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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Tribal communities

Indian Health Service and Health Care Affordability Issues Among American Indian/ Alaska Native People by Rurality
Report explores healthcare affordability and Indian Health Services (IHS) utilization among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) in rural and urban communities. Highlights rates of patients receiving care at IHS, privately insured, and uninsured in rural and urban communities, among other measures.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Katie Rydberg, Alexis Swendener, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Exploring the Use of Telemedicine to Expand Addiction and Recovery Resources in Great Plains Tribal Communities
Explores the use of telemedicine to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to patients in tribal communities. Explores the barriers and facilitators to implementing telemedicine-based MOUD services across the Great Plains Area of the Indian Health Service.
Author(s): Michael C. Harding, Anna C. Kihlstrom, Allison Kelliher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70113
Date: 01/2026
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American Indian and Alaska Native Population for Nonmetropolitan Counties
Printable map that shows the percent of the U.S. population by county who are American Indian or Alaska Native. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Cancer in Alaska Native People, 1969-2023: 55 Year Report
Reports on cancer incidence and mortality among Alaska Native people versus U.S. White populations, with data comparisons by age, stage, cancer site, year, and tribal health region.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Grief in Native Communities
Report details the findings of a summit on grief in tribal communities from June, 2025. Discusses community-based grief practices, traditional cultural practices, and how postvention approaches can be adopted by elders and spiritual leaders as a protective measure.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
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Alaska Native Injury Atlas, 4th Edition - Part 2: Poisoning & Suicide Attempt Injury Hospitalizations
Provides data on trends in suicide attempt and poisoning hospitalizations among Alaska Native and American Indian people in Alaska, utilizing 2018-2023 hospital admissions data. Breaks down data by Tribal Health Region, demographic group, and injury mechanism.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Navigating Tribal Transportation Funding
A fact sheet that describes tribal transportation funding opportunities as well as strategies to coordinate transportation services and programs in tribal areas.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Community Living, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
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Scoping Review of the Environmental and Human Health Effects of Rural Alaska Landfills
A scoping review that examines the public health impact of landfills in rural and tribal areas of Alaska. Analyzes landfill contaminants, exposures, and solid waste management on disease transmission, chemical exposure, and other health issues.
Author(s): Carlye Chaney, Anita Moore-Nall, Chad Albert, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1), 45
Date: 12/2025
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Development and Implementation of the Indian Health Service Expanded Function Dental Assistant-1 (EFDA-1) Occupation
Report describing the Expanded Function Dental Assistant-1 (EFDA-1) role within the Indian Health Service. Includes information about its implementation, its importance in rural and underserved areas, and its place in Washington's dental workforce and related career pathways.
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, Grace A. Guenther, Paula M. Kett, Samantha W. Pollack, Susan M. Skillman
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Awakening the Seeds In Native Youth: Native Farm to School Evaluation Report
Discusses the Native Farm to School project, a food systems initiative that supports tribal communities in integrating sustainable cultural practices, land stewardship, and traditional foods into their local Indigenous food systems. Provides details on a 2023-2025 USDA-FNS and Newman's Own Foundation grant that enabled 16 tribal communities across the U.S. to revitalize their food systems through school programming and community partnerships.
Author(s): Leah Simeon, Richard Elm-Hill, Cetan Christensen, et al.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: First Nations Development Institute
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