Spotlight: Staying on the path to wellness
With January in the rearview mirror, keeping health-related New Year’s resolutions can be challenging.
That’s why we hope you’ll take every opportunity to offer people the support they need to achieve their wellness goals for 2026.
One way of doing this is by connecting community members with resources that help them make the most of their health care coverage, such as:
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Tribal version of the Roadmap to Better Care (PDF, 3.3 MB, 27 pp), a booklet that reviews health care coverage options and how to use them
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View Your Path to Better Health (PDF, 78 KB, 1 p), a poster outlining eight steps to finding a health care provider who meets each person’s needs
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Roadmap to Behavioral Health (PDF, 738 KB, 21 pp), a guide to finding mental health, substance use, and other behavioral health care services
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Know Before You Go (PDF, 127 KB, 1 p), a side-by-side comparison of the services offered through a primary care provider’s office and those available from an emergency department
Wondering what to tell community members not currently enrolled in health care coverage? Remind them that members of federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporation shareholders can enroll in a Marketplace plan anytime by visiting HealthCare.gov.
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Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. For more information, please visit the CMS Outreach and Education Resources page.
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Looking to improve your family’s heart health? Ask your primary care provider about incorporating heart-friendly habits into your household’s daily routine.
#CMSNativeHealth
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CMS tribal products
Access these online, tribal-specific resources anytime.
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American Heart Month
As noted in the Strong hearts. Stronger families. handout (PDF, 920 KB, 1 p), three health conditions—high blood pressure, commercial tobacco use, and diabetes— contribute to an elevated risk for heart disease in Native communities.
Observed each February, American Heart Month is an ideal time to highlight how staying active, quitting commercial tobacco use, and eating healthy foods can lower that risk.
Often, people want to adopt heart-healthy habits but don’t know where to start. You can help by encouraging adults of all ages to talk with their primary care provider about setting and achieving realistic heart health goals.
Also, remind everyone that Marketplace plans and Medicaid offer coverage for preventive services that can improve heart health, such as:
- Blood pressure checks
- Interventions to help people stop using commercial tobacco
- Diabetes screenings
- Nutrition counseling
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National Children’s Dental Health Month
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, an annual observance to highlight the need for preventive care to keep teeth and gums healthy.
Tooth decay can lead to pain, make it harder for children to chew, and affect how their permanent teeth develop. That’s why children should have their first dental visit within 6 months of their first tooth coming in. After that, their dental visits can be scheduled for every six months.
Additionally, teeth cleaning should be part of every child’s daily routine from an early age. Help reinforce that message by sharing resources from the IHS Division of Oral Health, such as:
Also, let families know that dental coverage for children is available through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Marketplace plans.
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JHCIH’s call for tribal success stories
The Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health (JHCIH) invites tribes and tribal health organizations to share stories of how they use opioid litigation settlement funds to help communities heal from the overdose crisis.
The stories will support the creation of an interactive map featuring regional programs and initiatives to enhance prevention, treatment, and harm reduction. The map will be available online, with the goal of inspiring additional tribes to fund new and ongoing opioid-related efforts.
A gift will be shipped to each tribe or tribal health organization that shares a story. The deadline to submit stories is February 28.
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Mental health mobile app for Native veterans
Recently, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released the Veterans Wellness Path mobile app.
The app was created with input from Native veterans, their family members, and their health care providers.
Intended to support Native veterans during the transition from service to home, the app offers features such as:
- Daily check-ins
- Tips and exercises to help strengthen relationships and enhance ties to one’s community and culture
- Suggestions for navigating health care visits
- Information on traditional healing practices
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CMS ITU trainings
The National Indian Health Board, in partnership with CMS, will provide training to help Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, and urban Indian health programs (ITUs) maximize their ability to access third-party resources through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Marketplace.
The training is intended for business office staff, benefits coordinators, patient registration staff, and billing and coding professionals. Registration links will be provided as they become available. Planning is in progress.
Upcoming ITU trainings by IHS Area
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Billings and Portland: March 9–20, virtual
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California: April 15–16, in person
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Albuquerque: April 22–23, in person
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Navajo: May 13–14, in person
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Phoenix: May 18–29, virtual
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Great Plains: June 24–25, in person
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Oklahoma: July 22–23, in person
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Bemidji and Nashville: September 14–25, virtual
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CMS Quality Conference
March 16–18
Baltimore, Maryland
Register for the CMS Quality Conference
The theme of this year’s CMS Quality Conference is “Make America Healthy Again: Innovating Together for Better Health.” Leaders, providers, researchers, advocates, and partners committed to improving health care quality and outcomes are encouraged to attend.
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Native American Child and Family Conference
March 16–19
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Early bird registration deadline: February 13
Register for the Native American Child and Family Conference
The Native American Child and Family Conference offers training opportunities to improve and promote services provided by Head Start, Early Head Start, and childcare program staff. This year’s conference theme is “Strong Start, Strong Spirit: Uplifting Our Native Children Through Indigenous Education.”
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Protecting Our Children Conference
March 29–April 1
Oklahoma City and virtual
Register for the Protecting Our Children Conference
The 44th annual Protecting Our Children Conference theme is “Uniting Our Voices for Our Children, Culture, & Communities.” Sponsored by the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the conference is geared toward social service providers, legal professionals, tribal leaders, federal program staff, and advocates for children.
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Tribal Public Health Conference
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April 7–9
Oklahoma City
Early bird registration deadline: February 20
Register for the Tribal Public Health Conference
The theme for this year’s Tribal Public Health conference is “The Vision for Generational Healing, Health, and Wellness.” Attendees will explore healing and wellness across lifespans and generations.
The conference will cover topics such as:
- Environmental health and emergency management
- Culturally adapted public health
- Data and epidemiology
- Oral health
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Conference art: “Dance on My Shoulders” by Kevin Tushka
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2026 Tribal Self-Governance Conference
April 7–9
Chandler, Arizona
Register for the Tribal Self-Governance Conference
Federal partners, tribal leaders, tribal officials, and people who work closely with tribal communities are encouraged to attend this year’s Tribal Self-Governance (TSG) Conference. Note, TSG was formerly known as the Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium.
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U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit
April 14–17
Tucson, Arizona
Early bird registration deadline: February 15
Register for the summit
The theme of the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Su | | | |
