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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robert Foley at rfoley@nihb.org
Strengthening the Tribal Public Health Workforce is the Theme for NIHB's 6th Annual Tribal Public Health Summit
Federal agencies discuss collaborative efforts, access to resources
PALM SPRINGS, CA--April 8, 2015--Tribal public health professionals, Tribal leaders, researchers and community-based service providers gathered in Palm Springs for the National Indian Health Board's (NIHB) 6th Annual Tribal Public Health Summit. Today, representatives of four different federal agencies came together during a plenary session to discuss the premise of the Summit's theme: Strengthening the Circle: Building the Skills of the Tribal Public Health Workforce. Leaders from the Indian Health Service (IHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office of Minority Health (OMH) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) presented the efforts they are supporting to bolster workforce development in Indian Country, and then participated in a moderated discussion on stage.
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NIHB 6th Tribal Public Health Summit in Palm Springs, CA. Federal Agency Panel on April 8, 2015.
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"This is a unique panel comprised of our federal partners discussing each agency's work in accessing public health resources in Indian Country, and our collaborative efforts to provide better health care to Tribal communities," said Robert Foley, NIHB Acting Director of Public Health Programs and Policy.
Each panelist discussed a range of topics, including interagency collaboration, pipeline programs, sustainability and best practices for successful programming.
In commenting on the success of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI), NIHB moderator asked IHS to reflect on what makes SDPI so successful. Geoff Roth, Senior Advisor to the Director, highlighted some of the key attributes focusing on sustained funding, the use of best practices and community-driven programming. Panelists then discussed how these lessons learned might be replicated in other agency initiatives.
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health, touched upon workforce development in her comments and followed up during the discussion portion of the program. Specifically, she spoke about the Higher Education Technical Assistance Project (HE-TAP) that helps the nation's colleges and universities to become more competitive in securing resources and building partnerships. HE-TAP currently works with Tribal colleges to strengthen skills in coalition building, financial management, evaluation and resource development.
When asked if OMH worked with younger age groups, Dr. Gracia highlighted a current funding opportunity -- the National Workforce Diversity Pipeline Program. The program focuses on support for projects that develop innovative strategies to identify promising high school students and provide them with a foundation to pursue successful careers in health professions. With the deadline for applications coming up this May, Dr. Gracia took the opportunity to encourage the audience to learn more and consider applying.
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Federal Agency Panel at NIHB's 6th Annual Tribal Public Health Summit on April 8, 2015.
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CDC discussed the work that the agency is doing in Indian Country and highlighted the positive trends in increased funding. CDC emphasized their interest in working with and listening to Tribal Leaders. "I am thrilled to participate in this summit," said Judith Monroe, MD, Director of the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS) at CDC. "It's great to have the opportunity to join my fellow federal partners and focus on building the skills of the tribal public health workforce."
CAPT Jon Perez, Region IX Administrator for SAMHSA, focused his comments on the improvements that Tribal communities are seeing under the current administration. CAPT Perez emphasized that the increased feeling of hope expressed by many was not reason to stop working toward ambitious goals, but rather that hope allows for us to continue this work in the "spirit of possibility."
The Summit provides a myriad of seminars, workshops and roundtables across four different tracks: Accreditation and Quality Improvement, Behavioral Health and Substance Use, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and Public Health Law and Policy. This year's Summit emphasizes strengthening the public health workforce in Indian Country by providing sessions that highlight evidence-based, best, promising, or wise practices developed or implemented in and for Tribal communities.
The Tribal Public Health Summit continues tomorrow with more seminars and workshops, including a day-long training on the Affordable Care Act. For more information, visit www.nihb.org.
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Founded in 1972, NIHB is a 501(c) 3 not for profit, charitable organization providing health care advocacy services, facilitating Tribal budget consultation and providing timely information, and other services to all Tribal governments. NIHB also conducts research, provides policy analysis, program assessment and development, national and regional meeting planning, training, technical assistance, program and project management. NIHB presents the Tribal perspective while monitoring, reporting on and responding to federal legislation and regulations. It also serves as conduit to open opportunities for the advancement of American Indian and Alaska Native health care with other national and international organizations, foundations corporations and others in its quest to build support for, and advance, Indian health care issues.
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