Intermediate Outcomes of a Tribal Community Public Health Infrastructure Assessment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 2004

Publication Title

Ethnicity and Disease

Volume

14

Issue

3 Supplement 1

First page number:

S1-61

Last page number:

S1-69

Abstract

The purpose of this collaborative participatory project was to assess the strengths and needs of a tribal community as part of a larger public health capacity building program. Key project partners included: the Ramah Band of Navajo Indians, the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, the University of New Mexico Masters in Public Health Program, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, American Indian Research and Education Center. Principal intervention steps entailed: 1) relationship-building activities among tribal programs and between the Tribe and the scientific community; 2) an orientation to public health; 3) a comprehensive public health infrastructure assessment, utilizing a standardized CDC instrument; and 4) a prioritization of identified needs. The direct outcome was the development and beginning implementation of a community specific public health strategic action plan. Broader results included: 1) increased comprehension of public health within the Tribe; 2) the creation of a community public health task force; 3) the design of a tribally applicable assessment instrument; and 4) improved collaboration between the Tribe and the scientific community. This project demonstrated that public health assessment in tribal communities is feasible and valuable. Further, the development of a tribally applicable instrument highlights a significant tribal contribution to research and assessment.

Keywords

Adult; Community Health Planning/organization & administration; Community health services; Community health services—Planning; Consumer Participation; Health Care; Health Care Coalitions/organization & administration; Health Priorities; Health Services; Indigenous/organization & administration; Healthy People Programs; Humans; Indians; North American; Indians of North America; Indigenous peoples; Medical care; Medical care--Needs assessment; Medically underserved areas; Men; New Mexico; Older people; Pilot Projects; Program Evaluation; Public health; Public health administration; Residence Characteristics; Rural health; Rural health services; Tribes; United States; United States. Indian Health Service; Women

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Community Health | Indigenous Studies | Public Health | Race and Ethnicity

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.


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