RAPID CITY –A citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Nation has been named the Sr. Director of the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center.
Tinka Duran, a 14-year Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board (GPTLHB) employee, has been chosen to lead the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC).
“I believe the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center’s work is vital to decreasing the health disparities of our tribal people in the Great Plains region. I look forward to being part of this exciting team and all their great work, ” said Duran.
Founded in 2003 as a core component of the GPTLHB, GPTEC is just one of 12 partner Tribal Epidemiology Centers across the nation funded by the Indian Health Service’s Division of Epidemiology and Disease Prevention to assist in improving the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives throughout the United States.
Duran has been with the GPTLHB for the last 14 years. She holds a degree in Social Science from Oglala Lakota College and a master’s in public health from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. During her time with the Health Board, she has focused on many public health initiatives, including engaging partners and communities in the development of health equity strategies that addresses gaps, builds on community strengths, and reduces cancer health disparities.
GPTEC’s mission is to provide leadership, technical assistance, support, and advocacy for the 18 tribal nations and communities serviced by the Great Plains Area IHS. Additionally, it works to reduce health disparities for tribal citizens living within South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Established in 1986, the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board (GPTCHB) 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, health care advocacy, and direct care at the Oyate Health Center.
