Covering Indian Country – October 2021

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 10/06/2021 09:00 AM EDT
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

October 2021

Spotlight: Connected Indigenous Elders
An elder featured in one of NICOA's video public service announcements

Studies suggest that staying socially connected can improve both physical and mental health. While physical distancing helps reduce the spread of COVID-19, it also increases people’s risk of loneliness and social isolation.

Recognizing the need to address loneliness and social isolation among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders, the National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA) recently launched the Connected Indigenous Elders campaign.

Physical distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 has fostered greater appreciation for social connections.

Funded by a grant from the CDC Foundation, NICOA’s new campaign provides tips and resources to help AI/AN elders and their caregivers feel fulfilled emotionally, physically, and mentally. The campaign also includes several video and audio public service announcements highlighting the positive impact of social connections on health and well-being.

Additionally, Connected Indigenous Elders encourages youth and tribal leaders to take an active role in efforts to ensure elders and caregivers stay engaged with their families and communities.

October: Flu shots
The October 2021 PSA features a Native woman and a health care provider. Don't wait until it's too late! Get your flu shot now to help protect yourself and your community. Contact your local Indian health care provider for more information, visit Healthcare.gov, or call 1–800–318–2596.

Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. For more information, please visit CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.

Public service announcements

Share these brief audio clips and videos, available in Native languages and English, on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page.

SoundcloudAudio clips



YoutubeVideos
TwitterTweet it

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Get your flu shot now.

https://youtu.be/9lrWG_QuNrw

#CMSNativeHealth

Flu vaccination resources

A collage of 3 resources: (1) Flu Shots Covered by Medicare print ad (2) Flu Shots Covered by Medicaid and CHIP print ad (3) Email signature block promoting flu shots

Download flu vaccination resources from CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.

 

Health observances

Breast cancer screening

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year, Indigenous Pink Day falls on October 21. Both health observances highlight the importance of breast cancer screening for women, men, non-binary, and gender-fluid people.

When breast cancer is found early, treatment is more likely to be successful. Help increase breast cancer screening rates in Native communities by sharing the American Indian Cancer Foundation’s Indigenous Pink Social Media Toolkit (PDF, 258 KB, 9 pp). The toolkit urges everyone to:

  • Ask their health care provider about breast cancer screening options
  • Talk with friends and family members about checking their chests for common breast cancer signs and symptoms
  • Quit using commercial tobacco and e-cigarettes to reduce breast cancer risk

American Indian Cancer Foundation's Indigenous Pink Day banner

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) invites tribal leaders, grassroots advocates, and other community members to honor the Indigenous strength and needs of Native survivors of domestic violence.

NIWRC offers culturally appropriate resources to help increase awareness of domestic violence and its impact on Native communities. The center’s newer resources include:

 

Additional resources

Coloring book for AI/AN children ages 5–10
Coyote and Miss Rabbit read a sign that says, “Stop the spread of COVID, be safe, wash hands, social distance, wear mask.”

Community Protectors: Children Help Communities Stay Safe from COVID-19 (PDF, 28.2 MB, 24 pp), a coloring book for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children ages 5–10, is now available online.

James Wallace (Choctaw Nation) wrote the story, and Patrick Rolo (Bad River Band of Ojibwe) illustrated it.

The coloring book’s characters originally appeared in the Eagle Books series, which is popular among AI/AN children and includes culturally relevant messaging to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

NNED’s virtual roundtable on behavioral health equity

Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a crucial role in efforts to increase behavioral health equity in communities of color. To learn more about those efforts, view the recordings of a 3-part virtual roundtable hosted by the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED).

Part 1 of NNED’s roundtable covers CBOs’ shift to telehealth and remote work and the steps taken to ensure CBO staff can respond competently in crisis situations. Part 2 shares strategies for leveraging funding opportunities and partnerships to strengthen behavioral health infrastructure and capacity. And Part 3 focuses on CBOs’ work to recruit and retain a racially and ethnically diverse behavioral health workforce.

Funding opportunities

Community development grants

Application due: October 25

View the community development funding opportunity

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Indian Community Development Block Grant program helps tribes and Alaska Native villages create suitable living environments and economic opportunities. The grants may be used for infrastructure, health care facilities, and more.

Resource center to support Tribal Epidemiology Centers

Optional letter of intent due: October 30
Application due: November 30

View the NIMHD resource center funding opportunity

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is offering funds for a resource center to provide Tribal Epidemiology Centers with support and technical assistance. Tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply.

Calendar of events

Some events may be cancelled, postponed, or held virtually as public health officials monitor COVID-19 safety measures during this time. Please check the events’ pages for updates on event status.

NCAI’s 78th Annual Convention

Pre-Congress Dates: October 7–8
Congress Dates: October 11–14
Virtual
Learn more about NCAI’s 78th Annual Convention

This year is an election year for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), which plans to hold its 78th annual convention virtually. View NCAI’s letter on the amendment to its bylaws (PDF, 290 KB, 3 pp) to ensure a safe and secure virtual voting process.

Responding to Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Indian Country

October 20 (3:30–5 pm eastern)
Virtual
Register for NIHB’s infectious disease outbreaks webinar

Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for Responding to Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Indian Country. The webinar will provide an overview of tribal public health; the Indian Health Service, tribal, and urban Indian health system; infectious disease epidemiology; and outbreak response, with a focus on COVID-19.

AI/AN Virtual Healthcare Workforce Development Summit

October 25–26 (11:30 am–4:30 pm eastern)
Virtual
Register for the AI/AN Healthcare Workforce Development Summit

Hosted by the Indian Health Service, the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Virtual Healthcare Workforce Development Summit will explore the development of regional networks to increase representation of AI/AN communities in the health professions. Registration will close at 5 pm eastern on October 19.

Native American Women’s Conference

Native American Women's Conference logo

November 5
Virtual and in person (in Laveen Village, AZ)
Register for the Native American Women’s Conference

The Native American Women's Conference cycles through 3 pillars: (1) health, wellness, and healing; (2) career and life purpose; and (3) leadership and life planning. This year's conference will focus on the second pillar with topics covering vocational rehabilitation, self-worth theory, and more.
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Do you have news to share? Send it to coveringic@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.

About the newsletter

Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources, success stories, and best practices with the people who connect tribal communities to health care coverage.


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