Health Equity Round Up (February 10)

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By Elyse Wild and Kaili Berg

February 10, 2025

Minnesota Initiative Aims to Integrate Traditional Healing into Medicaid

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a report titled “Pathways to Racial Equity in Medicaid: Improving the Health and Opportunity of American Indians in Minnesota,” highlighting significant disparities in healthcare access and outcomes for American Indian communities. 

The report includes three main calls for action: Invest in traditional healing, reframe definitions of health and well-being, and establish a Pathways to American Indian Health and Tribal Health Integration team. 

The Minnesota DHS says it is collaborating with tribal nations and healthcare providers to develop strategies for covering these services under Medicaid while respecting tribal data sovereignty and cultural traditions. 

Funding Opportunity for Hear Her 2025

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) announced a funding opportunity for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes and Tribal-serving organizations. 

This initiative aims to support the development of localized communication materials and campaigns that raise awareness of critical maternal health warning signs and promote maternal health within Tribal communities.

The Hear Her campaign, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seeks to prevent maternal mortality by educating communities on key maternal health warning signs. 

The NIHB is offering funding to tribes and tribal-serving organizations interested in adapting these materials to fit the unique needs of their communities.

Successful applicants will receive funding to create and implement communication strategies tailored to their populations. This includes adapting existing Hear Her materials or developing new culturally relevant messaging to improve maternal health outcomes among AI/AN communities.

Eligible applicants include:

• Federally recognized AI/AN Tribes
• Tribal health departments
• Tribal-serving organizations engaged in maternal health efforts

Interested applicants should submit their completed applications via email to [email protected] with the subject line “2025 Hear Her Campaign Application.” 

IHS Promotes Awareness During National Stalking Awareness Month

The 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA S.3623) continues to protect American Indians and Alaska Natives from domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. 

Stalking, a form of power and control, often overlaps with other victimization types and affects nearly 1 in 2 Native women. Recognized as a violent crime under many tribal and state laws, stalking includes behaviors such as unwanted following, harassment, digital tracking, and property damage.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal and urban (I/T/U) facilities are actively raising awareness by hosting events, sharing resources, and enhancing community response efforts. 

This year’s National Stalking Awareness Month theme, “KNOW IT. NAME IT. STOP IT.” reinforces the need for education and action.

Data-Sharing

The Tulalip Tribes and the Washington State Department of Health signed a data-sharing agreement last month. The first-of-its-kind deal will govern WSDOH’s use of the tribe’s public health data, including how it is collected, where it is stored, and how it is used in WSDOH data sets. It also gives the tribe expanded access to public health data.

Self-Governance 

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana announced plans to operate its health clinic — the Little Shell Tribal Health Clinic — through a Self-Governance Agreement with the Indian Health Service (IHS).  The agreement will allow the tribe to manage federal healthcare funds directly, allowing for services tailored to the community’s needs. 

Vaccine Grants 

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is offering mini-grants of up to $45,000 to support community vaccination clinics, in-home vaccinations, and transportation to vaccination sites. 

These initiatives aim to assist high-risk groups, including older adults, young children, students, people with disabilities, and individuals with underlying medical conditions such as chronic heart or lung disease or diabetes. 

The funds can cover event expenses, including logistics, promotional materials, and outreach efforts. Eligible applicants include Tribes, Tribal health departments, IHS facilities, Tribal and Urban facilities, community organizations, and academic institutions. 

Funding, Communications Freeze 

The Trump administration ordered a funding freeze that sent panic through federal programs, shortly followed by tentative relief when a federal judge blocked the order. The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) called for an exception of any funding restriction to protect the Indian Health System. The halted funding freeze was proceeded by an order in late January for federal health agencies, including the IHS, to pause public-facing communications. The Urban Indian Health Institute called on the CDC to restore critical public health data that was removed from its website, citing a violation of treaty rights. 

Worthy Reads 

We published the third and final installment in our Pulitzer Center-funded series exploring how tribes across Indian Country are utilizing culture and traditional practices to heal from the ongoing opioid crisis. Article one of the series took Native News Online’s Senior Health Equity Editor Elyse Wild to Oregon to report on prevention programs aimed at tribal youth; the next covered Choctaw Nation’s harm reduction program. ‘I came back to my culture, and I healed,’ details Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness’s efforts to center cultural practices and values at the heart of addiction recovery.