Water Access: The Healthcare Response to Water Scarcity and Quality
This workshop is sponsored by the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC) in collaboration with Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research (CHER).
Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 9:00am-2:00pm
@ McGee Auditorium at the Flagstaff Medical Center – 1200 N Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Also available online via Zoom
Recording
Available following the workshop.
Program
Agenda Accordion Closed
8:30 am – 9:00 am – Check in
9:00 am – 9:10 am – Welcome & ABRC Introduction
- Steve Palmer, PhD, Northern Arizona University
9:10 am – 9:55 am – Water Characterization of Navajo Unregulated Water Sources
- Jani Ingram, PhD, Northern Arizona University
9:55 am – 10:40 am – The Intersection of Public Health and Drought
- Hsini Lin, ScD, MSPH, Arizona Department of Health Services
- Niki Lajevardi-Khosh, MPH, Arizona Department of Health Services
10:40 am – 10:50 am – Break
10:50 am – 11:35 am – Swimming Upstream Against Consequences Carried by Currents
- Michael Charles, PhD, Cornell University
11:35 am – 12:25 pm – Lunch
12:25 pm – 1:45 pm – Panel – Bridging the Gap between Water Injustices and Health Practices
- Michael Charles, PhD, Cornell University (moderator)
- Jonathan Credo, MD, PhD, University of Arizona
- Sarah Roach, FNP, DNP student, Ohio State University
- Tommy Rock, PhD, Northern Arizona University
1:45 pm – 1:55 pm – Call to Action Roundtables
1:55 pm – 2:00 pm – Wrap-up and Survey
Speaker & Panelist Bios Accordion Closed
Speakers
Jani C. Ingram, PhD | Regents’ Professor | Chemistry & Biochemistry Department | Northern Arizona University
Jani C. Ingram, PhD is a Regents’ Professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at Northern Arizona University and a member of the Navajo Nation. Her research focuses on investigating environmental contaminants with respect to their impact on health in at risk populations funded by NIH, NSF, and EPA. She is the principal investigator of the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention and the director of the Bridges to Baccalaureate program. She received a Doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Arizona. She was a staff scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory for twelve years before joining the faculty at Northern Arizona University in 2002.
Hsini Lin, ScD, MSPH | Toxicologist | Arizona Department of Health Services
Hsini Lin has been a part of the Arizona Department of Health Services team since 2004. She is the Office Chief for Environmental Epidemiology and began her public health work at ADHS as an Environmental Toxicology Program Manager. In her previous role, she provided technical guidance and support for multiple and diverse environmental health programs. Currently, she is responsible for leading efforts to communicate adaptation interventions, providing recommendations, and assisting with the development of implementation and monitoring strategies for environmental health issues in Arizona.
Niki Lajevardi-Khosh, MPH | Program Manager | Arizona Department of Health Services
Niki Lajevardi Khosh has been with the Arizona Department of Health Services since 2017. She is the program manager for the ADHS well water program. She has her Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree from Washington University in St.Louis. She has six years of experience in environmental public health focusing on health communication, Environmental Public Health Tracking and well water education, testing, and outreach.
Michael Charles, PhD | Assistant Professor | Biological and Environmental Engineering | Cornell University
Michael Charles is Diné, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, and an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. He also serves as an Affiliate Faculty member for the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program. Michael’s research focuses on computational sustainable design and community engagement, particularly with Indigenous communities. Specifically, his work explores the role that ecosystems and landscapes can play in sustainable engineering, climate regulation, public health, and the development of sustainability metrics. Along with his research, Michael works with the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change to advocate for Indigenous rights, leadership, and self-determination within UN Climate Negotiations. Although his interests and advocacy transcend many disciplines and labels, most of his work is focused on increasing Indigenous representation in academia, policy, and social movements in the pursuit of justice and collective liberation.
Panelist
Jonathan Credo, MD, PhD | Clinical Translational Sciences | University of Arizona College of Medicine
Jonathan Credo (Navajo-Filipino) is from Flagstaff, Arizona. He earned his BS degrees in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at Northern Arizona University and his M.D./Ph.D. in Clinical Translational Sciences at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. He has been Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on two active federally funded grants, producing eight peer-reviewed manuscripts and over 35 presentations focused on environmental toxicology and tribal health. He provides consultants in engaging Navajo communities in culturally attuned research and advocacy. He has been recognized for his commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in healthcare. He loves the multidimensional nature of running and being outdoors.
