IIKD Presents in Washington D.C. at NIHB 32nd Annual Consumer Conference

September 24, 2015 - Micah Clark

IIKD faculty, Nathania Tsosie, and CNAH staff, Micah Clark, attended the National Indian Health Board’s 32nd Annual Consumer Conference in Washington D.C. from September 21-24, 2015. The 2015 conference theme was “Policy, Advocacy, and the Business of Medicine”. The conference was as an opportunity for IIKD and CNAH staff to network and learn about resources, programs, policy and legislation in Native community health.

Nathania and Micah also presented an afternoon breakout session on IIKD’s signature program, the community health assessment (CHA) workshops. Their presentation provided an overview of CHA and shared lessons learned. Audience members who attended the presentation shared their enthusiasm for community involvement in conducting a CHA and also expressed interest in locating resources to fund CHA.

Overall, the conference was informational and we had the pleasure of learning from tribal leaders and advocates. We especially enjoyed learning about Alaska’s Dental Health Aide Therapist program and the financial aid opportunities for students available through the Indian Health Service (IHS). Further, it was a privilege to be in our Nation’s Capital and to witness the excitement for the Pope’s visit to the United States.