On September 9, The Public Health National Center for Innovations at the Public Health Accreditation Board, the de Beaumont Foundation, and a task force of public health experts revealed a revised version of the 10 Essential Public Health Services. This updated framework will serve as a guide and roadmap for public health agencies nationwide.

You can learn more about the new framework here.

A recording of the launch event is available here.

A free digital toolkit with adoption resources is available here.

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) recently published a new volume of Statement of the Evidence briefs examining the impact of systemic racism and potential exacerbating effects of COVID-19 on racial-ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ children and youth. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are already at risk for low levels of school achievement, now they are further threatened with school closures, limited access to broadband services and technology, inadequate access to nutritious food and dedicated space to study in the home. Low-quality education and health care for AI/AN youth worsens the negative impact of COVID-19. Read more here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with various partners, recently released a paper in Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlighting recent changes in U.S. e-cigarette sales by product and flavor types. Pre-filled cartridges remain the leading type of e-cigarettes sold, but disposable product sales increased within the past year. Moreover, among pre-filled cartridge sales, menthol flavored products comprised more than three-fifths (61.8%) of all flavored products sold. Read more here.

MMWR: E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2020

In addition to the above paper on e-cigarette sales, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with various partners, recently released a paper in Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlighting recent changes in U.S. e-cigarette use. About 3.6 million U.S. youth reported current (in the past 30 days) e-cigarette use in 2020, reflecting a decline from 5.4 million in 2019, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read more here.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Western Washington conducted a value-based health assessment to address climate change impacts on first foods (traditional foods integral to a Tribe’s health), incorporating local knowledge and Tribal values with the scientific research process. Researchers hypothesized that changes in first foods’ habitats from climate change would negatively affect Swinomish Life, including social, cultural, mental, and physical health. Founded in values-driven data from the community, researchers and community members used local priorities to inform climate adaptation decisions. Their work was recently highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its “Field Notes” series. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is forming an advisory committee to help inform and guide our new Tribal Infection Control (TIC) project, formally titled Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevent and Control Capacity Building Program. The project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the purpose of the project is to provide infection prevention and control (IPC) training and technical assistance to Tribal Health Officials and Tribal Health Systems. The project will include developing and implementing a training program for Tribal health professionals as well as developing a mentorship program between infection control professionals and Tribal health officials. The advisory committee will assist with reviewing and advising on program materials and provide advisory for developing and implementing the TIC projects. NIHB invites those interested in becoming a member of the advisory committee to please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected] for more information and an application.

The National Indian Health Board is offering a platform during its upcoming virtual conference for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to host its annual Tribal Consultation. The HRSA consultation, which is in support of the agency's ongoing commitment to partner with Tribes, is free and open to the public and will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET. Tribals official may submit written comments to [email protected] by September 28, 2020. 

Read the Dear Tribal Leader Letter.

To participate in this HRSA Tribal Consultation, please dial in at least 10 minutes before the appointed time to:

Adobe Connect: https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/atcmeeting/

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has extended the nomination deadline for a seat on the newly established Tribal Advisory Council. Tribes and Tribal organizations now have until September 30, 2020 to nominate qualified Tribal officials, particularly from the areas of Alaska, Albuquerque, Billings, Navajo, Phoenix, and Tucson. 

For questions, please contact Dr. Elijah K. Martin, Jr., Tribal Health Affairs, HRSA Office of Health Equity at [email protected].

The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to provide Native American students with the opportunity to increase the work being done in urban Native public health. Project Firstline is a national partnership of nonprofit organizations and academic institutions that aims to provide infection prevention and control training to more than 6 million healthcare personnel in the United States, including Urban Indian Organization (UIO) health care workers. Training content will include foundational information on infection control to protect the nation from infectious disease threats, such as COVID-19. As part of the project NCUIH is offering a fellowship for graduate and undergraduate students. Read more here.

Application due Friday, November 13, 2020 at 4:00 PM ET

On September 15, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $40 million in funding for the Rural Healthcare Grant Program to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments and AI/AN program entities are eligible to apply. Read the full announcement here and apply 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.

On August 27, 2020, the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board and Americans Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation hosted a webinar sharing tools, resources, and information on reopening casinos as smoke-free. This information is especially important and beneficial to consider as a method of preventing further respiratory distress in the age of COVID-19. Read more here.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Law Program, within CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS), has announced the new Law and Epidemic Emergency Preparedness (LEEP) online training. LEEP is a free, self-paced, e-learning course that helps improve understanding of the use of law during a large-scale communicable disease response. The training covers the legal underpinnings of emergency preparedness and response systems, what actions are authorized, and how to minimize legal barriers to an effective large-scale communicable disease response. Read more here.

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.

The National Tribal Health Conference (NTHC) is the largest American Indian and Alaska Native specific gathering each year focused solely on health. The conference explores health policy and its impact on Tribes, advances Tribal capacity to expand policy work, and serves as a forum to discuss policy and political work in the arenas of Tribal health care, public, behavioral, and environmental health. Read more and register here!

The National Governors Association (NGA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Bar Association (ABA), are hosting a webinar series on Equity and Policy Preparedness during Public Health Emergencies. Participants in all four webinars will consider lessons learned from past public health emergencies to inform their implementation of best practices for the future. This four-part webinar series will lead off in September as part of National Preparedness Month and will conclude in December. Read more here.

Today! Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

In the third session of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Town Hall series, Elevating Voices for Long-Lasting Change, AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Moutier, will lead a moderated one-hour discussion on the topic, “Preventing Suicide in Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color (BIPOC) Communities: Ways Forward.” The conversation will be focused on policy opportunities and initiatives and audience Q&A. Watch on Facebook Live.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 1:00 PM MT

The American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian (AIANNH) Caucus of American Public Health Association (APHA) will be hosting a webinar series related to Missing and Indigenous Women and Persons and will review activity across the federal government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's contributions and role in this work and to violence prevention. Webinar attendees will be introduced to the online Operation Lady Justice website and other relevant resources. Register here and read more here.

Join representatives from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Law Program and the Washington State Department of Health for a webinar on the new Law and Epidemic Emergency Preparedness (LEEP) online training. Facilitators will cover LEEP goals and objectives, demonstrate how to navigate the course modules, and provide examples of how the course could be practically applied in practice. Register here.

Join the National Council for Behavioral Health as they explore the concept of post-traumatic growth and how to harness it to emerge from this crisis in a positive direction, both personally and professionally. Register here.

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) will hold a virtual workshop on innovative models of care for reducing inequities in maternal health. The workshop will explore how nurses, midwives, and birth companions can improve maternal and infant health, specifically for women in U.S. communities affected by structural and health inequalities. Read more here.