PROJECT FIRSTLINE

NCUIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on infection prevention and control (IPC) training initiatives for frontline healthcare personnel.

CDC’s Project Firstline is a collaborative of diverse healthcare and public health partners that aims to provide engaging, innovative, and effective infection control training to more than 6 million healthcare personnel in the United States. Project Firstline will provide every person working in a U.S. healthcare facility a foundational understanding of infection control to protect the nation from infectious disease threats such as COVID-19. The project will provide:

Core Training
Engagement
Mentorship
Build Public Health Capacity
Encourage Educational Innovation in Infection Prevention & Control Training

The National Council of Urban Indian Health Project Firstline is funded by the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention through a National initiative recognized as Project Firstline. For more information visit: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/projectfirstline/about.html

Urban Indian Centers Recognized as Infection Prevention Control Champion Sites

FY 2021 Urban Indian Organizations who received the infection prevention and control systems “Champions” grants funded to address local COVID-19, influenza, or systems-focused infection prevention and control projects with core training, development, and support by NCUIH and Centers for Disease Control. The grant awardees (Champion sites) shall identify and implement sustainable UIO system changes in infection prevention and control critical to a culture of safety and create organizations that are flexible and responsive to ongoing needs during the pandemic and beyond. This work shall occur using NCUIH’s ECHO hub through a collaborative approach with expert faculty from National partnerships. Future grant opportunities for other UIOs will be announced here in the near future.

Bakersfield American Indian Health Project

Outreach & Referral Center

Johnny Delgado, Grants & Project Director

Denver Indian Health and Family Services

Full Ambulatory

Aron Wahkinney, Project Director-Contracts and Grants Program

Fresno American Indian Health Project

Outreach and Referral

Nancy Pierce, Director of Health Service

Native American Connections

Residential/Outpatient Treatment Center

Jennifer Thompson, Project Director

Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake

Limited Ambulatory; Outreach and Referral

Rochelle Moore, QI & Compliance Officer and Project Director

NCUIH 2021 Project Firstline Fellowship Awardees

The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to provide Native American students with the opportunity to increase the work being done in urban Native public health. Project Firstline is a national partnership of nonprofit organizations and academic institutions that aims to provide infection prevention and control training to more than 6 million healthcare personnel in the United States, including Urban Indian Organization (UIO) health care workers. Training content will include foundational information on infection control to protect the nation from infectious disease threats, such as COVID-19.

As part of Project Firstline, the Fellows will assist in the development of training resources for health care workers; communications and outreach materials to support training; resource guides for workers, residents, families and patients; hosting communities of learning; supporting subject matter experts in infectious disease; and gathering research and data on the effectiveness of training and practices.

The 2021 recipients of the NCUIH Project Firstline Fellowship have a focus on urban Native public health.

Upcoming Events

Professional Development Scholarships

NCUIH continues to offer UIO Staff, professional development scholarships for certification, training, or conferences on infection prevention and control.

Scholarship Amount: $1,100 per UIO Staff member.

Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Applications will be reviewed within two-weeks of receipt. Please contact our staff for more information.

Overview

IPC specific training or certification (ex. APIC’s prep course and CBIC exam) and or training options to improve internal processes (ex. LEAN, team-based performance improvement) will be prioritized.
Applicants are to provide description of an identified opportunity that will enhance the current services in their scope of work and/or improve IPC practices within their organizations.
Selected participants will be expected to complete an evaluation of their opportunity and identify how this opportunity has enhanced infection prevention and control measures as well as their professional development.

Eligibility

Staff member must be from one of the 41 active member UIOs listed as active members on the NCUIH website and currently funded by IHS under Title V.
Must complete an application package.

Application Package and Process

Pre-application information session was held on Tuesday April 23, 2021
Complete the online application package:
1. Pre-application instruction: View Recording
2. Online Application
3. Participant Acknowledgement of Requirements
4. Executive Director or Department Head Approval (attachment)