Norton sound health corporation's injury prevention program in the bering straits region - tribe(s) served: native village of brevig mission chinik eskimo community (AKA golovin) native village of…

The Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service awarded Norton Sound Health Corp a $150,000 cooperative agreement on January 1, 2026, under the Injury Prevention Program for American Indians and Alaskan Natives (CFDA 93.284) to reduce fire-related injuries and fatalities and traumatic brain injuries in the Bering Strait region of Alaska.

The program distributes smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to residential homes in high-risk communities and supplies helmets for snowmachines, bicycles, and all-terrain vehicles, paired with comprehensive education on brain injury risks and proper helmet use. The initiative targets 16 Alaska Native communities in the Norton Sound region, including Brevig Mission, Council, Diomede, Elim, Gambell, Golovin, Koyuk, Mary's Igloo, Nome, Savoonga, Saint Michael, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Solomon, Stebbins, Teller, Unalakleet, Wales, and White Mountain, serving a population of approximately 10,000.

Norton Sound Health Corp, a tribally owned non-profit Alaska Native corporation and tribal health consortium, operates Norton Sound Regional Hospital and 16 federally qualified health clinics across the region. The performance period extends from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030. Place of performance encompasses Nome and subordinate villages across northwestern Alaska. The program's expected outcomes include increased installation of working fire and carbon monoxide alarms in Norton Sound homes, expanded fire and burn safety education, and reduced rates of fire-related and traumatic brain injuries in the region.

Norton sound health corporation's injury prevention program in the bering straits region - tribe(s) served: native village of brevig mission chinik eskimo community (AKA golovin) native village of council native village of diomede native village of elim native village of gambell king island native community native village of koyuk native village of mary's igloo nome eskimo community native village of savoonga native village of saint native village of shaktoolik native village of shishmaref village of solomon stebbins community association native village of teller native village of unalakleet native village of wales native village of white mountain norton sound health corporation's, a tribal health consortium located in the rural bering strait region of alaska population nearing 10,000, proposed project will focus injury prevention efforts towards: (1) fire/burn prevention and (2) traumatic brain injury prevention the primary purpose of the proposed project is to reduce the incidence of fire-related injuries and fatalities and traumatic brain injuries (tbis) within the norton sound region. This initiative directly addresses two public health concerns identified in the region: high rates of residential fires and significant TBI incidence, often related to recreational and transportation activities. This project will work with high-risk communities to coordinate distribution and installment of life-saving smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to homes. This project will also work to distribute helmets (e.g., for snowmachines, bicycles, atvs) alongside comprehensive education on brain injury risks and proper helmet use to high-risk communities. This approach ensures immediate risk mitigation through equipment provision, coupled with community education for long-term behavioral change. Expected outcomes include increased homes in norton sound communities to have working fire and CO alarms installed, increased fire/burn safety education and a reduction in the rate of fire-related injuries during the project period compared to the previous 5 years. Expected outcomes include an increase in helmets and TBI risk education distributed to high-risk communities in the norton sound region and a reduction in the rate of hospitalizations involving brain injury compared to the previous 5 years.