National Indian Health Board

National Indian Health Board
Name	National Indian Health Board
Formation	1972
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States

Contents

National Indian Health Board is a nonprofit organization advocating for health services and policy for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Founded in 1972, it represents Tribal health directors and Tribal leaders in interactions with federal agencies such as United States Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health. The Board engages with Congress and Tribal Nations including the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Osage Nation, and Alaska Native corporations to improve health outcomes and access to care.

History

The Board emerged during the era of activism linked to the American Indian Movement, the Trail of Broken Treaties, and policy shifts after the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (1975). Early leaders included Tribal health directors who had worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and advocates from the Urban Indian health movement. In the 1980s and 1990s the Board interacted with landmark federal actions such as the Indian Health Care Improvement Act reauthorizations and litigation involving Sovereignty and Tribal law claims. The organization has worked through public health crises addressed by the World Health Organization and domestic responses coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration.

The Board's mission emphasizes Tribal self-determination in health, drawing on initiatives modeled after programs in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, collaborations similar to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and technical assistance approaches used by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Programs include clinical workforce development paralleling efforts at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, data improvement projects referencing standards from the National Center for Health Statistics, and behavioral health interventions reflecting practices from the Indian Health Service Behavioral Health units. It runs training, tribal epidemiology centers comparable to Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board activities, and policy education events akin to briefings at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Board is governed by a board of directors composed of Tribal leaders and health directors drawn from regions represented by entities such as the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Executive leadership includes roles similar to those at American Public Health Association affiliates, with committees addressing finance, grants, and policy analogous to panels at the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Staff roles span public health analysts, legal advisors attuned to Indian Law and Order Commission reports, and program managers liaising with agencies like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Advocacy efforts target legislation in the United States Congress, regulatory actions by the Department of Health and Human Services, and appropriations directed to Indian Health Service funding. The Board has submitted testimony to committees including the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Appropriations and has influenced provisions of statutes akin to the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions that affect Tribal populations. It engages in policy coalitions with organizations like the National Congress of American Indians, the Urban Indian Health Institute, and the Native American Rights Fund to pursue changes in areas such as behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, and tribal epidemiology.

Collaborators include Tribal epidemiology centers, academic partners such as University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, University of Washington School of Public Health, and research institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tribal outreach programs. The Board works with philanthropic funders including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and healthcare partners such as Indian Health Service hospitals, Tribal Health System clinics, and regional organizations like the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. International exchanges have occurred with public health agencies like the World Health Organization on Indigenous health equity.

Funding sources include federal appropriations channeled through agencies such as the Indian Health Service and grant awards from foundations including the Kresge Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Board administers grants that mirror federal grant mechanisms from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and manages cooperative agreements similar to those issued by the National Institutes of Health. Financial oversight follows standards used by nonprofit auditors who work with entities like the Council on Foundations and reporting norms aligned with the United States Internal Revenue Service nonprofit regulations.