health care systems

COVID-19 and Indigenous Peoples: Tools to Promote Equity and Best Practices

Year

This is the second volume of a two-volume special issue of the American Indian Culture and Research Journal, volume 44.3, dedicated to the indirect impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous Peoples. The first volume (44.2) covers the degree to which Indigenous Peoples were affected by COVID-19 and how this has resulted in a number of responses at the community and local levels. In particular, three articles conducted different surveys in order to assess the levels of stress, coping, and resil-ience among Indigenous Peoples in the United States and relative to non-Indigenous peoples. The observed higher levels of stress are consistent with expectations given existing disparities in health access and care for these US populations. The first volume also provides some insight into the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand and Canada. While these Indigenous Peoples have not, at least up to this point, experienced as many cases or deaths due to COVID-19 as Indigenous Peoples in the United States, the papers from those countries highlight the ongoing need for prevention and awareness for especially vulnerable populations, as well as inclusion in national planning efforts.

The articles in this issue provide specific research and insights for improving the reporting, identifying, and prevention of COVID-19 cases and deaths. The first two articles focus on the concept of identification in national, regional and local health data. For small populations, and, in particular, Indigenous Peoples, it is imperative that data collection provide detailed information on race and tribal nation identifiers. These measures, difficult to implement, are vital for identifying the spread and transmission of contagious diseases in small communities. In the absence of this information, these populations quickly may be inundated by cases without much warning.

Resource Type
Citation

Carroll, Stephanie; Randall Akee, Chandra Ford, eds. Tools to Promote Equity and Best Practices. (2020). American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Vol. 44, No. 3. American Indian Studies Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.

Puyallup's Institutionalized Quality Improvement Program

Year

Following a major tribally-initiated restructuring in the early 1980s that created a quality improvement committee and a flatter organizational structure, the PTHA has increased patient access for urgent care visits, reduced "no show" rates, created clinical objectives, increased dental treatments, and incorporated the use of traditional healers into health care delivery. The Puyallup Tribe's Quality Improvement Program has enabled the PTHA to effectively address many of the health care needs of the community that were previously unmet under the Indian Health Service's management. With six full time physicians and a staff of 210, the PTHA has become a model for other Indian nations seeking to create and sustain health systems that meet the highest standard of excellence.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

 "Institutionalized Quality Improvement Program". Honoring Nations: 1999 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2000. Report.

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. 

Muscogee Creek Nation Meets Growing Pharmacy Needs Through Bilingual, Self-Refill App

Author
Year

A new, automated prescription refill system has made time management much easier for Muscogee Creek pharmacy staff.

Nearly a year ago, the tribe tapped Enacomm, a leader in interactive voice response technology, to help the Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Health manage their increasingly high call volumes. Now customers can call in day or night and use a touchtone system to reorder prescriptions. If necessary, they can press zero to speak to a member of the pharmacy staff...

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

ICTMN Staff. "Muscogee Creek Nation Meets Growing Pharmacy Needs Through Bilingual, Self-Refill App." Indian Country Today Media Network. October 29, 2013. Article. (https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/health-wellness/muscogee..., accessed October 30, 2013)