GPTCHB recognized by National Indian Health Organization

RAPID CITY – Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board’s CEO Jerilyn Church was recognized as a Regional Impact awardee by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) during the 36th Annual National Tribal Health Conference (NTHC) held in Temecula, California last week.
The NTHC is the largest American Indian and Alaska Native specific gathering each year focused specifically on health. The conference focuses on exploring health policy and its impact on Tribes, advancing Tribal capacity to expand own policy work, and policy and political work in the arenas of health care, public, behavioral, and environmental health.
“Each of our award winners are all true heroes in Indian health. Every individual recognized works tirelessly throughout the year to raise awareness, deliver care, advocate for improved care and affect change in our communities. We are honored to recognize their hard work and share in the appreciation of their accomplishments. These special awards are our way of thanking the awardees for all that they have done, and all that they will do, for our People in the years to come,” wrote the NIHB.
The NIHB’s Regional Impact award is given out to an individual or organization whose work has contributed to improving American Indian and Alaska Native health care or affected change on an area or regional basis. Jerilyn was recognized for her work leading two, at-risk tribal health organizations through a successful comprehensive restructuring. Jerilyn nearly doubled the staff and tripled the budget at American Indian Health and Family Services in Detroit. Most recently, she stewarded the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board to become a stable and financially sound organization with a clean audit history.
Currently, she is working on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to manage the Rapid City Service Unit. The expanded services which the health care center will provide under Tribal control, and under the management of the Health Board, will improve the health outcomes for Indian people in Rapid City and throughout the region.
“We regard each one of our award winners with the deepest admiration and respect for their service and efforts toward improving Indian health disparities at the grassroots level, to the National, and beyond,” added the NIHB.
This is the second Regional Impact award that Church has received. In 2014, she was honored for her work towards the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and her efforts to improve access to healthcare. As the head of the GPTCHB at the time, the organization was one of two organizations in the country that received Navigator funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to encourage enrollment in the Healthcare Marketplace.
Church also was a plenary speaker where she provided insight on the value of the Indian Health Service Community Health Representative (CHR) Program and the Health Education programs. President’s Budget Request in FY 2019 proposed to eliminate funding for the programs. CHR services are foundational for tribes in the Great Plains and across Indian Country.

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