading cause documented.

These fatal injury data are available through CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) database, an online interactive platform that provides statistics on fatal and non-fatal injuries, violent death, and injury cost. You can view the interactive data tool here.
Leading Causes of Death and Counts for AI/ANs, 2018, CDC WISQARS
Funding & Opportunities
Request for Comments: Enhancing Linkage of STI and HIV Surveillance Data in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Evaluation
Comments due by Friday, November 27, 2020

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for "Enhancing Linkage of Sexually Transmitted Infection and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Surveillance Data in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Evaluation." HRSA is requesting public comments and review on the evaluation and how to improve linkage and re-engagement in care and health outcomes for people with HIV in the program. Read more here.
NPAIHB and Indian Country ECHO Partnership Application
Applications due by Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) is seeking to expand the number of Indigenous-led organizations implementing Indian Country Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHOs) on a variety of subjects. Funding will be provided in the form of up to 5 mini-grants ($100,000/year) to assist in the planning and implementation of additional ECHOs. For questions, contact echo@npaihb.org. Read more here.
GATHER Food Sovereignty Grant
Applications due by Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 5:00 PM MT

First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is now accepting grant proposals through the GATHER Food Sovereignty Grant. First Nations will award up to 13 grants of approximately $32,000 each for work that contributes to a vision of Native communities and food systems that are self-directed, well-resourced and supported by community policies and systems. A Q&A webinar session is available for applicants to learn more about the Request for Proposal process and eligibility criteria below. Read more here.

National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP)
Applications due Friday, January 22, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch is providing funding and partnering with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) through the National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEHPIP) to support 20 environmental health student internships during summer 2021. Selected college students from environmental health programs accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) will receive a base stipend of $6,000 for undergradaute and $8,000 for graduate students to complete the 10-week internship.  Read more here.
Call for Infection Prevention and Control Epidemic and Outbreak Plans

One of the goals of The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevent and Control Capacity Building Program is to provide Tribally specific resources and tools and share information to increase knowledge and improve practice of infection control within Tribal health facilities and among Tribal health staff. . To support this endeavor, NIHB is asking Tribes to share any IPC, epidemic, or outbreak plans, tools, or guides that has helped your Tribe. The materials can be de-identified, if needed. These resources will be placed online on the NIHB website. We hope to assist Tribes and support each other in an effort to mitigate the impact of current and future outbreaks in Indian Country. Anyone willing to share their materials or would like more information please contact Carmen Sanders at csanders@nihb.org
Resources
New! COVID-19 Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Program Operational GuidanceThe COVID-19 Vaccination Program Operational Guidance for Jurisdictions Playbook serves as an interim playbook for state, territorial, Tribal, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their jurisdictions. The document’s sections cover specific areas of COVID-19 vaccination program planning and implementation and provide key guidance documents and links to resources to assist those efforts.
  • Text Illness Monitoring (TIM) — Text Illness Monitoring, or TIM, is a text messaging system that helps public health organizations monitor symptoms of enrolled participants. Public health organizations can use this system at no cost to monitor symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Read more here.
  • Updated: Guidance for Pharmacies
  • Updated: Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) - When SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses are co-circulating, clinicians should consider both viruses, as well as co-infection, in patients with acute respiratory illness symptoms because of similar signs and symptoms. Read more here. 
  • Updated: How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask
NIHB COVID-19 Contact
 
The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Visit our COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center for more information and resources.
Events
Tribal Accreditation Learning Community: Public Health Infrastructure and 10 Essential Services
Monday, November 16, 2020 at 3:00 PM ET

TALC is a free, monthly webinar series held by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB). It is designed for sharing and learning about public health performance improvement, system improvement, and accreditation in Tribal communities

Public health systems are shaped by the networks, organizations, and resources in place to aid in the promotion of optimal health among the population served. These efforts are supported by public health infrastructure that ensures capacity and the ability to implement essential public health services. Furthermore, when describing Tribal public health infrastructure, it is important to take into consideration the unique needs and cultural priorities of Indian Country.

This session, led by Sarah Price and Jessica Dean, Public Health Project Coordinators with NIHB, will engage participants in discussion on the unique characteristics of Tribal public health infrastructure and recent updates to the 10 Essential Public Health Services.

Meeting ID: 640 835 7429
Passcode: 2025074070
HHS Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 from 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM ET

Under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (TBDWG) will hold a virtual meeting to review chapters and the template for the 2020 report to the Secretary of Health & Human Services and Congress. The 2020 report will address ongoing tick-borne disease research, including research related to causes, prevention, treatment, surveillance, diagnosis, diagnostics, and interventions for individuals with tick-borne diseases; advances made pursuant to such research; federal activities related to tick-borne diseases; and gaps in tick-borne disease research. Read more here.