Don's Adventures in Public Health: An Update

Hello,

It has been a productively busy and exciting last few months. Here are some of the recent activities that I have been involved in:

August 13-14: I attended a board of directors meeting for the American Cancer Society. I am on the National Board. The Society’s Board of Directors is composed of 11 officers, 24 directors (12 medical professionals and 12 lay persons), and eight directors-at-large (four medical and four lay). Directors are elected for a two-year term and can serve a maximum of three two-year terms.

The Board of Directors utilizes a self-perpetuating board model and is responsible for the nominating process, the election of the Board members and Officers, and the election of the Nominating Committee.

The Board is the sole governing and fiduciary body for the American Cancer Society, and as such it sets policy, develops and approves an enterprise-wide strategic plan and related resource allocation, and is responsible for the performance of the organization as a whole.

August 15: I presented the opening keynote address at the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona Research Conference in Phoenix, AZ.

with John Molina, MD—CEO of Phoenix Indian Medical Center

The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) American Indian Research Center for Health (AIRCH) in collaboration with the Dental Prevention Clinical Support Center (DPCSC) hosted the 2013 AIRCH Health Research Conference on August 15-16, 2013 at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. This year’s theme was “Addressing Tribal Health Priorities through a Community-Based Translational Research Framework.” The conference focused on translational research which is scientific research that helps to make findings from basic science useful for practical applications that enhance human health and well-being. Translational research links the discoveries of the research bench to the development of better diagnostic methods, therapeutic products and preventive processes that improve healthcare outcomes.

This conference examined tribal health priorities and translational research to help build tribal health and oral health research capacity for the present and into the future. This conference provided ongoing dialogue among tribal leaders, health officials, researchers, students and other key stakeholders regarding current and future translational research in American Indian communities.

August 29: I met with members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in follow up to the Novo Nordisk Diabetes Project.

Native News Network Photo Credit

ROSEBUD, SOUTH DAKOTA – Addressing one of the biggest health problems facing Native American communities everywhere, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe unveiled a new wellness center and a first of its kind mobile diabetes medical unit. These resources will allow the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Diabetes Prevention Program to improve screening and intervention in children, as well as promote healthy lifestyles for people of all ages on the reservation.

“This program has several important components to addressing diabetes in Indian country,”

said Donald K. Warne, MD, MPH, professor at North Dakota State University and advisor to the project.

September 4: I presented at ND Behavioral Health Conference on American Indian Behavioral Health Disparities in Bismarck, ND. http://www.dce.ndsu.nodak.edu/conferences/ndbhc/

September 5: I presented at ND Tribal Leaders Summit in Bismarck on Affordable Care Act and physician shortages. http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/tribal-leaders-summit-panel-talks-doctor-shortages/article_4861fd1a-1675-11e3-b2ef-0019bb2963f4.html

Dr. Donald Warne, director of North Dakota State University's Master of Public Health Program, said a portion of the Affordable Care Act would set up scholarship and grant programs for physicians who wish to work in underserved rural areas and reservations. However, if the law is not fully funded, those resources would not be available.

"It would be bad for us if it's not funded," he said.

Warne and others suggested one of the most important ways to get medical personnel onto reservations is to get more tribal members to go into medical careers and come home to work.

September 6: Presented at Higher Education Resource Organization for Students (HEROS) conference in Bismarck on American Indian Public Health as an Academic Discipline. http://und.edu/orgs/higher-education-resource-organization-for-students/conference.cfm

September 13: Presented at the 33rd Annual Symposium on Perinatal Medicine & Women's Health Care in Minot on American Indian Maternal and Child Health Disparities.

The goal of this two-day symposium is to provide the most up-to-date information on current issues and hot topics in perinatal medicine and women's health. National and local experts presented practical approaches to challenging problems and gave the newest diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.