2021 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Health Summit

HRSA ORO Region 10, in collaboration with Region 10 Tribal and Public Health organizations and stakeholders, is hosting a health summit to identify and explore current and salient health issues in Indian Country.

Objectives

• Recognize and celebrate the inherent strengths of the AI/AN Community.
• Share information on federal, state, local, and AI/AN and Urban Indian programs.
• Develop and foster new relationships between and among Federal, State, and Local partners and stakeholders.

General Agenda

DAY 1

Tribal Blessing

Speaker: Lisa Dolchok, Tribal Doctor, Elder Advisor, Southcentral Foundation

Remarks and Welcome

Speaker: Renée Bouvion, MPH , Acting Regional Director, HHS Office of the Regional Director

Speaker: Sharon Turner, MPA, MSW, HRSA Regional Administrator

Session 1: Holistic Behavioral Health Care for Native Communities Panel: This session will provide information on best practices and challenges faced in building and supporting integrated care in Native and Urban Indian settings. Panelists will share healing and historical practices used in the AI/AN Community as models of care for behavioral health interventions.

Moderator: Dr. Jacqueline Gray, PhD, National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative

Panelists:

• Dr. Katherine Hirchak, Washington State University
• Dr. Xiomara Owens, Community Health Aid Program, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
• Karen McIntire, Senior Director of Human Resources, Southcentral Foundation
• Dr. Steve Tierney, Senior Medical Director of Quality Improvement, Southcentral Foundation

HHS/HRSA Program Highlight Panel: HHS and HRSA programs will share the work they are doing in Indian Country.

• Renée Bouvion, MPH , Regional Health Administrator, OASH
• Gloria Laryea, PhD, Public Health Analyst, HRSA ORO Region 10
• Louise Ryan, MPA, Program Specialist, Administration for Community Living
• Michelle Suave, Acting Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Administration for Children and Families
• Suzanne Everson, Emergency Management Specialist, Office of the Secretary, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary, Office of Emergency Management and Medical Operations

Session 2: Ensuring Health Equity Across the Life Course: Despite adversity, AI/AN communities have demonstrated incredible resilience and asserted traditional strengths. The life course perspective, then, can be a useful tool in examining health outcomes across generations and its impact on AI/AN communities, families, and individuals. This session will serve to highlight the inherent strengths of women, their families, and their communities.

Moderator: Carolyn Gleason, MS, Maternal and Child Health Consultant, HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau

Panelists:

• Rhonda Lee Grantham, Founder, Indigenous Midwife & Herbalist, Cowlitz Nation
• Trevor Storrs, President and CEO, Alaska Children’s Trust

DAY 2

Session 3: Lessons learned throughout COVID-19 Response: As one of the greatest public health threats of the twentieth century, COVID-19 presented a multifaceted challenge to all. As the impact of COVID-19 varies across locations and populations, organizations are using innovative strategies to recover from the social, political, and financial impacts of COVID-19. Through this session, learn how leading AI/AN organizations are planning for recovery and lessons learned through their battle against COVID-19.

Moderator: Suzanne Everson, Emergency Management Specialist, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary

Panelists:

• Dr. Geniel Harrison, Clinical Director, Indian Health Service
• Lou Schmitz, BS, GCPH, Consultant, American Indian Health Commission of Washington State
• Celeste L. Davis, REHS, MPH , Environmental Public Health Program Director, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Boards

State and Association Program Highlight: Tribes and states have a variety of common interests. Both have a shared responsibility to their communities to provide comprehensive services like education, public safety, and public health. Although direct nation-to-nation relations remain a fundamental principle of the federal government’s trust relationship with Tribes, it is important that both Tribes and states recognize the benefits of intergovernmental relationships and the opportunities for collaboration. This session is designed to explore state resources for Tribes, recent program and policy updates, and state-date related to health outcomes related to the AI/AN community.

• Heidi Hedberg, Director of Public Health, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
• Verné Boehner, MPH, Former President, Alaska Native Health Board
• Callie Keller, Health Coverage Assistance (HCA) Program Policy Specialist , ID Department of Health and Welfare
• Candice Jimenez, Health Policy Specialist, Northwest Portland Areas Indian health Board
• Jefferson Ketchel, MA RS , Executive Director , Washington State Public Health Association

Session 4: Utilizing AI/AN Data to Drive Practice Transformation and Performance Improvement: In the midst of a global public health crisis, transformation of mindset and culture is necessary to sustain the fight and defeat a dynamic and highly contagious infectious disease such as COVID-19. We have access to the most comprehensive data-collection tools and diagnostic information in all of history. This session will share strategies to leverage data to gain the necessary intelligence for transformation decision making and improve operational performance.

• Charlene Apok, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Data for Indigenous Justice
• Victoria Warren-Mears, PhD, Epicenter, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
• Rachael DeMarce , Data and Analytics Governance Adoption Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Day 3

Session 5: Social Determinants of AI/AN Health: AI/AN Elders have experienced disparities in health and healthcare, including emergency operations in response to COVID-19. This session aims to address these disparities and share prevention strategies, interventions, and resources available. Topics to be discussed include immunizations; infectious disease outbreak investigation and response; mental health and substance use; and other topics.

Moderator: Dr. Dale Walker, M.D., One Sky Center, Oregon Health and Science University

Panelists:

• Bobbi Dylan Outten, Director of Family Wellness Warriors, Southcentral Foundation
• Lu-Anne Haukaas , Senior Learning & Development Advisor , Southcentral Foundation
• Dr. Bonnie Duran, PhD, University of Washington School of Social Work & Public Health, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute
• Martell A. Hesketh, Program Evaluator, Urban Indian Health Institute
• Dr. Rose James, PhD, Director of Evaluation and Research, Urban Indian Health Institute

HHS Program Highlight Panel: What HHS and HRSA programs are doing in Indian Country

• David Dickinson, MA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
• Geniel Harrison, M.D., Clinical Director, Indian Health Service
• CAPT Thomas Weiser, MD, MPH , Medical Epidemiologist, Portland Area Indian Health Service
• Dr. Nancy Fisher, RN, M.D., MPH, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Terry Bentley, Pacific District Tribal Government Relations Specialist, VA Puget Sound
• CAPT Karen Hearod, MSW, LCSW, Director, Office of Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Rhonda Kaetzel, Regional Director, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), CDC

Facilitated Discussion/Debrief: Develop recommendations for our programs to incorporate the needs of AI/AN Community members.

Target Audience: This event is best for Tribal leaders and members, Urban Indian organizations, medical providers, community health workers, public health professionals and academics.

*If you would like to request an auxiliary aid such as Language Translation and/or Sign Language Interpretive Services, please contact the HRSA Office for Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion at RA-Request@hrsa.gov at least 5 business days prior to the date of the event.