Friday, September 29, 2023
9/29/2023
The Great-Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC), a program of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., serves 34 Tribes, four urban Indian communities, and three Indian Health Service (IHS) service units in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago. GLITEC was established in 1996 and is one of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers nationwide. Communities within the Bemidji Area face numerous health and socioeconomic disparities that place these communities at higher risk for COVID-19. Two urban Indian communities within the Bemidji IHS Area are among the areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19: Detroit, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Several Tribal nations are located within several hours of the Detroit metropolitan area. Milwaukee has a large Native American population and is the epicenter of Wisconsin?s COVID-19 outbreak.Within the Bemidji Area, a gap exists in terms of a single location where American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community leaders and health professionals can go to access information related to COVID-19 within the region; there generally is a lack of targeted communications for the general AI/AN public within the Bemidji Area.Through funding from CDC?s Supporting Tribal Public Health Capacity in Coronavirus Preparedness and Response funding opportunity, GLITEC?s Coronavirus Preparedness and Response (CPAR) project will address the public health problem of COVID-19 specifically by conducting public health activities related to communications to support response for Tribal health departments and other components of the Tribal public health system. The planned strategies and activities to be conducted by the CPAR project are designed to facilitate communication with AI/AN communities in the Bemidji Area during emergency response efforts and empower the communities in responding to COVID-19. Overall, these activities are intended to provide new and better ways to connect with communities; facilitate partnership s; improve communication; and provide and receive information.Key components of CPAR include creating a digital solution for emergency response communications, including an emergency response website and information delivery system, developing and disseminating information including messaging related to risk communication as well as epidemiology situational reports, and hosting calls regarding COVID-19 with Bemidji Area communities. These communication services and products will be developed to interface easily with Tribal Incident Command Structures and to be responsive to the emergency response needs of communities.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
