A holistic approach to chronic disease prevention: Good health and wellness in Indian Country

Abstract

The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds the agency's largest investment in Indian Country, Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country. This 5-year program, launched in 2014, supports American Indian and Alaska Native communities and tribal organizations to address chronic diseases and risk factors simultaneously and in coordination. This article describes the development, funding, and implementation of the program. Dialogue with tribal members and leaders helped shape the program, and unlike previous programs that funded a small number of tribes to work on specific diseases, this program funds multiple tribal entities to reach widely into Indian Country. Implementation included culturally developed and adapted practices and opportunities for peer sharing and problem solving. This program identified approaches useful for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other federal agencies, or other organizations working with American Indians and Alaska Natives.