A practical introduction for new analysts supporting Tribal health programs and regional Tribal organizations. Your First Year in Tribal Health Policy combines guidance on relationships, consensus, evidence, and financing with a first-year calendar and three fictional accounts of learning the job.
The first-year goal: learn how your employer expects the work to get done.
Read the page-turning booklet
Use the arrows to turn pages. Open the PDF below to follow the booklet’s resource links.
Read or download Your First Year in Tribal Health Policy (PDF, 15 pages)
What the booklet covers
Getting to know Tribal and IHS health directors; understanding the different rhythms of the IHS budget, Medicaid, Medicare, and public health; finding working allies; supporting consensus; marshalling facts; and framing requests for the people who can act.
The booklet also addresses tact when asking about existing data practices, managing a growing meeting schedule, developing complementary expertise, and helping colleagues and leaders succeed. New for review: page 11 discusses using AI responsibly, checking sources, and protecting the complexity and qualifications in your analysis. The three first-year stories are fictional teaching vignettes.
Use the site in your work
Start with IHS Budget Basics: A Guide for Tribal Leaders and Communities to learn the funding categories and budget terms before turning to the detailed analyses. Pair reading with an issue identified by health directors. Use the resources below to develop analysis that protects current financing arrangements and advances improvements, with staff review and leadership direction.
Managing a Tribal Health Program — understand the director’s responsibilities and how the program fits together.
Financing a Tribal Health Program — understand funding sources, costs, collections, and authority.
Health Information Systems and the Tribal health data paper — learn what information staff already use and how existing records can support decisions.
Indian Health Financing papers and Related Papers — examine IHS budgets, Medicaid financing, Medicare, and implementation.
Indian Health Finance course — follow a structured learning path.