Sarah Roach, FNP, DNP student | Family Nurse Practitioner | The Ohio State University
Born and raised in South Florida, Sarah always knew she wanted to enter healthcare. During her first semester at the University of Florida, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant to begin working at the university hospital to observe the various disciplines and inform her future practice role. She discovered a profound alignment with nursing, inspired by her colleagues who effortlessly blended the sensitive act of caretaking with the science of medicine.
Initially, she began her nursing career with aspirations to specialize in Nurse Anesthesia, which paved her path to intensive care unit (ICU) settings, serving six years in medical, interventional oncological, level 1 trauma, burn, and general surgery ICUs. She gained invaluable experience and witnessed firsthand the critical nature of severe illnesses. However, she also noticed how often diagnoses that are common and manageable in primary care can progress to life-threatening conditions due to a lack of timely intervention and equitable access to primary healthcare. Sarah firmly believes that everyone deserves a right to quality healthcare services, irrespective of their background or socioeconomic status, and understands creative solutions are required to reach this goal. Therefore, Sarah switched tracks and applied to The Ohio State University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program.
While in Ohio, Sarah had the opportunity to become involved in policy proceedings that advocated for full practice authority for Ohio licensed Nurse Practitioners. Sarah believes NPs have the power to reform the culture of healthcare, bridging the healthcare gap while bringing the art of trust and caring fostered over generations of nurses to advanced care settings. At the core, she is passionate about creating a safer and healthier world for future generations. Understanding the profound impact that our actions today can have on the health outcomes of tomorrow, she is committed to promoting preventive care, health education, and sustainable health practices to foster a thriving and resilient community for generations to come.
Tommy Rock, PhD | Research Professor | Sociology | Northern Arizona University
My name is Tommy Rock; I am a member of the Navajo Nation from Monument Valley, Utah. I am the first in my family to get a doctoral degree. I got my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography and Recreational Management from Arizona State University in 2002. I received my Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 2008. I went to the University of New Mexico for two years as a Research Scientist under Johnnye Lewis, PhD. I was involved in the DiNEH Project until my funding ran out. I was funded under the National Institute of Environmental Health Supplement Grant. Afterward, I worked at the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency- Public Water Systems Supervision Program. I was there for two years when I realized I needed my doctoral degree. That is when I returned to Northern Arizona University, where I received my Ph.D. in Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability in December of 2017.
I did two post-doctoral research projects. The first was at the University of Utah – Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the Rocky Mountain Center of Occupational and Environmental Health, where I did research with the Northern Arapaho (Wind River Reservation). The second post-doctoral was the Princeton University Presidential Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Geoscience. I researched uranium dust at Skyline, lead isotope research concerning groundwater contamination at the Puerco River Valley, and air quality research related to oil and gas in the Navajo Nation.
My particular interest is pursuing a multidisciplinary approach to solving complicated issues, such as sustainability in the Southwest, from a Native American perspective. With a PhD in Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, I hope to integrate health, environment, and culture issues, especially those related to uranium mining, into more informed decision-making on tribal lands. I am Navajo and from an area heavily mined, which has given me a very personal interest in these issues and is my reason for applying to the PhD program in Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability. Many of my relatives were involved in uranium mining and died of cancer. Even to this day, my relative is still feeling the impact. I still have a relative getting diagnosed with cancer. When I go out to do field work or present in the Navajo Nation, I am reminded that many communities are still impacted by past uranium mining and milling. I saw many families in the Navajo Nation going through the same problems with cancer associated with past uranium mining.
Since I am an Indigenous person from the Navajo Nation, addressing the uranium contamination should reflect the Navajo Culture. Using the Navajo Fundamental Laws would help make the policies more effective for developed procedures. Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge can help the tribe improve their quality of life concerning uranium contamination. This is an area of interest in my studies and research.
Pictures
Available following the workshop.
Sponsors