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

July 16, 2020
News
The Pandemic is Highlighting the Need for Data Sovereignty

The Pueblo of Zia recently experienced data sovereignty issues when the state of New Mexico published information about the Pueblo’s COVID-19 cases before the Tribal government had figured out a longer-term response plan.

Data sovereignty refers to the concept that data are subject to the laws and policies of the nations in which they are collected. In this article, the authors discuss the impacts of data sovereignty and practices that support Tribes’ rights to their data. Read more here.
Funding & Opportunities
Infection Prevention & Control: Project Firstline Survey

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on an infection prevention and control (IPC) training initiative for frontline Tribal healthcare facility personnel. In order for this initiative to be as responsive to the needs of Tribal healthcare workers and the Tribal health system as possible, we are asking frontline Tribal healthcare personnel to complete this 10-minute survey on infection prevention and control training interests, needs, and preferences. Responses will be used to inform decisions on the development and delivery of training and capacity building efforts to ensure it best meets the needs of you and your colleagues. Read more here.
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NIHB Offering Tribal Telehealth Capacity Mini-grants
Applications due Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

With funding from the Johns Hopkins University Center for American Indian Health, as part of the national Nick Kristof’s C-19 Impact Initiative, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is offering 18 COVID-19 Tribal Telehealth Mini-grants to Tribes, Tribal organizations or inter-Tribal consortia in amounts up to $10,000 each to assist with building capacity and responding to telehealth services and needs. The project period will run from approximately August 1 through December 31, 2020. Download the application here.

Additionally, a preapplication webinar was held Monday, July 13, 2020. The preapplication webinar slides and recording can be found here under the NIHB COVID-19 Tribal Telehealth Mini-Grant banner.
FCC 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Window
Applications due Monday, August 3, 2020 at 6:00 PM ET

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a greater need for high-speed internet connections as communities turn to telemedicine. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Window is unique opportunity for Tribes in rural areas to directly access unassigned spectrum over their Tribal lands, subject to buildout requirements. Read more here.

To better help Tribal communities apply, the First Nations Development Institute is also hosting free informational webinars to detail the application process including one today, July 16, 2020 at 2:00 - 4:00 PM MT. Read more here.
Funding Opportunity: Supporting Tribes to Increase Commercial Tobacco Cessation
Applications due Friday, August 28, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce  Supporting Tribes to Increase Commercial Tobacco Cessation , a funding opportunity for Tribal governments, Tribal health departments, and Tribal health care facilities/health systems seeking to implement projects to increase commercial tobacco cessation, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) cessation and ‘quit smoking’ attempts by promoting evidence-based services and activities, and/or adapting evidence-based health systems changes.  Read more here.
Funding Opportunity: Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment
Applications accepted on a rolling basis until filled. Opportunity closes September 14, 2020.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment made possible through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The funding will provide an opportunity to increase the level of programming, research, policy development, coordination, and/or communication between Tribal programs, leadership, community, and key partners involved in addressing the health consequences of the opioid epidemic. 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
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) Recommends Internet-Based Interventions to Help Adults Quit Smoking

The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) has recommended internet-based interventions to increase the number of adult tobacco users who successfully quit. This new recommendation updates and replaces their 2011 finding of insufficient evidence for internet-based tobacco cessation interventions. The internet-based interventions include interactive content and tailored guidance or support systems, alone or with additional interventions. Read more here.
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
COVID-19 Event: Protecting Voter Health and Participation in the 2020 Elections
Today! Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET

The Network for Public Health Law is hosting a webinar on what states should consider to ensure that everyone can safely and securely vote in the 2020 election cycle. They will discuss the challenges and solutions to the voting process in the midst of the pandemic, including legal barriers to turnout, election protection, and mitigating the public health risks. This webinar will also identify key policy interventions states are considering to protect the right to vote. Read more here.
COVID-19 Event: CDC COCA Call: Clinical Management of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Today! Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

During this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call, clinicians will learn about clinical management of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinicians will share their experiences treating patients with MIS-C, present treatment details from published literature on patients with MIS-C, and provide an overview of the treatment guidelines published by the American College of Rheumatology. Join the call here.
Project Firstline Infection Prevention & Control Listening Sessions

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on an infection prevention and control (IPC) training initiative for frontline Tribal healthcare facility personnel. In order for this initiative to be as responsive to the needs of Tribal healthcare workers and the Tribal health system as possible, NIHB will be holding a series national listening sessions with front line Tribal healthcare workers.

