January 30, 2024: IHS Updates for Tribes and Tribal and Urban Indian Organizations

This bi-weekly update provides up to date information on recent events, meetings, conferences, upcoming deadlines, and recognition of the work being done across the Indian Health Service, other federal agencies, and Indian Country. For more information or questions, email IHSPublicAffairsStaff@ihs.gov.

IHS Releases First Quarter Performance Report for FY2024

The Indian Health Service is pleased to share the first quarterly performance report for fiscal year 2024. The report includes historic milestones and great progress toward the agency’s strategic goals of delivering high-quality care, unveiling new facilities, improving systems, and strengthening critical partnerships. Some outstanding examples include the IHS receiving its first-ever advance appropriations, the significant progress in our efforts to modernize our health care technology and systems, and breakthroughs in our partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These are but a few of the noteworthy first-quarter achievements included in the report. Read the IHS FY 2024 First Quarter Performance Report, and to stay tuned for future updates.

IHS Welcomes New Deputy Director for Quality Healthcare and Enterprise Risk Management

On January 11, IHS announced the appointment of Michelle Boylan, RN, MA, MBA, CPHQ, as the new deputy director for quality healthcare and enterprise risk management at IHS headquarters. In her new position at the IHS, Boylan is responsible for strengthening the agency’s ongoing efforts to ensure the delivery of consistent, high-quality health care at federally operated facilities across Indian Country. Providing the highest possible quality health care to American Indian and Alaska Native communities is at the center of all we do at IHS, and Michelle brings an impressive breadth of experience that will undoubtedly enhance our ability to serve our communities better. We welcome her leadership, insight, and her impressive diversity of professional experiences to the Indian Health Service. I also want to thank Capt. Jana Towne for her time serving as the acting director for quality healthcare.

IHS Announces Comprehensive Update to Purchased Care Medical Priorities, New Guide

The IHS recently shared a major update to the IHS Purchased Referred Care Medical Priorities—the first in more than three decades. Our focus is on optimizing resource allocation, integrating all aspects of care, and implementing a tiered referral system. The update emphasizes preventive, mental health, chronic, and acute care, with priorities categorized into four areas. We're committed to a patient-centered model and will provide resources and training for staff, referral care providers, and tribal communities. Access to the IHS PRC Medical Priorities Plan, User’s Guide, and a detailed overview video by Dr. Matthew Clark will be posted on the IHS PRC website for more information.

Director Roselyn Tso and the IHS Director’s Workgroup on Improving Purchased/Referred Care met recently in Portland, Oregon to discuss matters of importance to the PRC Program, such as the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund, PRC needs, revised IHS medical priorities, and policy updates

IHS Executive Leadership Convenes in Phoenix

Last week IHS Director Roselyn Tso convened senior leadership from across the agency in Phoenix, Arizona, to continue upon collaborative work to address the most pressing issues facing the Indian Health Service today. Executive leadership from national headquarters, area directors, and other agency leaders discussed progress toward our 2024 agency work plan priorities, continued refining our next five-year strategic plan, participated in robust decision making on matters affecting IHS, and participated in leadership training. This convening is the latest in a series of such meetings aimed at bringing leaders together to strategically address challenges facing the IHS, as well as championing the progress made toward our agency goals.

Visit to Puyallup Tribal Health Authority and Tour of Family Medicine Residency Program

On January 17, Director Roselyn Tso had the pleasure of visiting the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority (PTHA) to tour their Family Medicine Residency Program with Osteopathic Recognition. PTHA’s residency program is the first tribally operated osteopathic family medicine program in the nation. The program has graduated 32 physicians with 41 percent of the graduates going on to work in Indian Health Service, tribally operated health center, or urban Indian program facilities. This visit highlighted their amazing program and a pipeline for future physicians who are interested in working in Native communities across the country.

Visit to Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Director Tso also had the honor of visiting the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board on January 18 to share the myriad initiatives the IHS is undertaking to fulfill the agency mission to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. The focus of her remarks centered on how the IHS Office of Quality has been strategically realigned to oversee the agency’s divisions of compliance, enterprise risk management, improvement and innovation, and quality assurance and patient safety. Ms. Tso was also was able to announce the appointment of Michelle Boylan as the new deputy director for quality healthcare. Lastly, she expressed her appreciation to those that have worked collaboratively to help standardize of our quality systems so that we operate as one IHS.

Small Ambulatory Program Awards $55 Million to 15 Tribes and Tribal Organizations

Earlier this month, the IHS announced $55 million in funding to 15 tribes and tribal organizations as part of the competitive Small Ambulatory Program to invest in the construction, expansion, or modernization of small ambulatory health care facilities. The program supports work towards expanding access to various outpatient services for patients, including offering new services, expanding existing services, and upgrading outdated facilities. Since the program began in 2001, more than 79 projects have been funded, totaling more than $178 million. Ninety-five percent of tribally operated health care facilities are the primary providers of ambulatory services for tribal communities. These services include preventative services for chronic diseases such as diabetes. Ambulatory care settings operated by tribes and tribal organizations also provide increased access to culturally appropriate, quality health care. Check out the press release to see the full list of recipients.

