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eHealth Initiative Releases Report on Health Information Challenges in American Indian & Alaskan Native Communities Combating COVID-19

Tuesday, October 13

For Immediate Release

Contact: Wanneh Dixon at Wanneh@ehidc.org

 

eHealth Initiative Releases Report on Health Information Challenges in American Indian & Alaskan Native Communities Combating COVID-19

Webinar at 2 PM Today

Washington, DC – October 13, 2020 – Today, eHealth Initiative & Foundation (eHI) will release a report in partnership with Philips entitled Supporting American Indian & Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Communities Combating COVID-19 that highlights the health information challenges AI/AN communities are facing in response to the pandemic. 

The report delivers findings from a panel of experts convened from tribal communities, government, non-profits, and universities to bring awareness to the social determinants of health (SDOH) drivers of disparities in the American Indian/Alaska Native population.

“The tribal representatives and Indian Health Services representatives were clear that increases in infrastructure funding, information sharing, and culturally responsive healthcare services are urgently needed to begin addressing health inequities,” said Jennifer Covich Bordenick, Chief Executive Officer of eHI.

Some of the key recommendations included: increased funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS); improving data quality and access to tribal level information; providing cultural literacy training for healthcare professionals and caregivers; and state governments consulting, engaging, and empowering tribal leaders before making decisions for the community.

The report emphasizes the importance of diversity as a key driver of effective solutions to COVID-19.  “We’re all diverse in our communities, so our needs do differ. It would be great to have tribal-level data so that each tribe can make those decisions for the needs of their communities,” said Collette Adamsen, Ph.D., Director of the National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA) at the Center for Rural Health (CRH) Aging.

eHI and Philips are also teaming up to host a webinar on the report today at 2:00 PM EST featuring speakers who attended the panel. Speakers will include:

  • Rear Admiral Michael Toedt, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Indian Health Service
  • Collette Adamsen, PhD (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), Director, National Resource Center on Native American Aging
  • John Sun, Vice President, Indian Health Service and Rural Health, Philips

 

To register for the webinar click here.

To download a copy of the report click here.

About eHealth Initiative

eHealth Initiative (eHI) convenes executives from every stakeholder group in healthcare to discuss, identify and share best practices to transform the delivery of healthcare using technology and innovation. eHI, and its coalition of members, focus on education, research, and advocacy to promote the use and sharing of data to improve health care.  Our vision is to harmonize new technology and care models in a way that improves population health and consumer experiences. eHI has become a go-to resource for the industry through its eHealth Resource Center. For more information, visit ehidc.org.

For more information about eHI’s SDoH and Data Analytics programs contact: Wanneh A. Dixon

 

 

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