[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41824-41825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15713]


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DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN AND HEALTH SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Partners Invited To Participate in Indian Health Service: Health 
Promotion and Disease Prevention Health Summit and Other American 
Indian/Alaska Native Tribe, Tribal Entity Activities

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Service 
(HHS).

ACTION: Notice of invitation to participate in Health Promotion and 
Disease Prevention (HP/DP) Health Summit.

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SUMMARY: The Indian Health Service (IHS), in an ongoing partnership 
with American Indian and Alaska native (AI/AN) people in order to 
elevate the health status of this population to its highest level, is 
seeking to collaborate with other public and private organizations to 
support its many programs and initiatives. Despite concerted and 
sustained efforts by the IHS and Tribal programs, substantial 
disparities in health persist for AI/AN people, compared to the overall 
United States (U.S.) population. For this reason, the IHS has planned 
an ambitious initiative on HP/DP, the ``Healthier Indian Communities 
through Partnership and Prevention Summit,'' to be held on September 
21-24, 2004 in Washington, DC. A pre-summit IHS/HHS/tribal leaders 
meeting will be held on September 21, 2004.
    At the HP/DP Summit, the IHS will explore with interested public 
and private organizations, the risk behaviors that contribute to the 
chronic lifestyle diseases that impact many AI/AN communities. Included 
topics will be preventing diabetes among at-risk populations, 
increasing the likelihood that persons with undiagnosed diabetes are 
diagnosed, reducing complications of diabetes, preventing and reducing 
overweight and obesity, and reducing the complications of asthma. The 
HP/DP Summit will provide an opportunity to meet with organizations and 
entities that have achieved these outcomes by improving nutrition, 
increasing physical activity, preventing tobacco use and exposure, 
increasing tobacco cessation, increasing the use of appropriate health 
care services, improving the quality of health care, and increasing 
effective self-management of chronic diseases and associated risk 
factors.
    At the HP/DP Summit, the IHS goal is to meet with potential 
partners in Tribal and community-focused programs that include the full 
engagement of schools, businesses, faith-communities, health care 
purchasers, health plans, health care providers, academic institutions, 
senior centers, and many other community sectors working together to 
promote health and prevent chronic disease. At the HP/DP Summit, the 
IHS will present partnership opportunities such as: (1) Healthy Native 
Communities Fellowship Program; (2) Building Alliances for Communities 
in Action for Wellness (Resource Roundtable Conferences); (3) Community 
Wellness Champion Forums; and (4) the Just Move It campaign. In the 
future, the IHS plans to work together with partners to promote health 
and prevent disease throughout Indian country. It is intended that 
these partnerships will create opportunities for businesses and other 
organizations to participate in shaping a healthier U.S. More 
information about the Summit is available at http://www.ihs.gov/hpdp.

DATES: Comments expressing or affirming an interest in co-sponsoring of 
the HP/DP Summit--``Healthier Indian Communities through Partnership 
and Prevention''--and/or partnerships with the IHS should be received 
within 45 days of publication of this notice. The Summit, ``Healthier 
Indian Communities through Partnership and Prevention,'' will take 
place September 21-24, 2004, in Washington, DC. Contact information to 
permit further discussion and consideration of ideas of mutual interest 
may be sent to the e-mail address set out in the next paragraph.

ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest, comments and questions may be sent 
to the following e-mail address, [email protected] or by regular 
mail with contact information, as appropriate, to: Alberta Becenti, 
Office of Public Health, Reyes Building, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 
320, Rockville, MD 20852-1627. Organization representatives may also 
call an information line at (301) 443-4305. Callers will be directed to 
appropriate agency officials or to other collaborating partners with 
similar or complementary interests for further discussions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IHS is the Federal agency responsible 
for delivering direct health care services to more than 560 Federally-
recognized AI/AN tribes. Meeting the health needs of Indian communities 
requires effective partnerships and collaborations so that all 
components of a healthy community can be addressed. The IHS is focusing 
on the importance of partnerships, community and prevention. The IHS 
HP/DP Summit will focus on the present and future directions of HP/DP 
for AI/AN.
     The conference will increase opportunities to share information, 
present the health status and challenges of Indian country today, and 
create and expand opportunities to partner and share HP/DP best and 
promising practices.

Partnership With Private Sector Organizations

     The IHS has limited resources with which to achieve implementation 
of such large-scale nationwide changes. Moreover, to achieve numerous 
behavioral changes, the involvement of both public and private 
organizations is necessary. For efforts of this magnitude, the Agency 
periodically invites outside organizations to join in carrying out 
activities of mutual interest to achieve shared objectives. These 
partnerships are voluntary. The parties work together to carry out 
their respective, consistent missions for the common good. In 
accordance with each entity's particular strengths and abilities, 
partnerships will be established; each partner will be responsible for 
providing the resources necessary to carry out specified activities of 
mutual interest. As partners with the IHS, both public and private 
sector organizations can bring their respective ideas and expertise, 
administrative capabilities, and production and material resources. 
Examples include sharing in the development of educational health 
information and its distribution to employees or to the public to 
promote healthy lifestyles in order to prevent chronic diseases, 
developing programs aimed at improving consumers' understanding of how 
proper dietary

[[Page 41825]]

choices and physical activity can improve health and prevent obesity 
and other chronic diseases, or providing practical guidance and 
information on how to obtain diagnostic and treatment services.
    Partnership agreements will make clear that there will be no 
Federal endorsement of commercial products or of particular companies.
    The IHS has a right to review the use of IHS HP/DP Summit logos and 
statements related to the HP/DP Summit on such materials and products 
to ensure that they are suitable and that Government neutrality with 
respect to commercial products is maintained. Partnership agreements 
will make clear that potential partners are carrying out their own 
program in conjunction with the IHS goals. When the HP/DP Summit logo 
is approved for use on commercial materials or products that promote 
health and prevent disease, a disclaimer will be required to be printed 
on, or affixed to commercial partner materials and products indicating 
that the use of the logo does not imply any Federal endorsement or 
warranty of a particular commercial product or of other products of a 
particular company.

Evaluation Criteria

    After engaging in exploratory discussions of potential partnerships 
and partnership activities with respondents, the following 
considerations will be used by the IHS officials, as appropriate and 
relevant, to ensure the partnership activities with particular entities 
and the scope of those activities achieve the mission of the IHS.
    1. Has the outside entity demonstrated a willingness to work 
collaboratively with other public and private sector organizations to 
achieve the stated goals of the IHS goals or to advance related 
efforts, activities, or initiatives?
    2. Are the activities proposed by the offering entity likely to 
provide a substantial public health benefit that is consistent with the 
IHS and HHS goals?
    3. Does the proposed partnership's potential for public health 
benefit outweigh any appearance of conflict that may potentially have a 
negative impact on the Agency and its ability to accomplish its 
missions?
    4. What adjustments, if any, would make the proposal acceptable?
    5. Does the outside entity have the expertise and capacity to carry 
out its proposed activities?
    Given the IHS HP/DP Summit goals and consistent interests, entities 
that wish to partner with the IHS and Tribal governments to support its 
efforts are encouraged to reply to this notice. Working together, it is 
intended that these partnerships will provide innovative opportunities 
to support and honor AI/AN communities at the IHS HP/DP Summit. The HP/
DP Summit is funded by the IHS.

    Dated: July 2, 2004.
Charles W. Grim,
Assistant Surgeon General, Director.
[FR Doc. 04-15713 Filed 7-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-16-M