"Heart disease" is a term used to describe a few different heart conditions. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been increasing among Natives. CVD has been a leading cause of death among Natives over the last 50 years. 

Symptoms 

Heart disease causes about 659,000 deaths in the United States each year - that is equal to about 1 in every 4 deaths. Heart disease can be "silent" and undiagnosed until a person experiences serious signs and symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or arrhythmia. Symptoms of these serious conditions may include: 

• Heart attack: chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath 
• Arrhythmia: fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations) 
• Heart failure: shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins 

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking or drinking alcohol
• Overweight or obesity
• Unhealthy diet

Sources CDC | Heart Disease & Cardiovascular Disease in American Indians and Alaskan Natives | Professional Heart Daily

We help our relatives with heart disease. 

Great Plains Good Health and Wellness

GPTLHB’s Great Plains Good Health and Wellness (GPGHW) program use evidence-informed, culturally rooted health promotion and disease prevention initiatives to help Great Plains area tribes combat obesity, commercial tobacco use, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Read more

According to the Office of Minority Health, Natives are almost three times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes. In 2018, Natives were 2.3 times more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Lastly, in 2017, Natives were twice as likely to be diagnosed with end-stage renal disease than non-Hispanic whites. 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that impacts how your body uses food. More specifically how your body turns food into energy. 

Types of Diabetes

The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant)

• Type 1 diabetes: thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake) that stops your body from making insulin 
• Type 2 diabetes: your body doesn't use insulin well and can't keep blood sugar at normal levels 
• Gestational diabetes: only develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes

Prediabetes 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 88 million adults have prediabetes. That is more than 1 in 3 people. Even more concerning is that more than 84% of them do not know they have it. A person with prediabetes has blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. 

Diabetes Stats 

• Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States 
• Over the last 20 years, the number of persons diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled 
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness

Risk Factors 

There are several factors that increase your risk of developing diabetes. Some of these factors are: 

• Obesity and overweight 
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) 
• High cholesterol 
• Cigarette smoking 

Information gathered from the CDC. 

We support our relatives with diabetes.

Great Plains Good Health and Wellness

GPTLHB’s Great Plains Good Health and Wellness (GPGHW) program use evidence-informed, culturally rooted health promotion and disease prevention initiatives to help Great Plains area tribes combat obesity, commercial tobacco use, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Read more

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) American Indians are more likely to get certain types of cancer compared to non-Hispanic White people. American Indians have much higher rates of lung, colorectal, liver, stomach, and kidney cancers, compared to non-Hispanic White people in the United States. The CDC found the biggest differences in cancer rates between American Indian men and White men were found in Alaska, followed by the Southern, Southwest, and Northern Plains. Cancer rates among American Indian women and White women differed the most in the Southern Plains, followed by the Northern Plains, Alaska, and Pacific Coast. 

We are here to support our relatives who have cancer.

Cancer Programs 

Breast Cancer

American Indian (AI) women in the United States, especially in the Great Plains Area have a disproportionately high burden of breast and cervical cancer. Many of these cases can be avoided if AI women are provided with routine screening tests. Honor Every Woman seeks to reduce breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality and reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer incidence among our AI women in the Great Plains Area. Click here to learn more!

Read more

---

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer is the 3rd most common cancer for Great Plains American Indians (AI). GPTLHB was awarded a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disase Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase colorectal cancer screening rates within the 18 tribal communities in the Great Plains region. In the United States, American Indian men and women residing in the Great Plains have the highest and second-highest cancer incidence rate among all American Indian/Alaskan Native population groups.

Read more

---

Cervical Cancer

American Indian (AI) women in the United States, especially in the Great Plains Area have a disproportionately high burden of breast and cervical cancer. Many of these cases can be avoided if AI women are provided with routine screening tests. Honor Every Woman will assist AI women in the Great Plains Area to get screened for breast and cervical cancer, obtain diagnostic services related to such screening tests. We seek to reduce breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality and reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer incidence among our AI women in the Great Plains Area. 

Read more

The Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board is committed to improving health outcomes in Indian Country. Through advocacy, public health education, direct care, and epidemiological support we provide tribal nations and tribal citizens the tools they need to improve the lives of the people. 

