March 17, 2023: IHS Updates for Tribes and Tribal and Urban Indian Organizations

This bi-weekly update provides up to date information on Indian Health Service and other federally-hosted meetings, conferences, deadlines and recognition from across the Indian health system. For more information or questions, email IHSPublicAffairsStaff@ihs.gov.

IHS Recommendations Update

Between 2019 and 2021, the Indian Health Service received recommendations from IHS-commissioned internal reviews and external entities on the design and implementation of IHS policies and processes established to protect patients and to hold employees accountable for compliance. Through the 2023 Agency Work Plan, IHS leadership is ensuring all recommendations are addressed, accountable staff are assigned and completing work on open recommendations, and actions are continuously tracked and monitored for sustaining implemented improvements. IHS will provide quarterly updates on the progress of the recommendations through the IHS Recommendations Status Report. Read more in the latest fact sheet.

2022 IHS Year in Review

The IHS Year in Review is a snapshot of the many achievements across the agency in 2022. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the important work done over the past year to support the IHS mission of raising the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. Throughout the Year in Review, you’ll see how the IHS has expanded access to health care and taken aggressive action to protect our tribal communities. It acknowledges the working partnerships with tribal leaders, urban Indian organization leaders, and the organizations that support our mission. At the same time, it allows us to thank the many dedicated employees and providers at the IHS.

President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget

The President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, released last week, builds on the historic enactment of advance appropriations for the IHS provided in FY 2023. Advance appropriations represent an essential step toward securing stable and predictable funding to improve the overall health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and ensure that the disproportionate impacts experienced by tribal communities during government shutdowns and continuing resolutions are never repeated.

The FY 2024 budget is reflective of tribal and urban Indian organization leader priorities, as it includes significant funding increases beginning in FY 2024 toward the top tribal budget recommendations. These significant steps demonstrate the Biden Administration’s continued commitment to honoring the United States’ treaty responsibilities to tribal nations, strengthening nation-to-nation relationships, and improving the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives throughout Indian Country. To learn more, read the latest statement from IHS Director Roselyn Tso.

IHS Personnel Update

The IHS would like to welcome Christopher Jarvis, M.D., as director of the Office of Clinical and Preventive Services. As the director of OCPS, Dr. Jarvis will advise the IHS chief medical officer and provide leadership toward improving and promoting wellness for American Indian and Alaska Native people by serving as the primary source of national advocacy, policy development, budget development and allocation for clinical, preventive and public health programs for IHS, area offices and service units.

Dr. Jarvis recently retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army after more than 25 years as a commissioned medical officer. Dr. Jarvis began his career as a family physician with an emphasis in operational and flight medicine, deploying multiple times to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He served in positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career, including as clinic director, department chief, chief medical officer, chief executive officer, senior medical advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and military health system market director.

Patient Safety Awareness Week

Patient Safety Awareness Week is a time to recognize the patient safety work currently being done in the field and also to bring awareness to the commitment required to maintain and increase that level of safety in the future. Please take a moment to visit the links below for an IHS patient safety update, the IHS Patient Safety Awareness Week announcement, and a newsletter highlighting the patient safety excellence of IHS staff.

IHS Re-Commits to Strengthening Patient Safety | March 2023 Blogs
Patient Safety Awareness Week – March 12-18, 2023 | 2023 Announcements (ihs.gov)
Patient Safety Awareness Week Recognition newsletter

Honoring Women’s History Month

The IHS joins others nationwide in recognizing March as Women’s History Month and the countless women who have fought tirelessly and courageously for equality, justice and opportunity since time immemorial. At the IHS, many women serve in leadership positions throughout Indian Country, and almost half of all leadership positions at headquarters and area offices are filled by women. Follow along on the IHS social media channels as we honor and highlight women from across the Indian health system.

Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Meeting

On March 8 and 9, IHS Director Roselyn Tso met with Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee members in Washington, D.C. The meeting included discussions on important tribal issues related to our communities, such as the IHS budget; the expansion of self-governance through demonstration projects for select HHS programs; the development of new, or identification of existing resources for long-term care in Indian Country; and the implementation of the Community Health Aide Program. The IHS is committed to forming strong partnerships with tribes as we both strive to deliver the highest quality of health care to our people and communities.