Community Opioid Intervention and Prevention Program Funding Announced

The Division of Behavioral Health announced the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Opioid Intervention and Prevention Program. The purpose of this grant program is to address the opioid crisis in American Indian and Alaska Native communities by:

1.  Developing and expanding community education and awareness of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder;
2. Increasing knowledge and use of culturally appropriate interventions and to encourage an increased use of medication-assisted treatment/medications for opioid use disorder;
3. Supporting tribal and urban Indian communities in their effort to provide prevention, treatment, and recovery services to address the impact of the opioid crisis; and
4. Increasing harm reduction within tribal communities.

Tribes and urban Indian organizations can apply by February 7. The full notice is available here.

Maternal Safety Program Funding Announced

The Maternal and Child Health Program announced an MCH funding opportunity to improve maternal safety through enhanced care coordination during pregnancy and the postpartum transition. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to develop and/or expand maternal safety initiatives to improve access to safe, quality obstetric services within federally operated IHS facilities, including:

• Maternity care coordinators to increase screening, education, and intervention during pregnancy and postpartum
• Programs that increase access to screening for maternal mental health conditions, substance use, or sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and congenital syphilis, that increase risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality
• Initiatives that utilize telehealth or home visiting delivery care models to expand access to care in the community
• Equipment and supplies that expand access to care for the community (e.g. blood pressure cuffs, blood glucose monitoring, colposcopy, equipment for obstetric emergency simulations)

The deadline for Federal sites to apply is February 23. For more information, visit Maternal and Child Health or contact Maternal Child Health Consultant Dr. Tina Pattara-Lau.

Tribal Management Grant Applications Now Being Accepted

The IHS is now accepting applications for grants under the Tribal Management Grant Program, a competitive grant for federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations that is administered by the Office of Direct Service and Contracting Tribes. The program is designed to enhance and develop health management infrastructure and assist tribes and tribal organizations in assuming all or part of existing IHS programs, functions, services, and activities through agreements under the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act and to assist with existing agreements to further develop and improve their management capability. Applications are due by March 14. For more information, please contact Kenneth Coriz.

IHS Scholarship Program

The IHS continuously strives to develop our next generation of leaders, as well as help make the pursuit of a meaningful career in Indian health attainable for American Indian and Alaska Native students. To support those efforts, the IHS Scholarship Program is currently accepting applications for the 2024?2025 academic year. The IHS Scholarship Comparison Chart shows a list of eligible degree programs. Eligible students are encouraged to apply by February 28. Please continue to share this widely with your networks, including with parents or students who may be interested in this great opportunity.

HHS Food is Medicine Summit

On behalf of Secretary Xavier Becerra and HHS, the IHS would like to invite you to register to attend the first ever HHS Food is Medicine Summit on January 31 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET. This will be a full-day event for policymakers, advocates, researchers, and a wide variety of stakeholders with equities in the Food is Medicine space to engage in a substantive conversation about why food is medicine is important, what actions are being taken to promote this concept, and what stakeholders can do to bolster this work. Register for virtual attendance here!

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Update

On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL appropriates $700 million to IHS each fiscal year from FY 2022 to FY 2026 for a total of $3.5 billion to build the infrastructure necessary to ensure safe drinking water supplies, reliable sewage systems, and solid waste disposal facilities. The intent of Congress through the BIL is for the agency to fully fund priority water and sewer projects as listed in the agency’s 2021 Sanitation Deficiency System list as of December 31, 2021.

To date, the IHS has received a total of $1.35 billion in BIL funding for FY 2022 and FY 2023, representing approximately 39 percent of the original $3.5 billion. The agency has funded 587 Tier 1 projects (construction) and 182 Tier 2 and 3 (planning) federal and tribal (Title V) projects located in all 12 IHS Areas. The IHS is excited to report that the Sanitation Facilities Construction (SCF) Program has made significant progress, with notable project milestones of project development, construction documents preparation, procurement, and construction start. The hard work of the SFC engineers and support staff is truly appreciated.

In preparation for the FY 2024 allocation of BIL funding, the IHS held its third tribal consultation session on December 18, 2023, to receive tribal input concerning the soon-to-be submitted IHS FY 2024 BIL Spend Plan. The virtual consultation involved a meaningful exchange of questions, thoughts, and responses as related to BIL. Look for more BIL updates in future editions of the Bi-Weekly Update.

January 2024 Monthly Spotlight Recognizes Peach Springs Pharmacy

The IHS National Pharmacy Council Awards Committee is recognizing pharmacy staff and programs through a Monthly Spotlight program to highlight innovation, accomplishments, exceptional initiative, leadership, or outstanding efforts across IHS, tribal, and urban facilities. Each month a different IHS area will select a pharmacy team, pharmacist, tech or aid to be recognized. The IHS has the pleasure to share our January Pharmacy Spotlight with you all!

