Readout of HHS Deputy Secretary Palm’s Trip to Alaska to Visit Native Communities

Deputy Secretary Palm on her Journey Reiterated the Biden-Harris Administration’s Dedication to Serve Communities and Tribes throughout Alaska

During the last a number of days, U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm carried out an official journey to Alaska, visiting with Native communities and touring well being amenities making use of HHS funding. Throughout her go to, the Deputy Secretary delivered remarks on the Nationwide Indian Well being Board Tribal Well being Convention in Anchorage, Alaska and traveled throughout the state to Minto, Tanana, Rampart, Utqiagvik, Angoon, and Sitka.

Throughout her go to, Deputy Secretary Palm visited with Tribal leaders and representatives as she toured native faculties, assisted dwelling amenities, well being clinics, dental well being aide therapist coaching websites, a water remedy plant, and a toddler care facility, amongst different websites. The Deputy Secretary reiterated HHS’ dedication to work intently with Alaskan and Tribal leaders to enhance well being companies and mentioned how HHS can finest companion with native communities. She heard firsthand from tribal members, well being care suppliers, and neighborhood organizations together with the Arctic Slope Native Affiliation, Southeast Alaska Regional Well being Consortium, Prepare dinner Inlet Tribal Council, Tanana Chiefs Convention, and the Alaska Native Tribal Well being Consortium concerning the distinctive well being challenges encountered by rural and distant Alaska Native communities. Additionally, she emphasised the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication to addressing the nation’s behavioral well being disaster. The Administration has made necessary progress on increasing entry to behavioral well being companies, and invested billions of {dollars} by means of American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to obviously ship the message: Assist is Right here.

Since 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic progress in prioritizing the wants of Tribal communities throughout the nation together with Alaska. The Biden-Harris Administration’s FY2023 finances for the primary time in historical past supplied the Indian Well being Service (IHS) with advance appropriations, giving IHS finances certainty. This accomplishment is a crucial bridge to the President’s necessary request within the FY2024 finances. The Administration has additionally elevated assist throughout the IHS to supply companies to American Indian and Alaska Native sufferers, together with suicide prevention, remedy for substance use dysfunction, and each in particular person and tele-behavioral well being companies. Moreover, by means of funds allotted from the American Rescue Plan, HHS has invested over $5 billion to fight COVID-19 in Indian Nation and enhance equitable entry to vaccines.

The Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to making sure that complete, culturally applicable private and public well being companies can be found and accessible to American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.

The next contributors have been in attendance for occasions throughout the tour:

• Andrea Palm, HHS Deputy Secretary
• Roselyn Tso, Director of the Indian Well being Service
• Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Assistant Secretary for Psychological Well being and Substance Use and the chief of SAMHSA