December 2013 Blogs
Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board
I met with the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board in Aberdeen, SD, in December. They reaffirmed their support for changing the name of the IHS Aberdeen Area to the IHS Great Plains Area, and I agreed to move forward with the official paperwork to make that change. We also discussed the IHS budget and access to care issues. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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National Indian Health Board Quarterly Meeting
I met with the National Indian Health Board during their Quarterly Board Meeting in December. I provided an IHS update and answered questions on a variety of topics. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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National Native American Heritage Month Event
The Department of Health and Human Services hosted an event for National Native American Heritage Month in November. Here are some pictures from the event:
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IHS Area Directors Meeting
In November, we held a meeting of the IHS Area Directors to discuss our progress on agency priorities. We also held part of the meeting with the IHS Headquarters Office Directors. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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November Tribal Delegation Meetings
During November, IHS held Tribal Delegation Meetings with the Laguna Pueblo, San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Here are pictures from the meetings:
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White House Tribal Nations Conference
I attended the 2013 White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of Interior earlier this month. I also attended the National Congress of American Indians Prep Session for tribal leaders the day before the conference. I attended the general sessions of the White House Tribal Nations Conference and also co-chaired the Promoting Healthy Tribal Communities Breakout Session. The White House Council on Native American Affairs also held a listening session, and President Obama delivered remarks at the end of the conference. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting
I met with the IHS Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee in their Quarterly Meeting in North Falmouth, MA, near the Mashpee Wampanoag Service Unit. We discussed several topics, including the Affordable Care Act, the IHS Budget, and Contract Support Costs. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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2013 IHS Virtual Tribal Consultation Summit
IHS held its fourth Tribal Consultation Summit in November, and it was the first time that this meeting was held as a virtual meeting via webinar with video. The meeting included an update on tribal consultations in progress, and also included an orientation to the IHS budget and the Area budget formulation process. Here are pictures of us holding the virtual summit:
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IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting
The IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting met at the end of October. We discussed several issues, including the Affordable Care Act and Contract Support Costs. I also presented W. Ron Allen with an IHS Director's Special Recognition/Tribal Partnership Award for his many years of leadership and advocacy for Tribal Self-Governance. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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Division of Commissioned Personnel Support Meeting
The IHS Division of Commissioned Personnel Support met in Rockville, MD, in September. Here is a picture from their meeting:
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Office of Environmental Health and Engineering Directors Meeting
Here are pictures from the Indian Health Service Office of Environmental Health and Engineering Directors meeting held in September.
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Information Systems Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting
I met with the Information Systems Advisory Committee in a virtual meeting conducted via video webinar. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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National Council of Urban Indian Health Board Meeting
I met with the National Council of Urban Indian Health in September. We discussed the IHS budget and other urban Indian health program issues. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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Choctaw Health Center Groundbreaking Ceremony
Here is a picture from the groundbreaking ceremony held in September for the new Health Center being built by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in a joint venture agreement with the IHS.
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September Tribal Delegation Meeting
I met with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in a Tribal Delegation Meeting to discuss services provided to their community. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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National Indian Health Board Annual Consumer Conference
I attended the National Indian Health Board's 30th Annual Consumer Conference in Traverse City, Michigan. I held a listening session and provided an update on IHS in the general session, and IHS staff participated as speakers in several sessions. I also helped the American Diabetes Association Awakening the Spirit Team present their John Pipe Awards to Special Diabetes Program for Indians grant programs. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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Dedication of Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital
On August 22, 2013, I attended the dedication and ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the construction of the new Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital in Barrow, AK. The new hospital was constructed by the Arctic Slope Native Association with primarily IHS funding and replaces the old hospital built in the 1960s. Here are pictures from the event:
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Tribal Delegation Meeting
IHS met with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head in August. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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14th Annual Indian Health Partnerships Conference
In August, I attended the 14th Annual Indian Health Partnerships Conference in Denver, CO. The conference focused on implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Over 500 IHS, tribal, and urban Indian health staff attended, primarily from administrative areas such as business office, contract health service, and health information management areas. The tribal and urban organizations funded under the IHS National Indian Health Outreach and Education initiative attended and provided Affordable Care Act 101 training. Here are some pictures from the meeting:
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National Title VI Training
I attended the National Title VI Training and Technical Assistance Conference and Tribal Consultation on Aging and Long-Term Services and Supports held in Washington, D.C., in August. I participated in a listening session with Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator for the Administration for Community Living. Here are pictures from the meeting.
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IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Meeting
I attended the quarterly IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Meeting in Washington, D.C., in July. Topics discussed included budget, sequestration, Affordable Care Act implementation, and contract support costs. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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White House Council on Native American Affairs Inaugural Meeting
I attended the first meeting of the White House Council on Native American Affairs in July. The Council was established by President Obama in an Executive Order. The purpose of the Council is to help strengthen the federal partnership with Tribal Nations through better interagency coordination and efficiency, in order to better leverage federal programs and resources available to tribal communities. Here is a picture from the first meeting:
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IHS Area Directors Meeting
In August, IHS held a meeting of its 12 Area Directors to review progress on agency priorities and to continue work on IHS reform activities. Here is a picture from the meeting:
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Tribal Self-Governance Training
IHS held its annual Tribal Self-Governance Training in Washington, D.C., in August in partnership with the IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee and the Self-Governance Communication and Education organization. The training provided information to Tribes interested in assuming management of IHS programs, functions, services, and activities through contracts or compacts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Here are pictures from the meeting:
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IHS Director's Blog Update
It has been so busy the last few months that I have fallen behind in blog posts, but over the next several days, I will post pictures from events in the last couple of months. My New Year's resolution is to keep up better with my blog postings!
IHS Zuni Health Center Achieves Baby-Friendly Status
The Indian Health Service’s Zuni Comprehensive Community Health Center has become the first hospital in New Mexico to become Baby-Friendly certified. This means that nearly half of all IHS hospitals that currently perform deliveries have become "Baby-Friendly." Nationally, fewer than 6 percent of all U.S. hospitals are Baby-Friendly designated, and the only Baby-Friendly hospitals in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota are all IHS hospitals.
The IHS Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s "Let's Move! in Indian Country" campaign dedicated to solving childhood obesity within a generation. The IHS campaign aims to certify all IHS obstetric facilities as Baby-Friendly. This initiative promotes breastfeeding to reduce the risk that children will develop obesity and diabetes in the future. Baby-Friendly hospitals offer new mothers the information, confidence, and skills they need to initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
Other IHS hospitals that have been Baby-Friendly designated are Claremore Indian Hospital (Oklahoma); Phoenix Indian Medical Center (Arizona); Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility (North Dakota); Pine Ridge Hospital (South Dakota); and Rosebud Indian Hospital (South Dakota).
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