Tribal Public Health Law
Tools

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Brief (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
Tribal, state, and local agencies define responsibilities for health emergencies on tribal land The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians worked with the North Carolina Division of Public Health and five local health agencies to determine responsibilities during a public health event occurring on tribal land. A memorandum of understanding clarified roles without compromising sovereignty and resulted in clearly defined ways to share tribal, state, and local resources during an emergency.

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Infectious diseases & Pandemic

Sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
Sample MOU for Strategic National Stockpile between Health Department and Resort
A Nevada health department established a potential Memorandum of Understanding with resorts in the Las Vegas region for distribution of Strategic National Stockpile medications in the event of a public health emergency. The MOU template provides an avenue of collaboration between local public health and private resorts or casinos in which resort employees and citizens needing treatment all benefit from this agreement. The agreement allows for treatment of resort staff and requires that public health officials guide storage, security, and distribution of medications through resort staff. It also requires the resort to use its communications systems to update staff and other people in the resort. This is an excellent example of how a local public health agency used existing community resources (i.e., large climate-controlled facilities with many employees) to facilitate a public health emergency response. One reviewer suggested that this type of collaborative relationship could pave the way for development of alternate care site plans with resorts.

To view MOU, Click Here.

Presentation, MOU and Training Manual (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
Tribal Outreach in New Mexico
This toolkit contains materials that formed the basis of a community outreach project for 22 American Indian Tribes in New Mexico. These materials include a PowerPoint presentation that was used to give Tribal members talking points about pandemic influenza, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Health Department and an unspecified tribe, and a training manual. The New Mexico Department of Health developed the MOU as a mechanism to share public health planning money with state Tribes.

To view these materials, Click Here.

Model Point of Distribution Agreement, Tribal-State Relations Policy (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
Tribal-State Relations in Nevada
The Nevada State Health Division's collaborative relationship with area American Indian tribes and the addition of a tribal liaison position led to a successful H1N1 response in this population.

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Preventing Obesity & Chronic Illness, Promoting Active Lifestyles

Archived Webinar (Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law)
Recreational Use of School Property
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Public Health Law Center and Transform Wisconsin roll out new resources for Wisconsin schools to promote community recreational use of school property. These resources include a checklist for community use policy and forms, as well as sample recreational agreements. Presenters also discuss how to work with schools to improve policies and forms to promote physical activity opportunities for community members.

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Archived Webinar (Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law)
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Initiatives and Liability: Opportunities, Perceptions & Realities
Various public health policies have proven effective in promoting physical activity and reducing weight gain and obesity. Safe Routes to School (SRTS) initiatives are a topic of conversation in communities looking for ways to promote active transportation. SRTS programs encourage children to make walking and bicycling to school part of their daily routines. However, concerns over accidents, injuries and “liability” may not match the realities. This webinar provides an overview of the development and implementation of successful SRTS initiatives. The presenters identify key stakeholders within a community, review the impact liability issues have on SRTS initiatives and discuss the role of governmental immunity. Additionally, the webinar addresses risk management strategies that can help to minimize risks that are common to SRTS initiatives.

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Archived Webinar (Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law)
The Promise and Potential Pitfalls in Promoting Outcomes-Based Incentives with Worksite Wellness Initiatives
Over the past few years, strong opinions have been voiced for and against the use of outcomes-based incentives in connection with worksite wellness initiatives. As employers attempt to reign in rising health care costs, many are moving toward the use of these incentives tied to health care premiums and/or deductibles. At the same time, the use of outcomes-based incentives in worksite wellness raises potential legal issues that must be navigated. Employer policies on tobacco use provide a good starting point for understanding the potential effectiveness and legality of workplace wellness programs designed to promote better health and reduce obesity through outcomes-based incentives.

This webinar will provide an interactive discussion of the use of outcomes-based incentives with worksite wellness initiatives and the legal and policy implications of these efforts.

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Preventing Obesity & Chronic Illness, Promoting Healthy Food

Archived Webinar (Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law)
Reducing Sugary Drinks in Healthcare Facilities: Starting the Conversation
Sugary drinks are the leading contributor of calories and added sugars to the American diet, and play a key role in the obesity epidemic. Growing numbers of hospitals across the country are taking steps to reduce sugary drink consumption within their facilities as a way to promote healthier environments for staff, patients and visitors, and to model health-promoting choices.

This webinar introduces the Minnesota Healthy Beverages in Healthcare Toolkit, a new set of resources geared to support efforts to develop and build healthy beverages programs in healthcare facilities. It also provides a case study of how Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego implemented a healthy beverage program; explains the Minnesota Commons Health Hospital Challenge, which includes a sugary drink sales elimination pledge; and provides practical tips and strategies for starting a conversation within a healthcare facility about this important issue.

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Tobacco

Archived Webinar (Public Health Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law)
No Smoking, Child on Site! New Smoke-free Policies to Protect Kids
This webinar provides an overview of policy considerations for those interested in providing a safe smoke-free environment for children in foster homes, passenger vehicles, child care settings, and playground areas. It also presents regulatory and legislative updates and describes policy challenges and options for jurisdictions considering smoke-free or tobacco-free measures to protect children in these settings.

To view webinar, Click Here.