HHS Awards $4 Million for the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced it has awarded two organizations $4 million to support its Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity (CIIHE). The awards will support a five-year initiative to advance sustainable solutions that address Indigenous health disparities and advance health equity in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities.

“American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations experience a high burden of health disparities or differences in health outcomes compared to other populations,” said Rear Admiral Felicia Collins, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and OMH Director. “Thus, we are pleased that the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity will continue to develop, implement, and evaluate culturally appropriate approaches for reducing and eliminating these disparities through partnerships with academic institutions, Indigenous leaders, and community members.”

Established in 2021, the CIIHE supports research, education, service, and policy development that address health disparities in AI/AN and NHPI populations. These disparities are associated with inequities in areas such as health literacy, food security, health care access, and environmental exposures. Through the new awards, the CIIHE will implement innovative and culturally appropriate frameworks to prevent and improve disparities in chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

The project period for each grant is September 30, 2023 to September 29, 2028. The awardees are:

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The Office of Minority Health (OMH) is dedicated to improving the health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian and Alaska Native populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities. Through its demonstration projects, OMH supports the identification of effective approaches for improving health outcomes and promotes the dissemination and sustainability of these approaches.