The CDC has created an opportunity to serve the funded communities with an evaluation approach and perspective that is culturally specific for AI/AN communities by funding Tribal Epidemiology Centers through a cooperative agreement with the Indian Health Service to support the evaluation of the GHWIC initiative.
The Urban Indian Health Institute is the National Coordinating Center for the evaluation, and uses the core values in the Indigenous Evaluation Framework as a guide (LaFrance and Nichols, 2009). The UIHI collaborates with all GHWIC partners to create evaluation tools and measures to assess impact at the local, regional, and national levels. Now in its second year, the GHWIC initiative has laid the groundwork and is poised to make a substantial difference in the health and wellness of Native communities across the country.