So the People May Live 

The Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board is committed to improving health outcomes in Indian Country. Through advocacy, public health education, direct care, and epidemiological support we provide tribal nations and tribal citizens the tools they need to improve the lives of the people. 

The Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board (GPTLHB) is dedicated to serving the health and wellness needs of the tribal members it represents. Assisting with the needs of 18 tribes and tribal communities in the four-state region of South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, GPTLHB addresses the health necessities of its members by assisting in accessing health-related programs and resources.

In addition to advocacy on behalf of the represented tribal members, GPTLHB also provides critical health promotion and education outreach services through its various programs and departments. Furthermore, the health board advocates nationally for improved Indian health policies on behalf of the tribes and tribal communities it represents, which comprise nearly 170,000 individuals.

pdf Download our service area map 

Our Member Tribes

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. 

The Great Plains Tribal Leader's Health Board (GPTLHB) provides key advocacy for its constituents in order for them to have access to the highest quality, most comprehensive, and up-to-date health resources available in the areas of research, education, assistance, prevention, and outreach.

What We Do  

The Training & Education Department (ED) is designed to work with our representative tribes and collaborative partners to identify training and resource needs as requested. Programs provide training, education, and support services designed to encourage self-sufficiency and improve healthcare.

Programs  

Emergency Operations Center

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC), established in 2020, serves as an EOC for 17 tribal nations and one service unit across a four-state region and provides training on disaster mitigation to individuals from these areas. The EOC also develops and implements culturally responsive public health emergency management plans and procedures to support Great Plains Area tribal communities.

Read more

Great Plains Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) Navigator Program

The Great Plains Navigator Program aims to increase knowledge of the Health Insurance Exchanges and resources and assist uninsured American Indians living in He Sapa Catchment counties and urban Rapid City to navigate the Health Insurance Exchanges and enroll. The outreach area includes Oglala, Rosebud, and Cheyenne River Sioux tribal communities.

Read more

Staff

• Patty Eagle Bull, MBA
  Director of Training & Education
• Travis Johnson
  Health Insurance Exchange Navigator 
• Janelle Cantrelle
  Program Manager
• Brenna Lanoue
  Program Director
• Deanna Shoup
  Program Manager 
• Isabella Shoup
• Kathi Sharp
• Lisa Peniska
• Sydney Claymore 
• Mali Souksavath

The Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC) is one of 12 epidemiology centers across the nation funded by the Indian Health Service Division of Epidemiology and Disease Prevention. GPTEC’s mission is to provide leadership, technical assistance, support, and advocacy to tribal nations and communities in the Great Plains in order to eliminate the disparities in health that currently exist for tribal people in the area.

What We Do

There are three focuses of GPTEC:

1. Public Health: The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized community efforts.
2. Epidemiology: The study of how often a disease occurs in different populations and why. It identifies epidemics and is the science behind public health.
3. Research: Methodical investigation into a subject in order to discover facts.

IHS

• Epidemiology & Disease Prevention (CORE)
• SASP/DVP/FHC Technical Assistance
• NIMHD
• HIV/STIs
• Targeted STDs
• IVAC

CDC

• PH Infrastructure
• Oral Health
• GHW
• Opioid Surveillance 

Services

• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention 
• Data & Informatics
• Public Health Workforce Development
• Training & Technical Assistance
• Partnerships & Systems Connections 
• Evaluation
• Advocacy & Informing Policy
• Response to Emerging Priorities 
• Research 

Growth

• Data services
• Evaluation Services 
• Tribal Public Health Liaison (TPHL) Program

Our Programs

• Coronavirus Response
• Epidemiology & Disease Prevention
• Supporting Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, and Suicide Prevention Programs
• Supporting Tribal Public Health Research
• Ending the HIV Epidemic in Indian Country
• Promoting TEC and Tribal Public Health Capacity, Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Success
• Oral Health Data and Collaboration
• Sexually Transmitted Infections & Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (STITPPI)
• Improving Opioid Morbidity and Mortality Surveillance

