Osage Nation Receives Funding to Prepare for National Public Health Accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT NAME: Jaime Clark

918 287 5482

Pawhuska, Oklahoma The Osage Nation Wah-Zha-Zhi Health Center has been awarded $10,500 to support its progress in meeting the requirements of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), the first and only voluntary national accreditation program for public health departments. The Osage Nation Wah-Zha-Zhi Health Center is one of eight Tribes to receive funding in this cycle through the Tribal Accreditation Support Initiative (ASI) administered by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB). Funding for the Tribal ASI is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CDC).

The Osage Nation Wah-Zha-Zhi Health Center will use the grant to expand its efforts to break down silos while bridging its clinical health and public health into a comprehensive healthcare system that collaboratively work to improve the health and well-being of Osage Nation using a holistic approach. This grant will allow staff from various levels and various departments/programs within the Health & Wellness Division to learn and work together on training (professional development) in best practices of data collection (e.g. needs assessments), implementing a culture of quality improvement and utilizing performance management to guide the ON Health System. In turn this gain in knowledge and increased capacity will promote the development/editing of a Tribal Health Improvement Plan (THIP) that meets PHAB standards to promote the Osage Nation’s ability to potentially apply for Public Health accreditation in the future.

We are grateful to have received the Accreditation Support Initiative funding from the CDC and NACCHO because the funds will afford us the opportunity to improve our ability to collaboratively identify, collect and use accurate data. The ability to have accurate data will allow us to generate much needed accurate baselines which will then provide us with accurate insight to determine the direction we need to go in order to make the greatest impact with the biggest results. Ultimately, this will facilitiate the Osage Nation Health System’s ability to be a more resourceful, efficient, effective, accountable and transparent system with data-driven efforts/plans/reports that will ultimately improve our performance as well as improve the outcomes attained on improving the health & well-being of the people in our communities.

For more information, including a full list of Tribal awardees, can be found at http://nihb.org/tribalasi/index.php , and for more information the local Tribal program, please contact Jaime Clark at 918-287-5482.

Osage Nation envisions a strong, culturally-sensitive healthcare system that willtransform the health of the communities we serve andprovide Native American families with healthcare they can rely on. All tribes are welcome.

Direct services are available to all eligible Native Americans and referred care is allowable to those residing within the Osage Nation Reservation , Kay, Grant, Noble, Payne and Garfield Counties.

About the National Indian Health Board

Founded in 1972, NIHB is a 501(c) 3 not for profit, charitable organization providing health care advocacy services, facilitating Tribal budget consultation and providing timely information, and other services to all Tribal governments. NIHB also conducts research, provides policy analysis, program assessment and development, national and regional meeting planning, training, technical assistance, program and project management. NIHB presents the Tribal perspective while monitoring, reporting on and responding to federal legislation and regulations. It also serves as conduit to open opportunities for the advancement of American Indian and Alaska Native health care with other national and international organizations, foundations corporations and others in its quest to build support for, and advance, Indian health care issues.