Naomi Petri begins work as a Dental Therapist in Oregon

COOS BAY, OR -The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) this week became the first in Oregon to join the dental therapy movement, hiring Dental Therapist and CTCLUSI member Naomi Petrie to provide oral health services in the community... READ MORE

Tribal Zika Response and Planning - Request for Applications

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB), with support from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pleased to announce a call for applications for a Tribal Zika Response and Planning award. Designed to enhance the capacity of Tribes, this funding will provide awards up to $5,000 to ten (10) Tribes with the opportunity to prepare for the possibility of Zika transmission in Tribal communities. Download the application here. The completed application is due by 11:59 PM EDT on Friday July 28th, 2017.

The Founding Partners of the First Kids 1st Initiative formally joined together to support the healthy development of Native youth by updating the Native Children’s Policy Agenda.

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Register today for the Behavioral Health Conference

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Call for Proposals NOW OPEN! Click below to read more about submitting your presentation proposal for the National Tribal Health Conference.

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Tribal Health Reform Updates and Resources

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NIHB Hosts Native Health Presidential Transition Summit

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) meets with NIHB Chair, Lester Secatero, and Alaska Area Representative, Lincoln Bean.
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NEW VIDEO: Tribal Leaders' Perspectives on Public Health Accreditation

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NIHB is Hiring!

We are seeking qualified candidates for the following open positions based in Washington DC:

Public Health Project Coordinator to lead NIHB’s Native youth engagement

Public Health Program Associate

Meeting Planner

Executive Assistant

Policy Analyst

Communications Manager

Posted: July 18, 2017

Department of Veterans Affairs holds Tribal Roundtable Discussion in Arizona

On July 12, NIHB participated in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Round Table discussion at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The purpose of the Round Table was to work on updating the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health program (THP) reimbursement agreements. The Round Table was a follow-up to the September 28, 2016, VA Tribal consultation in Washington, D.C. regarding the VA community care consolidation effort and the alteration to the reimbursement agreements. At the meeting, NIHB Board representative from Navajo Nation, President Russell Begaye provided recommendations that the VA continue current Reimbursement Agreements and not consolidate the Agreements into a larger Community Care Program or standardize IHS/THP agreements. President Begaye and Tribes also opposed reduction in reimbursement rates and advocated for the continued use of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rate, which is cost-based and asked for the full implementation of Section 405(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act which provides authority for reimbursement for Purchased/Referred Care (PRC).

NIHB has prepared a brief summarizing the meeting here.

The VA has announced another Round Table in Anchorage, Alaska on August 2, 2017, however there are currently no other Round Table discussions scheduled in the lower 48. NIHB has invited the VA to hold another Round Table at the National Tribal Health Conference in Bellevue, Washington on September 25, 2017.


Posted: July 18, 2017

Oregon Tribes Latest To Hire Dental Therapists To Stem Oral Health Crisis
One Fifth of IHS Dental Positions Remain Vacant

COOS BAY, OR -The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) this week became the first in Oregon to join the dental therapy movement, hiring Dental Therapist and CTCLUSI member Naomi Petrie to provide oral health services in the community.

CTCLUSI is turning to dental therapists to make dental services available to tribal members who have long done without timely dental care in their own communities. Similar to the way nurse practitioners and physician assistants work with doctors, dental therapists work with dentists, either on site or remotely, to reach more people. Dental therapists deliver a core set of preventive and restorative services, including fillings and simple extractions...

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Posted: July 13, 2017

Revised BCRA Released!
Vote Now Expected Next Week

This afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a revised Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). You can read a summary of changes from the original BCRA discussion draft here. Though the bill would provide additional funds to help cover out-of-pocket costs and fight opioid addiction, the revised bill would substantially cut Medicaid and end cost-sharing reductions as well as critical public health funding. Due to the role Medicaid plays in providing much-needed revenue for the Indian health system, BCRA's changes to the Medicaid program and additional funding reductions still raise serious concerns for Indian Country...

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Posted: July 13, 2017

House and Senate Appropriations Committees Consider IHS Spending for FY 2018: Strong Support for Indian Health Programs

WASHINGTON, DC - On Wednesday, June 12, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies held a hearing on the FY 2018 Budget for the Indian Health Service (IHS).

During the hearing senators from both sides of the aisle voiced significant concerns on the proposed cuts in the President's budget to the IHS. Subcommittee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) noted that, "I am very, very concerned that the budget request does not adequately meet the needs for health care in Indian Country. We recognize the disparities between health outcomes for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) compared to the population at large are staggering."

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Posted: June 28, 2017

Senate Vote on ACA Repeal Coming Soon
Use These Resources to Call Your Senators

This week, Senate Republican leadership expressed confidence in their ability to pass the "Better Care Reconciliation Act" (BCRA), a bill which repeals large parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cuts Medicaid spending. Due to the Medicaid provisions, the National Indian Health Board cannot support the legislation as it is currently written. NIHB and other national level Tribal organizations expressed Tribal concerns in a letter to Senate Republican leadership...

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