Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health

The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) supports the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health (CIIH) to advance sustainable solutions to address health disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native (Al/AN) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations.

The CIIH is grounded in data that AI/AN and NHPI populations within the United States experience a high burden of health disparities as demonstrated by a high prevalence of a wide range of chronic diseases, and adverse impacts of social determinants of health, such as access to health care.

To address the impact of health disparities experienced by AI/AN and NHPI communities, the CIIH focuses on four priority areas—research, education, service, and policy—and promotes Indigenous health by:

• Partnering with Indigenous leaders, Al/AN and NHPI communities, and academic institutions.
• Identifying and disseminating culturally and linguistically appropriate, evidence-based, and/or practice-based interventions for Indigenous populations.
• Providing education and training to support community engagement.

OMH does not support direct services through the CIIH, but seeks to identify, ensure the sustainability of, and promote successful programs and practices that can reduce health disparities and improve health.

OMH CIIH Grant Initiative

Established in 2021, the CIIH supports research, education, service, and policy development that address health disparities in AI/AN and NHPI populations. These disparities are associated with factors such as health literacy, food security, health care access, and environmental exposures.

The CIIH was created at the direction of Congress and operates as a single initiative through two award recipients: Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and the University of Hawaii.

• Oklahoma State University focuses on AI/AN populations with the goal of strengthening Indigenous food systems and traditional practices to promote health and wellness.
• The University of Hawaii focuses on NHPI populations with the goal of researching and scaling traditional practices that may positively impact health.

In Fiscal Year 2023 OMH awarded a total of $4 million for a five-year initiative to support the CIIH. Through these awards, the CIIH implements innovative and culturally appropriate frameworks to prevent and improve disparities in chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.