About Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board

About GPTLHB 

Established in 1986, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board (GPTLHB) is an organization representing the 18 tribal communities in the four-state region of South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. 

Through public health practices and the formation of tribal partnerships, we work to improve the health of the American Indian peoples we serve by providing public health support and health care advocacy. 

Serving as a liaison between the Great Plains Tribes and the various Health and Human Services divisions, including the Great Plains Area Indian Health Service, GPTLHB works to reduce public health disparities and improve the health and wellness of the American Indian peoples who are members of the 18 Great Plains tribal nations and communities. 

We achieve this by: 

• Assisting with tribal participation in the consultation process with the Health and Human Services divisions including the Indian Health Service;
• Assisting the various Health and Human Services divisions with the distribution of health resources for tribal members;
• Advocating for tribal interests and needs at state, regional, and national levels for health-related concerns and initiatives;
• Providing technical assistance to tribes in the development and improvement of tribal health programs;
• Representing GPTLHB and member tribes before the Congress of the United States at hearings and meetings regarding health issues for American Indian peoples; and
• Providing policy analysis and recommendations related to Indian Health Care concerns, to tribally appointed representatives designated to deliver advocacy and testimony to Congressional and Executive Branch leadership.

Our Vision

It is our vision that all tribal nations and communities in the Great Plains will reach optimum health and wellness through lasting partnerships with health organizations and embrace culturally significant values that are empowered by tribal sovereignty.

United under the GPTLHB umbrella, our tribal constituents are able to compete for population-based grants and resources that may not otherwise be available to them. Through GPTLHB, tribes are empowering themselves to address their individual health resource needs in an effective way.

Mission

Our mission is to improve the wellness of our people by providing quality healthcare, public health services, advocacy, and support in partnership with the tribal-nations of the Great Plains area 

Vision

Our vision is that all tribal nations, communities, and citizens achieve optimal wellness through the embrace of traditional cultural values, innovative and holistic healing practices, strengthened by tribal sovereignty. 

Values

We honor the relatives we serve, by upholding cultural values, through the practice of: 

• Prayer: We seek the guidance and wisdom of the Creator in our service to others. 
• Respect: We honor the people we serve by treating them with dignity. 
• Generosity: We seek to serve with selflessness and a giving heart. 
• Truth: We seek to act with honesty and integrity, earning the trust of those we work with and serve. 
• Fortitude: We build upon the strength and courage of our ancestors to improve healthcare for future generations. 
• Compassion: We seek to bring kindness, understanding, and love to those we serve. 
• Humility: We humbly commit to a path of learning and growth.