USET TEC PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES ADDRESS THE 7 CORE FUNCTIONS OF A TEC; THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSESALL REQUIRED ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS TARGETED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES - The FY27 Epidemiology Program workplan is designed to strengthen and resource the USET Tribal Epidemiology Center in support of tribally driven public health capacity. The workplan is organized around the seven required TEC functions and focuses on building sustainable public health infrastructure across the USET service area. The overall intent is to expand USET TEC’s capacity to collect, analyze, interpret, and translate epidemiologic data into meaningful public health action. This includes strengthening community health assessments, improving access to timely and accurate data, advancing data modernization, expanding disease surveillance, enhancing Tribal public health preparedness and response, supporting workforce development, and providing technical assistance to Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations. A major focus of FY27 will be infrastructure development. This includes expanding the epidemiology workforce, strengthening data use agreements and data-sharing pathways, improving surveillance systems, building dashboards and data visualization tools, supporting Tribal public health preparedness activities, and increasing the production of epidemiologic analyses, reports, abstracts, presentations, and data-driven public health products. The workplan also prioritizes Tribal consultation and engagement. USET TEC will continue to work with Tribal leaders, health directors, Tribal public health staff, and partners to identify priority health needs, support data-informed decision-making, avoid duplication of services, and strengthen the use of epidemiologic data to improve health outcomes