The purpose of the listening sessions is gather feedback from frontline workers and relevant stakeholders, for frontline staff to share their experience and opinions on what types of IPC trainings would be valuable, how best to host those trainings, as well other types of training materials would be useful. Input from the listening sessions will be used to inform the content and delivery of core trainings, products, and outreach. The three listening sessions will be on:

  • Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
  • CLOSED
  • Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
  • Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

NIHB All-Tribes Call with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will host an All-Tribes Call with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, July 23, 2020 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Eastern Time.
 
The CDC utilizes many approaches to provide COVID-19 support and services. To enhance efforts to support COVID-19 efforts for Indian Country, the CDC, will participate in the upcoming NIHB call. CDC is committed to supporting Indian Country in their efforts to address COVID-19 in their communities. In respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, we want to hear from Tribal leaders and other Tribal stakeholders on how CDC can improve COVID-19 response efforts and assistance opportunities for you and your communities. CDC would like to take this time to hear from Tribal leaders to learn and understand the needs of Tribes and their challenges in addressing COVID-19. Read more here.
Webinar: Equity Through Public Health Law
Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM ET

Health equity is determined by fair access to resources and comparable health outcomes between individuals but is shaped by larger social and political systems. In this Web Forum, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Law Program and the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) examine the foundations of public health law and its relationship to public health equity. Speakers will discuss the scope of laws that impact social determinants of health in a community, covering topics such as: regulations for safe food, clean water, healthy housing conditions, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, occupational safety and health, and medical practice. Register here.
Video Chat
COVID-19 Event: Use of Telemedicine in Alternate Care Sites
Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM ET

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and ASPR TRACIE are hosting a webinar on using telemedicine in alternate care sites (ACS). ACS are one of many alternate care strategies intended to provide additional hospital surge capacity and capability. In addition to being used by outpatient providers, telemedicine plays an integral role in ACS. The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated community mitigation efforts enacted have altered the delivery of and access to healthcare across the country. Healthcare providers are looking for ways to deliver patient care to accommodate social distancing and community mitigation measures. Register here.
NIHB Webinar: Strengthening COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Capacity Using the PHAB Framework
Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 3:00 - 4:20 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce the webinar "Strengthening COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Capacity Using the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Framework".

Participants in this webinar will learn how the PHAB Standards and Measures can be used by Tribal public health agencies to strengthen their capacity to work with laboratories on COVID-19 and other communicable disease testing.

David Stone with PHAB will review how the framework relates to laboratory capacity. Panelists from Tribal public health departments will discuss how they used this framework, and other performance improvement tools in their own COVID-19 response, and what lessons they learned for improving their health services moving forward.

Register for this webinar here.
Learn more about Tribal Public Health Accreditation and performance improvement here.
NIHB Webinar: Health Insurance Enrollment During COVID-19
Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is hosting a webinar on Health Insurance Enrollment During COVID-19 on Thursday, July 30 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern Time. This webinar is for enrollment assisters, patient registration and benefits coordinators.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made it critical for enrollment assisters across Indian Country to stay informed on the special protections and benefits that health insurance coverage offers to the safety of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The webinar is intended to help educate enrollment assisters about available health insurance coverage options, benefits and special federal protections exclusively for AI/ANs. The webinar will cover Special Enrollment Period eligibility for AI/ANs who have experienced lifetime events, such as losing a job or having a baby. Webinar participants will hear from BeWellNM and an Indian Health Service Patient Benefits Coordinator about their outreach and education strategies. Register here.