Staff 

• Tinka Duran, MPH
  Senior Director of the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center 
• Nick Hill, MPH
  DCU Director and Lead Epidemiologist
• Sarah Shewbrooks, MPH
  Epidemiologist II and Data Products Manager
• Daveon Provost
  Data Coordinator
• Summer Montileaux
  Data Specialist
• Opal Jones
  STITPPI Project Manager
• Sean Jackson, MPH
  Evaluation Manager 
• Brooke McPherson
  Administrative Coordinator
• Tipi Means
  Health Educator 
• Kristie Lauing
  Public Health Liaison 
• Emily Good Weasel, MPH
  Epi Disease Prevention - Program Manager
• Marilyn Prairie Chicken, MA
  Technical Assistance & Training Coordinator 
• Leah Belgarde
  TECPHI Program Manager 
• Garvene Good Plume
  Evaluator
• Sydney Schad, MPH 
  Public Health Liaison
• Karin Eagle 
  Program Coordinator
• Denise Brave Heart
  Health Educator
• Beth Crow Good Voice
  TECHPHI Program Coordinator 
• Cheng Wang
  Advanced Biostatistician

Contact GPTEC 

Please send any questions or comments you may have about the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center to:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (605) 646-0356
Toll Free: 1.800.745.3466
Fax: 605.721.1932

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This publication was supported by IHS Cooperative Agreement Number, U1B1IHS0007. The views expressed in this written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Department is committed to serving the needs of mothers, children, and fathers in the Great Plains region. The Department’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of American Indian families in Great Plains tribal communities through direct service, research, epidemiology, and technical assistance. MCH provides breastfeeding support, home visits, and the promotion of male involvement for mothers and infants, including during the prenatal stage.

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Programs

Great Plains Healthy Start Program

GPHS utilizes Community Health Workers to deliver paraprofessional health services to women of childbearing age, their partners, and children from birth to 18 months. Services provided are free for residents in one of the eight (8) Healthy Start communities in North and South Dakota. The program improves health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and addresses health and social service needs to strengthen family resilience.

Read more

Indigenous Linking Actions in Unmet Needs Children's Health (ILAUNCH) Program

ILAUNCH develops safe, supportive environments for children ages 0-8 and their families living on and near Rosebud Sioux tribal communities. The project strengthens capacity and infrastructure and increases support to families through direct services that help children grow up healthy and ready to learn.

Read more

Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (GP-TMIECHV)

MIECHV provides home visiting services for SWO families with young children, from birth to kindergarten entry. The program assesses community needs and service integration while developing community capacity and enhancing systems of care. This home visiting service will support healthy development by addressing maternal and child health, early learning, family support, and promote positive child and family outcomes.

Read more

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Project for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (RCORP-NAS)

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Project for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (RCORP – NAS) is a project that serves Indigenous women, mothers, and women of childbearing age who are at risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), and other Substance Use Disorders (SUD) on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation community.

Read more

Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program (TIPCAP) & Great Plains Injury Prevention Program (GPIPP)

TIPCAP focuses on community awareness of and education on appropriate child car seat usage and child safety restraint in vehicles for 17 tribal communities and one service unit in the Great Plains Area. The program assesses and identifies current child passenger safety capacity, resources and needs; increases community Child Passenger Safety Technician capacity; and distributes seats to families who lack resources to purchase them.

Read more

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Resources

Resources - Maternal & Child Health

The Great Plains Maternal & Child Health department gathered resources for indigenous families in the great plains region. 

Read more

Contact Information

Maternal & Child Health Department
2611 Elderberry Blvd
Rapid City, SD  57703
(605)-721-1922
Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM 

Department Staff

• Chelsea Randall
  Director of Maternal & Child Health 
• Rebecca Diehm
  Community Health Worker-Crow Creek 
• Marlo Free
  Community Health Worker-Standing Rock
• Christy Hacker
  Program Manager-Rapid City
• Leona Iyarpeya 
  Community Health Worker-Sisseton
• Valentina Lafountain 
  Community Health Worker-Turtle Mountain
• Monta Little Soldier 
  Administrative Coodinator-Rapid City
• Miranda Muehl 
  Community Health Advocate-Rapid City
• Jean Nahomni Mani 
  Program Coordinator-Crow Creek
• Sunshine Oines 
  Community Health Advocate-Rapid City
• Slena Olvera 
  Community Health Advocate-Sisseton
• Brooke Pond 
  Program Manager-Rapid City
• Terri Rattler 
  Program Manager-Rapid City
• Brian Thompson
  Program Manager-Rapid City
• Joe Tyon 
  Program Coordinator-Rapid City
• Kristin Wanna 
  Community Health Worker-Sisseton