Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC)

Since 1996, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) has served the 34 federally-recognized Tribes, four urban Indian communities, and three Indian Health Service (IHS) service units within the Bemidji IHS Area—Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois.

GLITEC staff supports American Indian/Alaska Native communities in their efforts to improve the health of their people through partnering directly with communities, producing publicly available resources, and educating on the local, state, and national levels to improve data quality. The mission of GLITEC is:

To support Tribal communities in their efforts to improve health by assisting with data needs through partnership development, community-based research, education and technical assistance.

As one of the 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers across the nation, GLITEC is an established public health authority (Public Law 10L-191, 110 Stat.1936) and works to fulfill seven core functions outlined in federal law.

1. Collect data relating to, and monitor progress made toward meeting, each of the health status objectives of the Service, the Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations in the Service area;
2. Evaluate existing delivery systems, data systems, and other systems that impact the improvement of Indian health;
3. Assist Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations in identifying highest-priority health status objectives and the services needed to achieve those objectives, based on epidemiological data;
4. Make recommendations for the targeting of services needed by the populations served;
5. Make recommendations to improve health care delivery systems for Indians and urban Indians;
6. Provide requested technical assistance to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations in the development of local health service priorities and incidence and prevalence rates of disease and other illness in the community;
7. Provide disease surveillance and assist Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian communities to promote public health.