Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
CNO Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services in Indian Country Supplement - The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) is a federally recognized Native American Tribe which oversees a 10,922 square mile Reservation in rural southeastern Oklahoma. With this funding, the Choctaw Nation will provide (1) youth heath and prevention programing for high school students across the Reservation and (2) extensive workforce development opportunities for the three staff members of CNO’s newly established Public Health Department, which expects to receive Public Health Accreditation by 2025. CNO’s Project Himitthoa Achukmaka (Healthy Youth) will center around the Public Health Programs and Services strategy. With this strategy, CNO will develop and implement a new program for high school students across the Reservation that will (1) provide STI/HIV education and testing, (2) encourage smoking and vaping cessation, and (3) foster overall wellbeing for AIAN youth. Project staff will prepare and coordinate engaging and persuasive youth health presentations that will last about 30 minutes and provide evidence-based education on STIs/HIV and smoking/vaping. Presentations will also include general information on health and wellness and instructions on how to receive a free at-home STI/HIV test. Student participants will each receive a program packet including QR codes that link them to online resource pages with carefully curated collections of educational content and important links. Program staff will also provide free at-home STI/HIV tests to AIAN students who request them. Project Himitthoa Achukmaka will also work to improve CNO’s public health capacity for the good of all Tribal members. As a part of CDC’s Workforce strategy, CNO’s Public Health Department staff will participate in a range of educational opportunities that will deepen staff members’ core and discipline specific competencies so they can more effectively support the health and wellbeing outcomes of Tribal members. These opportunities will include attendance at several major public health conference per year and participation in additional certification programs and relevant continuing education events. The successful achievement of this grant-funded project will lead to improved public health organizational and systems capacity in Indian Country, increased availability of/access to public health programs, services, and resources that address health disparities and/or social determinants of health in AIAN communities, and ultimately improved public health outcomes and reduced health inequalities. The gains made by reducing the number of lives lost and negatively impacted by the harmful effects of STIs/HIV and smoking/vaping will increase overall health and help to lessen the substantial health disparities between AIAN communities and other racial/ethnic groups. This project will also help CNO to establish a first-rate Public Health Department that can move the needle in developing the infrastructure, data collection and analytical capabilities, workforce, and public health programs needed to mitigate the negative health effects of systemic social and economic challenges within Indian Country.
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).