Measuring Capacity and Building Infrastructure in Partnership with Tribal Public Health

Transforming the public health system in Minnesota

Tribal public health systems across Minnesota are working to assess and strengthen their infrastructure and capacity, in their authority as sovereign entities. 

This work is supported by three grant programs managed by the MDH Office of American Indian Health. The Office of American Indian Health works with MDH Center for Public Health Practice to provide technical assistance to Tribal public health leaders across Minnesota. 

On this page
Why transform the public health system?
Measuring capacity and relationships
Supporting Tribal public health infrastructure
Additional resources
Help and assistance

Many governmental public health leaders have identified the need to strengthen the public health system and create a public health system for the 21st century—one equipped to work with communities and carry out foundational public health responsibilities effectively and efficiently. This framework was adopted in 2023, which outlines the foundational responsibilities of the governmental public health system.

Historically, chronic underfunding and a lack of investment in Tribal public health infrastructure contributed to vast health inequities in Tribal and American Indian communities. As part of the Tribal-State relationship, MDH is committed to working with Tribes across Minnesota to develop and strengthen public health capacity. Tribal public health leaders conducted system capacity assessments using established frameworks to inform and align public health system infrastructure efforts.

Find more information on the 10 Essential Public Health Services, which align with the domains used in the assessment: 10 Essential Public Health Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

To better understand Tribal health departments’ unique capacity and needs, MDH contracted with Indigenous-led organizations Red Star International, LLC and Asemaake, LLC to facilitate a self-assessment of Tribal public health systems. During this process, public health leaders provided self-assessment scores across the 10 Essential Public Health Services framework to better understand their public health capacity. 

The capacity assessments provide a process for Tribal public health leaders to: 

• Identify strengths within national domains. 
• Identify opportunities for growth.
• Identify collaboration opportunities with state and local governments across domains. 
• Assess and determine where to target capacity-building and the time frame needed to do so, unique to the needs and capacity of their Tribal Nation.

View the tool for these Tribal public health capacity self-assessments: [Tool Kit] Tribal and Territorial Health Department Guide to Assessing Public Health Capacity: A Collaborative Approach (Red Star International).

Grant programs supporting this work in Minnesota include: 

• Foundational Public Health Responsibilities (FPHR) Grant
• Tribal Public Health Infrastructure (TPHI) Grant
• Strengthening the U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems Grant (aka CDC Federal Infrastructure Grant or PHIG)

The MDH Office of American Indian Health and the Tribal Systems Consultant in the MDH Center for Public Health Practice are committed to working with Tribal health leaders to identify and apply resources needed to achieve their public health system infrastructure capacity goals. 

• Transforming the Public Health System in Minnesota (MDH)
• Publications and Resources - Transforming the Public Health System in Minnesota (MDH)
• 10 Essential Public Health Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• MDH Office of American Indian Health
• MDH Center for Public Health Practice

We can provide technical assistance upon request. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

• Madison Anderson
  Tribal Public Health System Consultant
  MDH Center for Public Health Practice
  madison.anderson@state.mn.us 
• MDH Office of American Indian Health
  Health.OAIH@state.mn.us  
• MDH Center for Public Health Practice
  health.ophp@state.mn.us