232188 American Indian Policy: Were We've Been and Were We're Going

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Donald Warne, MD, MPH , Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board, Rapid City, SD
American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) health policy hasn't kept pace with the demographic and social changes of the last 50 years, and the result is that people are suffering needlessly. Contrary to popular portrayals of American Indians as a vanishing people, the latest U.S. census shows that the AI/AN population has reached a high point of more than 4 million people. Indian health problems are both structural and behavioral, and some level of accountability must also rest with tribal governments and individuals. In response, there has been a strong Indian wellness movement, which for several decades has been addressing alcohol and other drug problems, mental health, diet, and sedentary lifestyle issues with some success. However, the impact and sustainability of these health efforts cannot be fully realized without targeted health policy both on a local and national level. Health policy is an integral structural component that shapes resources and efforts aimed at AI/AN health issues; further complicated by the relationships tribes have with federal and state governments, federal trust responsibilities, entitlements, self-governance and interactions between Medicare, Medicaid and the Indian Health Service. This presentation will focus on American Indian policy and highlight how such policy is an important factor in AI/AN health disparities.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the important of policy as an important factor affecting AI/AN health disparities.

Keywords: American Indians, Social Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: MD--Stanford University MPH--Harvard University Executive Director, Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.