National Indian Health Board’s Board of Directors Meeting

On March 8, IHS Director Roselyn Tso met with the National Indian Health Board’s Board of Directors during their 2023 first-quarter meeting in Washington, D.C. Director Tso shared updates covering recent visits across Indian Country to identify progress and priorities, strengthening partnerships with the U.S. Department of Interior regarding boarding school impacts, addressing facility maintenance and safety within the IHS, and ensuring support for PL-638 efforts. The IHS is grateful for the work NIHB coordinates with tribal partners and looks forward to the continued partnership.

Tribal Delegation Meetings

Over the last two weeks, the IHS has hosted tribal delegation meetings with tribal leaders and tribal organization representatives from across Indian Country. These meetings create a space for IHS and tribal leadership to directly discuss individual issues or concerns while renewing and strengthening partnerships.

On March 7, IHS met with the tribal delegation from the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana in the Nashville Area. Thank you to the leaders who attended to share issues and successes, as well as the strong commitment to meeting these challenges together.

On March 8, IHS had a follow-up tribal delegation meeting with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe regarding their efforts to enter the IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program. During the meeting, the tribe stated their overall goals and IHS leadership provided assistance to meet those goals.

2023 Scholarship Programs for Health Professions

Dr. Luis Padilla, associate administrator for the Bureau of Health Workforce within the Health Resources and Services Administration, recently released a letter to tribal leaders announcing scholarship opportunities for health professions. The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program and the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program both provide financial support for students enrolled in an eligible health professions degree program. For more information, please view the tribal leader letter.

IHS National E3 Vaccine Strategy

The IHS is pleased to share an update on the IHS National E3 Vaccine Strategy, which ensures that every patient at every encounter is offered every recommended vaccine, when appropriate. The IHS is currently moving forward with the E3 Operational Plan, seeking to engage federal direct-care sites and collaborate with tribal and urban Indian organization partners in this proactive approach to raise vaccination rates in Indian Country. This strategy promotes access to all ACIP-recommended vaccines, inclusive of COVID, mpox, seasonal influenza and routine vaccines for all age groups.

Last week, the IHS National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee announced the IHS E3 Champions Pilot Program as part of the E3 Champions Challenge, which is designed to encourage innovation, incentivize effort and recognize success in implementation of the E3 Vaccine Strategy at the service unit, facility, and tribal community level across the Indian health system. Participation in the E3 Champions Pilot Program is simple and open to teams at federal direct-care, tribal and urban Indian organization sites. We have designated E3 pilot sites in the Albuquerque, Portland, Phoenix and Great Plains Areas. All sites should consider undertaking the E3 Champions Challenge. The IHS E3 Resource Bank provides easy, one-touch access to valuable vaccine-related resources and will be updated with additional content in the coming weeks and months.

HHS Tribal Consultation on New Strategy for Tribes to Access the Strategic National Stockpile

On Jan. 21, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14001 on a Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain, which directs actions to secure supplies necessary for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response conducted consultation in the fall of 2021 to develop a draft plan for improving tribal access to such resources. A new round of consultation related to this work is underway, with a virtual session on March 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Registration and background information can be found in the Dear Tribal Leader Letter. Written comments are requested to consultation@hhs.gov by April 24, 2023.

SAMHSA Listening Session on National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda

Tribal leaders are invited to provide input on updating the Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda’s priorities and strategies. The TBHA was published in 2016 following a tribally led, collaborative effort of federal and tribal partners. On the recommendation of tribal leaders, SAMHSA is looking to update the TBHA, particularly in regards to lessons learned from the pandemic. SAMHSA has prepared a series of discussion questions to guide the session, though broader comments are welcomed. Please see the Dear Tribal Leader Letter for more information. The listening session will take place on March 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET, and written comments will be received through April 24.

