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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: American Indian or Alaska Native

USDA Rural Utilities Service's Support for Tribes and Other Indigenous Entities
Provides an overview of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) programs that help offset the costs of building and repairing utility systems in rural areas. Describes the types of tribal and other Indigenous entities eligible to apply for RUS programs. Highlights two USDA Rural Development authorities that can help tribes and other Indigenous entities access RUS programs. Outlines issues Congress may consider if it chooses to constrict, maintain, or expand the laws governing these programs.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service Memorandum of Understanding - Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023
Annual report details the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) via their memorandum of understanding. Highlights the ways the VA and IHS have worked together to deliver healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans and discusses future collaborations.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Indian Health Service Health Equity Report
Reports on efforts to advance health equity in the Indian Health Service (IHS). Discusses strategies and funding supporting access to facilities and services, quality of care, cultural appropriateness, wellness and disease prevention, and more.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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COVID-19 Infection and Incident Diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native people: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines associations between COVID-19 infection and diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Utilizes the Indian Health Service's (IHS) National Patient Information Reporting System to analyze incident diabetes among 3 participant cohorts: pre-pandemic, pandemic but no COVID-19 infection, and pandemic with COVID-19 infection. Discusses the relationship between COVID-19 infection and new-onset diabetes in AI/AN populations.
Author(s): James W. Keck, Mary E. Lacy, Sara Bressler, Ian Blake, Uzo Chukwuma, Michael G. Bruce
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 33
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Indian Health Service: Opportunities Exist to Improve Clinician Screening Adherence and Oversight
Examines the Indian Health Service's (IHS) oversight of the credentialing and privileging process that reviews and verifies the professional qualifications of IHS physicians. Describes administrative tasks performed by IHS clinicians at federally operated facilities and the amount of time spent on these tasks. Offers recommendations to IHS, including the development of a single, authoritative source outlining procedures to meet credentialing and privileging requirements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Communities Need Safe Drinking Water: A Rural Environmental Justice Case Study
Discusses access to clean drinking water in rural, underserved communities and Native nations, and presents case studies of communities working to improve environmental health equity. Features the Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN) of North Carolina, the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) of the Native Village of Hooper Bay, Alaska, and community leaders in Ivanhoe, North Carolina.
Author(s): Rebecca Huenink
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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A Strategy To Support Perinatal Mental Health By Collaborating With Tribal Communities In Montana
Describes a community-based participatory approach with Montana tribal communities to create an online guide of mental health resources for prenatal to age three populations. Discusses the outcomes of collaboration, the Two-Eyed Seeing approach for health promotion, and opportunities for including cultural knowledge and values in future health promotion work.
Author(s): Amy Stiffarm, Stephanie Morton, Dawn Gunderson, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 43(4)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Building Flourishing Native Families and Thriving Communities: A Reflection on 2023
Provides background on the Administration for Native Americans, outlines strategic priorities for 2023 and 2024, and discusses community partners and collaborations. Focuses on issues such as economic development funding for Native Hawaiians, early childhood development, Native languages, and missing and murdered indigenous people.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Wisconsin National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) Review Final Report
Provides an overview of the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) data collection system that tracks independent living (IL) services for youth transitioning from foster care to self-sufficiency. Reports on the NYTD review process in Wisconsin and provides feedback on IL services, including those in tribal and rural areas.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau
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Racial, Ethnic, and Rural Disparities in Distance to Physicians among Decedents with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Washington State
Evaluates travel distance to the nearest neurologist and primary care physician among people whose cause of death was related to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in the state of Washington. Utilizes 2011-2021 mortality data. Includes breakdowns of distance to care by race, ethnicity, and level of rurality. Highlights geographic access disparities experienced by American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic people.
Author(s): Solmaz Amiri, Jonae I. Keffeler, Dennis R. Crain, Justin T. Denney, Dedra Buchwald
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2024, 1-8
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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