The Pharmacy Department of the Peach Springs Health Center is being recognized for their instrumental work in the transition for the new Supai Health Station that opened in October 2023 and the implementation of a remote dispensing system. During this transition, the pharmacy team saw a surge in prescription and inventory management demand to support ongoing patient care. The team remained flexible and implemented different workflows with a can-do attitude and provided valuable feedback to the process. This included increased hazardous trips to the facility via helicopter from one trip per month to four trips per month. The team maintained a positive outlook and dedication to this mission and have taken an active and critical role in continuing to refine workflows and processes. Congratulations to the Peach Springs Pharmacy Department!

Recognizing Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

The IHS recognizes National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month each January as one important focus for improving health in Native communities. During the month, we urge people with a cervix to talk with their health care provider about cervical cancer risk. The good news is that there are some risk factors for cervical cancer that can possibly be changed. The American Indian Cancer Foundation recommends practicing smart sex, quitting smoking, getting vaccinated, and getting timely cervical cancer screening as measures of prevention. The HPV vaccine can prevent more than 90 percent of HPV-related cancers when given as recommended and is a powerful tool in combination with cervical cancer screening. Patients are encouraged to talk to their health care provider to help decide the best time for their next cervical cancer screening. This annual awareness campaign helps to highlight the partnerships between patients and health care providers in improving health outcomes for Native communities.

Celebrating National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week

The IHS celebrates National Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week from January 21-27. CRNAs play a significant role in providing access to high quality anesthesia care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, especially in critical access areas. Please take time to recognize a CRNA for the essential work they perform to ensure access to safe, high-quality anesthesia care for our tribal communities.

CHR Program Launches Dementia Screening Special Initiative

The Community Health Representative Program, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Grant Program in the Division of Clinical and Community Services, is launching the CHR Dementia Screening Special Initiative Pilot to utilize the Mini-Cog Screening Tool in American Indian and Alaska Native communities this month. This program is modeled after the successful Division of Oral Health Mini-Cog screening pilot, which is also kicking off its second cohort this month. This pilot aims to utilize the CHR workforce by promoting healthy aging and cognitive health; providing supportive services; encouraging early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia; and helping caregivers for people with dementia access available support

This six-month pilot program will run from January 24 to June 30. All six program applicants were selected to participate, which include:

• Albuquerque Area: Santo Domingo Pueblo CHR Program
• California Area: Northern Valley Indian Health
• Great Plains Area: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe CHR Program
• Oklahoma City Area: Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services/CHR
• Phoenix Area: San Carlos Apache CHR
• Portland Area: Nimiipuu Health Community Health

To learn more about the project, contact Michelle Archuleta.

Special Initiative Kickoff Meeting

CHR Program Takes Part in Visioning Session for Workforce Development

On January 22, the IHS National Community Health Representative Program and Phoenix Area Office PHN/CHR staff participated in a Northern Arizona University-hosted Community Health Worker/Community Health Representative Program Visioning session with Arizona Community Health Workers Association and Arizona health systems leaders. The goal was to understand CHW/CHR sustainability and development opportunities to meet the training needs of NAU students entering the CHW/CHR workforce. Meeting participants shared experiences and understanding of CHW/CHR impact at the individual, family, system and community levels. Over the course of the year, CHW/CHR leadership organizations will continue to collaborate to identify best practices to grow and sustain the workforce.

Phoenix Area Partners with Arizona State University to Provide Free Health and Wellness Programs to Veterans and Families

Recently, Office of Urban Indian Health Programs Director Dr. Rose Weahkee and Phoenix Area Deputy Director Rear Adm. Michael Weahkee attended Home Base and the ASU College of Health Solutions Military Veteran Resilience and Health Collaborative’s event in Phoenix to announce their partnership to deliver Warrior Health and Fitness – their 90-day strength and conditioning program for veterans and their families at no cost to them. The program will be available on Arizona State University's downtown Phoenix campus beginning in March 2024. The ASU College of Health Solutions is helping veterans and their families to create solutions through their expertise in exercise science, nutrition, hydration, sleep, mental health resilience, and more. Read more here.

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and IHS Undertake PIT Survey of Homelessness

The IHS Warm Springs Health & Wellness Center, in collaboration with The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, sponsored a Point-In-Time survey aimed to provide a snapshot of individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness in the community. During the survey, IHS staff provided services and information to event participants. This included immunizations provided by nursing and pharmacy providers; naloxone opioid overdose treatment kits and instructions for use; oral hygiene kits provided by dental staff; and the business office signed-up eligible participants for the Oregon Health Plan.

Members of the multi-disciplinary IHS staff providing event services.

Spokane’s The Native Project Expands Plans for Youth Center

The Native Project, an urban Indian organization in Spokane, Washington, has expanded their plans for their youth center to include cultural activities, counseling, and prevention programs, not just for Indigenous children, but also for people of color from the city. The 15,000-square-foot building will free up room to provide wellness, behavioral, and medical services at its existing health care clinic. The construction expansion was $11.6 million with funding sources coming from several contributors, including the IHS with a $5.7 million grant. The Native Project’s goal is to create a model that integrates care campus for the neighborhood in Spokane County and their story was featured in the Spokane Journal.

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