HRSA Webinar on Historical Trauma Impacts

on April 5 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, HRSA's Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs is hosting a national webinar on "Understanding Historical Trauma and its Impacts on the American Indian and Alaska Native Workforce.” Attendees will hear first-hand accounts of how these experiences impact the workforce across Indian Country and receive information on HRSA resources and technical assistance to address it in tribal communities. Register for the webinar here.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Tribal Budget Consultation

Please see this Dear Tribal Leader Letter inviting tribal leaders to participate in the 25th U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Annual Tribal Budget Consultation on April 18-19 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C. Leading up to the consultation, HHS will host biweekly planning calls, with the next one taking place on March 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET. To register to attend, click here. For questions, contact consultation@hhs.gov.

Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence Self-Paced Trainings

The IHS Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence Tele-Education Program is hosting the following trainings for health care providers to attend over the next two weeks:

• Behavioral Health Integration Webinar Series: Behavioral Health Integration Case Studies in AI/AN Health Clinics
  March 23, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. ET | Register now
• Trauma & Stress Disorders Webinar Series: PTSD & Suicide
  March 28, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. ET | Register now

Advancements in Diabetes Webinars

The IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention: Advancements in Diabetes Webinar Series is hosting the following webinar for health care providers next week:

• Utilizing Plant-Based Diets to Improve Diabetes Outcomes,
  March 22, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET | Click here to attend!

Funding Opportunities

• Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths through Social Detoxification. More information is available on grants.gov under opportunity number HHS-2023-IHS-PARD-0001. Applications due March 31.

Save the Date

March 21-22: HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting
March 23: Community Health Aide Program Tribal Advisory Group Meeting
March 28-30: 2023 National Combined Councils Virtual Meeting
March 29-30: IHS Facilities Appropriations Advisory Board Meeting

Latest IHS Blogs

• Naloxone and Available Trainings Can Save Lives
• IHS Re-Commits to Strengthening Patient Safety
• IHS Celebrates National Social Work Month

Other News

PIMC Celebrates Newly Renovated Women’s Clinic

On March 3, the Phoenix Indian Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the newly renovated Women’s Clinic. PIMC staff, along with tribal and urban partners, toured the clinic located on the fourth floor of PIMC’s main tower. Deb Ward Lund, acting chief executive officer, invited children, mothers and grandmothers of PIMC in attendance to step forward and help cut the ribbon alongside Dr. Ty Reidhead, Phoenix Area IHS director, and Jim Driving Hawk, deputy director for field operations.

CDC Shares Significant Brain Health Findings for American Indians and Alaska Natives

A study released last week shows that American Indian and Alaska Native adults ages 45 and over had the highest reported rate of worsening memory loss. With almost one in five impacted, health care providers and community health staff can take steps now to help Native patients reduce the risk of worsening memory issues and later dementia, and the new IHS Alzheimer’s Program team is helping lead those efforts. Worsening memory loss that impacts daily life is not a normal part of aging. If you or a loved one are experiencing changes in memory, talk to a health care provider to identify possible causes and learn how to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. To learn more, visit the CDC website.

Albuquerque Area meets with Pueblo of Taos Leadership

On March 3, IHS Albuquerque Area Director Dr. Leonard Thomas and members of the Albuquerque Area Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act team met with Pueblo of Taos Governor Gary J. Lujan, Tribal Secretary Daniel Lucero, Tribal Operations Officer Shawn Duran, and members of the Taos ISDEAA Team. The meeting allowed members of each team to engage with one another, share views on tribal self-governance, discuss mutual interests, and strengthen partnership and collaboration.

NPTC and NPC Antibiotic Stewardship Committee Collaboration

The IHS National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee announced a new IHS Antibiotic Stewardship webpage hosted on the NPTC website, with content developed in collaboration with the IHS National Pharmacy Council’s Antibiotic Stewardship Program. IHS remains committed to promoting appropriate and safe medication use in the American Indian and Alaska Native service population, and will provide additional antibiotic stewardship resources in the coming months.

This bi-weekly update provides up to date information on Indian Health Service and other federally-hosted meetings, conferences, deadlines and recognition from across the Indian health system. For more information or questions, email IHSPublicAffairsStaff@ihs.gov.