In this episode, we share highlights from the National Council of Urban Indian Health’s recent virtual briefing for Congressional staff on the rising rates of opioid use and Substance Use Disorder in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Jeremy Grabiner, Associate Director of Policy at the National Council of Urban Indian Health, interviews Kerry Hawk Lessard, Executive Director of Native American Lifelines, as the conversation explores frontline interventions, the urgent challenges facing Native communities, and ways Congress can help strengthen resources and support.

Drawing on her experience, Kerry stresses the necessity that Native patients feel seen and respected when addressing stigmatized issues such as substance use disorder and mental health. Culturally grounded care builds trust, increases willingness to seek treatment, and improves health outcomes, while disrespect and stigma can actively drive people away from life-saving services. American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest overdose death rates in the U.S. and the largest treatment gaps, compounded by systemic invisibility in public health data. Misclassification and undercounting prevent resources from reaching Native communities. Native American Lifelines responds through trusted partnerships, advocacy, and culturally rooted interventions. The episode closes with a discussion on the chronic underfunding for Native health.

For more resources on Substance Use Disorder (SUD), visit NCUIH’s Overdose Prevention Resource HUB at ncuih.org/overdoseprevention.

To learn more about the Native American Lifelines, visit nativeamericanlifelines.org.

In this episode of A Look at Urban Indian Health in Tulsa with Carmelita Skeeter, host Meredith Raimondi, Vice President of Policy and Communications at the National Council of Urban Indian Health, sits down with Carmelita Skeeter (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa. Carmelita shares her remarkable journey as a trailblazing leader in urban Native healthcare, from launching a grassroots clinic in 1976 to building a comprehensive, community-driven health center serving over 14,000 Native patients in Tulsa. Together, they discuss the systemic barriers Native people have faced in accessing care, the power of community-led advocacy, and how Carmelita's decades of leadership have helped shape national policy and promote health equity for urban Indian communities.

To learn more about the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, visit www.ihcrc.org.

In this episode, hosts Alyssa Smith-Longee, MPH, BSN, RN, CPN (Assiniboine/Sioux – Fort Peck), Public Health Program Manager at the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), and Dr. Kimberly Fowler, PhD, Vice President of the Technical Assistance and Research Center at NCUIH, discuss the ongoing efforts to address COVID-19 in Urban Indian communities. Drawing on survey data, polling responses, and listening sessions with Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), they highlight the challenges, strategies, and best practices identified by providers on the front lines. Their conversation explores key lessons learned, the importance of meaningful dialogue, and how UIOs are managing the evolving COVID-19 landscape to support the health of Native communities across the country.

Alyssa and Dr. Fowler reflect on the five-year impact of COVID-19 and ongoing efforts to support Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs). Alyssa shares her infection prevention work at NCUIH, including a Photovoice project capturing frontline experiences. Dr. Fowler highlights the “Be a Good Relative” campaign, which promoted vaccination through cultural messaging and inclusive visuals.

Alyssa provides an update on current efforts at NCUIH, highlighting their focus on sustainability and identifying what’s needed to better understand and support UIO providers. They released a survey for providers to share their thoughts on various topics around COVID-19. They shared those results during the national conference and got live feedback from the attendees. Based on this feedback, they have now been releasing new materials that support providers.

Alyssa discusses some of the key findings from the survey, including that most of the facilities are still offering COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, but 80% of providers reported still seeing vaccine hesitancy. When they followed up with why, providers reported that their patients feel a general sense of mistrust in the healthcare industry. Alyssa and Dr. Fowler also discuss obstacles in receiving timely diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19, citing delayed patient presentation, limited access to testing, low awareness of available treatments, and inadequate transportation. To address those issues, UIO providers suggested offering take-home testing kits that include educational material for the patients, flyers, social media toolkits, and fact sheets.

Dr. Fowler wraps up the conversation by summarizing how UIOs have found innovative ways to deliver preventive care to their patients. Alyssa finishes by talking about vaccine burnout and connecting the community, and says that remembering that “why” highlights the strength of the urban Indian communities. Dr. Fowler shares access to various resources on the links below.

Learn more:

To access any materials or resources mentioned in this episode, visit NCUIH.org/vaccine.

To stay up to date on current COVID-19 information, visit the “Health Care Providers” tab on the CDC’s COVID-19 Site Index.

For COVID-19 treatment guidance for healthcare providers, visit the CDC’s COVID-19 Treatment Clinical Care for Outpatients.