Transcript Document

Enhancing Community Capacity to Meet Environmental Health Needs in Rural Alaska
Mary B. O’Connor, M.S., REHS – Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, Alaska
Introduction
Environmental health funding in the United States
continues to decrease in relation to need, particularly in Native
communities. With difficult economic times, demands for
environmental health services are increasing while the
traditional sources of revenue are stagnant or declining.
Money for environmental projects and activities for Native
American/Alaska Native people are traditionally obtained from
the Indian Health Service (IHS). However, IHS funding is not
able to meet current needs and demands.
Many communities do not have the staff, expertise,
experience or time to devote to managing community
environmental health programs. The communities depend on
environmental health staff of the regional health corporations
to provide technical assistance, professional guidance and
direction to manage their environmental health concerns and
needs. Staff is often directed by priorities of the regional
health corporation, regulatory requirements, lease and other
funding obligations and individual professional interests.
This report looks at a strategy developed to assist Native
communities in rural Alaska in developing their capacity to
obtain funding to direct and manage their own environmental
health projects.
Goals and Objectives
Program Goal: To assist Native communities in rural Alaska in
expanding their capacity to meet their environmental health
needs
Health Problem: Environmental health funding in the United
States continues to decrease in relation to need, particularly in
Native communities in rural Alaska.
Systems Analysis Approach
The “Shifting the Burden” archetype identifies root
causes of the lack of funding cycle that occurs in rural
Alaska.
It would be nice
to have a
recycling
program here…
Someone else will
come and take care
of it…
Do Nothing,
rely on others
Lack of Funding for
Community EH
Programs
Increasing EH concerns
Lack of experience and expertise
RRM lacks valid data
Inadequate EH perspective
System Management
• Conduct research for new insights and
innovative solutions to environmental health
problems and issues by allowing communities to
develop and test their own solutions to existing
problems.
Local capacity remains
undeveloped, existing
resources are spread
thinner
B
Long Term Solution
Develop
Infrastructure and
self-sufficiency
Next Steps
(13)
Federally funded Native environmental health
programs receive limited funding that barely covers
basic
environmental
health
needs.
Agencies
responsible for providing the environmental health
services never seem to have enough funding or staff to
assist in developing the community capacity and
community infrastructure doesn’t have the experience
to be able to seek outside funding with grants or
develop
beneficial
partnerships.
As
more
environmental health issues come to the forefront,
Native communities are becoming less able to address
these issues. The environmental public health
disparities between Alaska Natives/American Indians
and the overall U.S. population will continue to grow.
This project addresses several of the Ten
Essential Environmental Health Services and
Core Functions:
Assessment
• Monitor health by analyzing data to recognize
and justify needs; surveying community members
to identify gaps and promote change within
communities by focusing on goals that address
local concerns. In articulating these goals,
community awareness of roles and responsibilities
in the environmental health field will be increased.
• Diagnose and investigate environmental health
problems and health hazards by identifying locally
perceived gaps in environmental health service
delivery and promote change that is community
driven.
Policy Development
• Inform, educate and empower communities by
assisting communities in developing the local
infrastructure and supporting them in this endeavor.
• Mobilize community partnerships to establish and
maintain collaborative working relationships with
local, state and federal partners to resolve
identified goals.
Contributing Factors:
Limited time and resources
Assurance
• Link to/provide care for community members
through local, state, federal and non-profit
partners who are technically competent.
• Assure competent workforce within the local
community by enhancing existing skills, training or
providing technical assistance to meet goals of
the grants.
• Evaluate the success of the program by
meeting the monitoring, evaluation and reporting
requirements of grants.
B
Outcome Objective: To expand capacity of rural Native
communities in Alaska to fund and direct environmental health
programs with the assistance and cooperation of the Alaska
Native Tribal Health Consortium
IHS under funded
10 Essential Environmental
Health Services
Photo # 2 Compost Awareness Day May 2005
• Hire two additional environmental health staff in
the Environmental Health Support department.
• Develop a successful track record of grant
application, awarding and reporting.
• Maintain a current list of grant opportunities and
funding sources.
• Continued collaboration and support of
community staff throughout the process will build
their capacity, confidence, and ability to proceed
through future grant processes.
References
Osaki, C., eds. 10 Essential Services of
Environmental Health. Northwest Center for Public
Health Practice, University of Washington School
of Public Health and Community Medicine,
Seattle, 2004
Acknowledgements
LTJG Kimberly Patterson, BS
Environmental Health Assistant , Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium