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Abstract #147765

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
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Ann Drobnik, MPH, Northern Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center, Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board, 1770 Rand Road, Rapid City, SD 57702, 605-721-1922, epidrobnik@aatchb.org

This session will describe the process of working with the Aberdeen Area STD/HIV Task Force to create a regional strategic plan for STD and HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Northern Plains tribal communities. The task force is a regional coalition with representation from Indian Health Service (IHS), state Departments of Health, tribal health programs, community health representatives, universities, and national partners. The IHS Aberdeen Area extends over rural areas in four states – Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. The strategic plan addresses clinical and community activities at the tribal, state and federal (IHS) levels. To create the plan, the task force worked as a group to define a common goal and identify challenges, unmet needs and available resources. To ensure tribal participation and input, the task force coordinator (presenter) held individual interviews with members and other community stakeholders to solicit input on the plan, in addition to regular conference calls. The coalition has been able to address areas of health disparity beyond STDs and HIV/AIDS such as methamphetamine use and hepatitis C, is helping to increase collaboration and communication between agencies, and is working to overcome challenges presented by scarce resources at all three levels. The task force is currently working on putting the strategic plan into action on all 18 reservations in the Aberdeen Area.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the importance of relationship building in creating a strategic plan among agencies with varying expertise and interests
• Describe how a coalition at the regional level can increase collaboration and partnership between multiple agencies through the creation of a strategic plan
• Describe the various methods to solicit input from all members of the regional coalition and the benefits and disadvantages of each method for members
• Assess the benefits and challenges of working with multiple agencies, sometimes with complex historical relationships, spread over a rural four-state area.

Keywords: STD Prevention, American Indians

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Multimedia recording