1. AZ - Tribal HealthCare Coalition
An Introduction by Jess Curtis, REHS

2. Presentation Overview
THCC - Beginnings, Mission, Values, Structure
4 components the THCC that benefit your organization
Upcoming Activities

3. New Beginnings The Need for the THCC Teresa’s Epiphany
First meeting held August 7th 2017
Conference calls were held w/ AZ-DEMA, AZTEC Officers & members, Coyote Collaborative, ADHS-BPHEP, and Phoenix Area I H S
Crucial Tribal organizational leaders were invited
The Need for the THCC:
EM folks in the same community don’t always know each other. e.g. HPP doesn’t know PHEP or EMS or Tribal EM a lot of the time.
Similarities across the healthcare system serving tribes (RPMS, Federal workers, Federal funding source)
Teresa’s Epiphany
Teresa thought it was a good idea to bring the groups serving tribes together
AzTEC was a success
Tribes have such unique circumstances (remote, rural, federal presence)
First in the nation
First Meeting August 7th
CAPT Cramer asked to serve as chair with Sherri Helton as vice chair

4. Who’s Involved & Why Tribal Emergency Managers:
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Healthcare Facilities
Tribal EMS:
ADHS:
AzDEMA:
Tribal Emergency Managers: They are planning for disasters across the Community.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness - They are in touch with the community.
Healthcare Facilities – they are critical community assets that provide patient care during a disaster.
Tribal EMS: They are first responders and the first providers of medical care. They are key to patient transportation.
ADHS: They have a public health mission to ensure communities are resilient and prepared meet disaster.
AzDEMA: They respond to disasters state-wide and have a mission to ensure communities are as prepared as possible.

5. Organizational Structure
Walk the audience through the structure:
Advisory council is critical to planning and decision making
Coyote provides critical admin support and makes sure the trains run on time
Tribal Community Partners are a support network of private, state and federal partners that assist tribes preparing for and responding to disasters
Hospital Preparedness: They have the direct patient care role and they may be the only institution in the community with power.
Regional HCCs; this is going to be where the regional assistance comes from in the event of a disaster. They are tied into the National Response Framework.
Organizational Structure

6. Beginnings… THCC in it’s 1st year - Assembled the Advisory Council
Wrote an Administrative plan
Adoption of the Administrative Plan was on October 19th 2017
Launching of the THCC website occurred on February 1st 2018

7. Basically, the bridge is built, now we are working on the rest of the carrier

8. Tribal HealthCare Coalition Website

11. THCC Mission
The mission of the Tribal Health Care Coalition (THCC) is to elevate emergency preparedness and response in tribal communities and healthcare facilities serving tribal communities to the highest level possible.
Expanding Facility Care to Whole Community Care in Disaster and Emergency Response. I believe this will be covered more thoroughly later in the conference.

12. AzHAN Tribal Health Care Coalition Network
We want to be able to message the THCC in the event of a disaster with information relevant to tribes.
Please sign up with Paul if you haven’t gotten on the system yet.

13. THCC Values
We value being prepared for disasters and knowledgeable of disaster management principles,
We value high quality professional response,
We value helping our neighbors and being of service to communities both tribal and non-tribal,

14. THCC Values….
We value tribal sovereignty and the government to government relationship between tribal nations, the State of Arizona and the United States of America, and
We value traditions and cultural practices that have been central to tribal communities for centuries.

15. Governance & Operations – Required Members
638 Title V (Tribal Operated Health Care),
Indian Health Service (IHS),
Tribal Emergency Management, and
Tribal Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Attendance at meetings is not required for all THCC members. Invitations are provided, and members attend as their time allots.

16. Other Contributing Members
Arizona Bureau of Indian Affairs Emergency Manager,
Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs,
Arizona Department of Health Services’ (ADHS) Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness,
Arizona Tribal Executive Council,
InterTribal Council of Arizona, and
Tribal Regional Behavioral Health Authority.

17. Governance & Operations
Meetings held monthly
Subcommittees form as projects arise
-THCC Workshop Subcommittee formed
-Training Subcommittee - CDP - Health Care Coalition Response Leadership

18. 4 components of the THCC that benefits your organization
Partnerships / Collaboration Tribal specifics, traditions, or sensitivities Training & Exercising Grow Regional Healthcare Coalition participation

20. Partnerships Tribal Preparedness growth, infrastructure
Joint resource sharing, rapid & secure communication platforms
Agreements (MOU’s, MOA’s)
General Support and Networking to other supporting organizations
Maybe your Emergency communications notification system is outdated and newer employees need training, efficient and more adopted communications platforms can be introduced through the THCC. Developing MOA’s after networking regarding response, interoperable communication frequency sharing, or emergency sheltering in targeted facilities all can be fostered through THCC partners. Networking of this sort can encourage MOA;s between Tribes where County agreements weren’t achieved.

21. Collaboration Foster higher efficiency preparedness planning
Reduce silos and avoiding duplication of efforts
Referring Tribal considerations, capability gaps to Regional HCC’s
Can help leverage multi-organizational knowledge base
It may be possible that 638 hospitals, or community health programs assumed by Tribal Government oversight may have lost some interconnectivity and networking and as a result joint Emergency Preparedness planning may have suffered. The THCC may strengthen these partners with in Tribal Healthcare systems and public safety / public health and with outside tribal entities.

22. Tribal specifics, traditions, or sensitivities
A mass fatality incident may require cultural sensitivities incorporated into response plans
Tribal Information & warning systems are sometimes different than other jurisdictions
Emphasis on Education (*tribal entities may share more liberally)
Pre-Plan Recovery Activities so that historical, sacred, or other land preservation aspects are identified.
From the Tribal perspective Non-Traditional processes to handle emergencies, infectious disease countermeasures, and health threat pre-planning should be presented with respect and willingness to understand and be receptive of tribal specific culture, beliefs and education regarding history, sovereignty, language and any thing else that will allow a common acceptance and tribal approval of these non-Traditional approaches.

23. Training & Exercising
Training – your participation in Regional or Tribal HCC allows you to drive the types of training needed
Exercises / Activities
Surge Test
Statewide Exercises
Communication Drills
Allowing smaller jurisdictions options to achieve PHEP/HPP deliverables jointly

24. Regional Healthcare Coalition participation
Whether through your regional HCC’s or the THCC subsidized Training opportunities for your staff is available
It only makes sense for you to do a regional hazard vulnerability analysis or a communications exercise with your regional partners
The THCC is a Regional HCC enhancer for Tribal entities

25. Events and Activities to Come
Preparedness Plan development w/ all partners input addressing Access & Functional needs populations in tribal communities
AZHAN Communications Drill
Training Opportunity -Health Care Coalition Response Leadership Course – Center for Disaster Preparedness May 2018 *Locally offered
Develop a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA).