Northwest Tribal Epicenter

Protecting Community Health Across Generations

NPAIHB’s Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (NWTEC) works alongside the 43 federally recognized Tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to monitor and track health and disease trends, build community health profiles and large-scale data sets tailored to Tribal priorities, and provide training and technical assistance to strengthen Tribal research capacity and data collection efforts.

Protecting Tribal data sovereignty is central to this work. Each Tribe holds the inherent right to control their own data, tell their stories, and guide the health of their people.

Contact: nwtec@npaihb.org

NWTEC Programs

Data Modernization Work Group

We promote data modernization across NPAIHB by developing management best practices, building internal capacity through workforce development, and strengthening partnerships with Northwest Tribes and other partners.
Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit

We support data surveillance, analysis, and reporting, fulfilling requests from Northwest Tribes for health data briefs, survey design, and community health profiles.
Healthy Native Youth

We serve as a resource for educators and advocates to expand learning opportunities for AI/AN youth. Our website offers tools to access and implement health curricula.
Northwest Native American Research Center for Health (NW NARCH)

Our program, part of a national research initiative, aims to improve Tribal health by increasing Tribal engagement in biomedical and social science research.
Northwest Regional Research Center

We help Tribes strengthen data science and ensure Tribal data sovereignty by developing a workforce of Tribal community-based researchers.
Northwest Tribal Data Hub

Our primary function is to connect Tribal communities with their data, helping them care for their people and inform health policy, community planning, and funding proposals.
Oregon Tribal Public Health Modernization

We collaborate with Oregon Tribes and NARA Northwest to support and assist in developing, updating, and implementing public health action plans.
Public Health Improvement and Training

We support the development of public health programs, departments, and systems at Northwest Tribes, including resources, training, and technical assistance (TA)
Washington Tribal Public Health Improvement

We support Washington Tribes in developing and implementing foundational public health services and initiatives (FPHS).
We R Native

We “R” a multimedia health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, that addresses physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being through culturally grounded, youth-led content.
Wellness for Every American Indian to Achieve Wellness and View Health Equity (WEAVE)

By creating programs such as traditional gardens or sustainable food systems, we focus on developing community-inclusive policies, systems, and environments to support chronic disease prevention.
Western Tribal Diabetes Project

We offer tailored training on the Diabetes Management System (DMS), help build diabetes registers, support the annual IHS Diabetes Audit, and support data strategies to enhance clinical case management.

What is Tribal Data Sovereignty?

Tribal data sovereignty is Tribal sovereignty. It’s Tribes’ inherent right to control the collection and use of health data. It’s a picture of a Tribe’s history, culture, and people. Protecting this right is central to NWTEC’s work so that Tribes can tell their own stories and advance their own health.

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What is a Tribal Epicenter?

Epidemiology is the study of what causes illness and health in communities. Tribal Epidemiology Centers collect and monitor data, identify health priorities, and provide epidemiologic support and disease surveillance in partnership with Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations. Formed in 1997, NWTEC was one of the first four Tribal Epidemiology Centers and is now one of 12. Since then, NWTEC has provided epidemiology support and administered research at the request of the Northwest Tribes.

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Data Reports & Topic Specific Data-Briefs

Comparability Notice: The Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center uses the best available data and methods available at the time of analysis. These data and methods change over time. Therefore, data presented in each data report or dashboard (particularly rate and rate ratio estimates) should not be compared to estimates in other products developed by the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, primarily due to changes in the population denominators used to calculate rates. Please also note that data presented in NWTEC reports may not align with figures published by state or federal agencies, in part due to our rigorous process of correcting AI/AN misclassification and differences in how we identify AI/AN individuals.

NWTEC’s data and epidemiology services are funded by grants and support from the Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other funders.

Oregon

Oregon – American Indian/Alaska Native Community Health Profiles (Issued October 2024)
Oregon AIAN Drug Overdose Mortality Brief
Oregon AIAN STI Data Brief
Oregon AIAN Viral Hepatitis Data Brief

Washington

Washington – American Indian/Alaska Native Community Health Profiles (Issued October 2024)
Washington AIAN HIV Data Brief
Washington AIAN STI Data Brief
Washington TB Data Brief
Washington AIAN Viral Hepatitis Data Brief
Washington Cardiovascular Diseases Data Brief

Idaho

Idaho – American Indian/Alaska Native Community Health Profiles (Issued October 2024)
Idaho AIAN Drug Overdose Mortality Brief

Selected Manuscripts

Community-Level Factors are Predictors of Severe Maternal Morbidity Among American Indian and Alaska Native Pregnant People in the Pacific Northwest in a Multilevel Logistic Regression
Covid-19 Severity Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in 16 States – January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021
Persistent disparities of cervical cancer among American Indians/Alaska Natives: Are we maximizing prevention tools?
Gynecologic cancer incidence and mortality among American Indian/Alaska Native women in the Pacific Northwest, 1996–2016
Drug, Opioid-Involved, and Heroin-Involved Overdose Deaths Among American Indians and Alaska Natives — Washington, 1999–2015
Hepatitis C–Related Mortality Among American Indian/Alaska Native Persons in the Northwestern United States, 2006-2012
Identification of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Public Health Data Sets: A Comparison Using Linkage-Corrected Washington State Death Certificates
Disparities in life expectancy of Pacific Northwest American Indians and Alaska natives: analysis of linkage-corrected life tables