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ITCA TEC Success Story: Public Health Working Group

Success Stories, TEC News
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) Tribal Epidemiology Center Public Health Infrastructure (TECPHI) Team holds Public Health Working Group (PHWG) Meetings to provide a gathering space for collaboration among Tribal public health programs. Through a strategic planning meeting held in March 2023, the TECPHI Team established 3 main goals for the working group meeting series:

  1. Provide a collaborative public space to enhance relationships,
  2. Promote and improve awareness of Tribal Epidemiology Center services, and
  3. Provide public health/health data training and education at no cost.

To date, the TECPHI Team has hosted 4 PHWG meetings during this 5-year funding cycle, with attendees from Tribal organizations in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, along with presenters traveling from across the country to provide trainings or present on various public health programs. The TECPHI Team is currently planning the 5th PHWG meeting, which will be held on June 4, 2024 on the topic of Substance Use and Overdose Prevention.

 

The first PHWG meeting of the series was held virtually. It has since shifted to in-person meetings after receiving feedback that participants preferred an in-person format.

 

During the course of the 4 PHWG meetings that have been held, the gathering has expanded from a 4-hour virtual meeting to a full-day (or 2-day) in-person meeting. Additionally, due to the success of the first two PHWG meetings held in Year 1, the TECPHI Team has moved forward with offering the meetings every quarter in Year 2. Speakers have included Tribal health program leadership and staff, medical providers, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and our fellow colleagues from other Tribal Epidemiology Centers. These presenters provided information about their programs or gave trainings pertaining to the meeting topics.

Through these presentations and breakout discussions, attendees have been able to share information, opportunities, and resources with each other. Of note, the most recent PHWG meeting on Maternal and Child Health enabled participants to provide invaluable information and recommendations for updates to an Arizona Tribal Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment that the TECPHI Team is currently working on.

PHWG Meeting attendance has increased from 20 to 43 people (see tables for more information), many of whom have been returning attendees. The most recent working group meeting had so many registrants that the number of attendees had to be limited due to conference room capacity. Meeting participants provide helpful feedback and insight to the TECPHI Team via evaluation surveys after each meeting. The surveys include questions about the format and content of the meetings to improve future gatherings and ensure they are useful to our Tribal public health partners. To date, the TECPHI Team has received 80 survey responses across the 4 meetings, enabling them to integrate participant feedback into their planning and implementation. For example, when asked if the meeting provided a collaborative environment for discussion, 73% of survey respondents strongly agreed, 27% agreed, and 0% were neutral, disagreed, or strongly disagreed.

Additionally, the TECPHI PHWG Meetings series has strengthened the relationships and partnerships between the TECPHI Team and other ITCA Departments, including the Social Media Manager, Assistant Director, Maternal Health Innovation Department, and Health and Human Services Department. The PHWG meetings have also enabled the TECPHI Team to connect with and collaborate with other TECs around the country, including the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center.

The TECPHI Team has found that the PHWG meeting series has greatly expanded opportunities for collaboration with our public health partners. Overall, the PHWG meetings have been successful in providing an environment for discussion, collaboration, sharing information, and building relationships between the ITCA TECPHI Team, Tribal health programs, ITCA departments, Tribal Epidemiology Centers, and other public health partners.

ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group Chart 01
ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group Chart 02
ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group 01
ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group 02
ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group 03
ITCA TEC Public Health Working Group 04


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