Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center Programs (GLITEC)
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center Brochure (PDF - 48KB)
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center is an epidemiology project working through the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center works in partnership with federally recognized American Indian Tribal Nations in the Bemidji Indian Health Service (IHS) area of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thirty-four Tribes and three Urban programs are served by this project, funded in part through a competitive grant from the Indian Health Serivice.
The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center strives to be responsive to health information and epidemiological needs of the Tribes in the Bemidji area by providing training and technical assistance in areas of public health, program planning and evaluation and health data collection, management, analysis and interpretation.
Health Information pertaining to American Indians is obtained and updated by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center. The purpose for maintaining this central repository of data is to give Tribes access to health information for their Tribal communities in a meaningful and useful format. Current data housed by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center includes U.S. Census Bureau data, state vital records (birth and death certificate information), state communicable disease data, diabetes data from local chart audits or registries, renal network reports, IHS severe injury data, state immunization records, and state WIC reports. Collaborations and partnerships are fostered with the Tribes and federal, state and local public health agencies. Working relationships include memorandums of agreement to share health data and collaborations on specific projects that benefit the Tribes. Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center partners include Tribal health departments, state and local health departments and universities, Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other public health agencies.
Services of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center include technical assistance and support, as well as training, in epidemiological and public health-related activities of the Tribes in the project area. Specific areas of support include health data collection, analysis and interpretation, program planning and evaluation, data management, database design, survey design, and community health assessments. Project activities of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiolgy Center vary according to the epidemiological needs and requests of the Tribes however, some of the core projects are ongoing.
Community Health Data Profiles are produced annually to provide health information concerning AI/NA populations living in the IHS Bemidji area. Information is reported for the project area and for each state separately. The documents include indicators regarding demographics, mortality, diabetes, communicable diseases, and maternal/child health.
RPMS Training and technical assistance are provided through group training sessions, individual on-site tutorials, and telephone support as requested. RPMS (Resource Patient Management System) is a federal patient database system used by most of the Tribes in the project area.
Diabetes Data Improvement support is provided through RPMS training and technical assistance, chart audit analysis assistance and data reporting.
EpiCenter Newsletters are produced and distributed quarterly. These publications contain project updates and activities, current public health concerns and announcements involving staff, trainings and conferences.
