Investigating Characteristics of Tribal Organization and Performance

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Overview

This research study performs an in-depth examination of a tribal public health system’s capacity to deliver the ten essential services. The study employs a rigorous case study design with a dual theoretical approach and mixed methodology to answer the following research questions: 1) How are tribal public health systems conceptualized and organized by tribes, and why?; 2) Who are the key actors and decision-makers within a tribal public health system, and why?; 3) In what ways are tribal public health system partners monitoring system performance and tracking health outcomes?; 4) How does the infrastructure within a tribal public health system influence public health approaches, especially those addressing health disparities?; and 5) What influence do interorganizational relationships and interactions within a tribal public health system have on its ability to impact health disparities? Project partners include the Michigan Public Health Institute research team, the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, a Research Advisory Group, and a tribal public health agency. A tribal public health system is the target population, including tribal agencies, partner agencies, and community members. Tribal public health agencies require support in building the infrastructure to organize for accreditation and to improve public health system performance. Given their unique context, organization, and history, tribal public health agencies could benefit from examples of established tribal public health system models that delineate with whom and how tribal public health agencies partner to deliver the ten essential public health services.

Publications

• Collaboration and Integration in Tribal Public Health Systems (Abstract submitted to Health Affairs, March 2016)

Presentations

• Exploring Tribal Public Health Systems & Services and Navigating Future Directions (National Indian Health Board Tribal Public Health Summit, April 2016)
• Investigating Characteristics of Tribal Public Health System Organization and Performance (PHSSR Research in Progress Webinar, September 2015 recording)
• Tribal Public Health Services & Systems Research: Learnings and tools for performance improvement (National Indian Health Board, April 2015)
• Tribal public Health Services & Systems: Findings of case study research and implications for performance improvement and health equity (Open Forum for Quality Improvement in Public Health, National Network of Public Health Institutes, March 2015)

Tools

• 2015 Annual Report  (Project summary, 2016)
• Spirit of Community Health Toolkit (system and services assessment toolkit for tribal public health practitioners, 2015)
• Spirit of Community Health Policy Brief (Policy Brief, 2015)
• Spirit of Community Health Study Report (Final Research Report, 2015)
• Spirit of Community Health Key Informant Interview and Ecomap Protocol  (Evaluation Tool, 2015)
• Spirit of Community Health Study (Fact Sheet, 2014)

Research Areas

• System Structure and Performance
• Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

Contact

Julia Heany, Ph.D.
Michigan Public Health Institute