August 19, 2014 –
MAYETTA: The 2014 Healthy Kansas Tribes 2020 Summit meeting was held Aug. 19 at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort that brought Kansas tribal leaders and various state, regional, and federal officials together to hear what health issues are important to tribal people who belong to one of the four tribes in Kansas.
The first Healthy Kansas Tribes 2020 Summit was held last year with the purpose of organizing ways to survey what health issues or concerns are important to the tribes. Community health assessment teams (CHAT) were organized during that time and from there representatives from three of the four tribes administered health surveys on their reservations. Reports on the survey results were given during the morning and this afternoon was devoted to planning the next phase of the health improvement plan.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is facilitating the health project and KDHE Secretary Dr. Robert Moser, MD, was a primary speaker throughout the day. Emcees were Chris Howell, Executive Director of the Kansas Native American Affairs Office and Dr. Dee Ann DeRoin, a medical expert in the health care field. In addition, PBPN Tribal Council Member Carrie O’Toole gave welcome remarks and Tribal Council chairpersons from the four tribes were also introduced and briefly spoke.
Other notables at today’s summit included Tom Anderson, Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board, Director, Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center, Kevin Meeks, Director, Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service, Laura Howard, J.D. Regional Administrator, Region VII, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Adele Sink, Regional Outreach Specialist, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region VII.
Below are a few photographs from today’s summit meeting:
Dr. Robert Moser, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Chris Howell, Executive Director of the Kansas Native American Affairs Office.
Erin Hubbard and Hope Adame giving the PBPN CHAT report.
A large crowd attended the summit meeting today.
Tribal Council Member Carrie O’Toole gave welcoming remarks at the summit meeting today.