Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center
The Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC), is a public health authority serving 27 Tribes in the Southwest. Founded in 2006, the mission of AASTEC is to collaborate with the 27 Tribes to provide high quality data, training, technical support, public health programming, and research to strengthen the health and wellness of the American Indian population that we serve. Key project activities include public health surveillance, community health assessment, strategic action planning, health communications, program evaluation, public health preparedness & response, database development, community-based participatory research, student development, and health promotion/disease prevention intervention.
PROGRAM EVENTS
RESOURCES
The Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) Program provides technical support, resources, and training opportunities to the 27 American Indian Tribes, Bands, Pueblos, and Nations, urban Indian organizations, and other tribal entities within the Indian Health Service Administrative Area to support local tribal community health and wellness efforts to prevent chronic diseases.

GHWIC PROGRAM SERVICES
- Community Wellness Project Sub-Awards




GHWIC PROGRAM STAFF
- Michele Suina, PhD (Cochiti Pueblo) – GHWIC PI, Indigenous Health and Wellness Director
- Janna Vallo, MPA (Acoma Pueblo) – Commercial Tobacco Control and Prevention Coordinator
- Daytona Raye, MS (Diné) – Program Coordinator
- Cody St. Arnold, BA (Jicarilla Apache/Keeweenaw Bay Ojibwe) – Health Communications Specialist
- Aisha Baloo, MPH (Diné) – Program Evaluator
- Martina Garcia (Diné) - GHWIC Administrative Assistant III
- RESEARCH CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT: Enhance capacity throughout the AAIHB service area to conduct locally prioritized research by developing and providing novel, accessible, culturally grounded technical assistance and training, resources, and tools.
- DATA IMPROVEMENT: Improve access to, and the quality of, data on substance use, pain, and related health and wellbeing factors to maximize their potential for use in local decision-making.
- CULTURALLY-CENTERED RESEARCH: Lead community prioritized research projects, including research elevating and integrating Indigenous Knowledge and culture.
- Kevin English – Principal Investigator
- Charlene Poola – Principal Investigator
- Nathania Tsosie – Indigenous Health Researcher
- Cheyenne Jim – Program Coordinator
- Kori VanDerGeest – Epidemiologist
- Michele Suina – Indigenous Health & Wellness Director
In support of Tribal Data Sovereignty, the Southwest Indigenous Data Portal (SID) offers a free on-line data collection and storage service, to tribes and tribal partners in the Indian Health Service Albuquerque Area to collect and maintain health data.
SID has the following features:
- HIPAA and HITECH Certified Compliant
- Secure online access
- Compatible with any computer and most mobile devices
- Eliminates the need for a local network
- Fast remote technical assistance from AASTEC
- Capability to import and export data through Excel spreadsheets
SID allows Tribal programs to manage programmatic information to:
- Track program activities
- Evaluate program services
- Monitor participant health status and outcomes
- Develop Report
- Provides a Data Repository
SID is a free service to Tribes and Tribal Organizations in the IHS Albuquerque Service Area but requires:
-
- Adequate internet connect
- Signed and approved data sharing agreement
Data sharing agreements between AASTEC and participating Tribes are designed to enforce Tribal ownership of all data, outline procedures for protecting the security and confidentiality of all data, and highlight AASTEC’s technical assistance and support role.
For more information or to request a database please click on the Database Image and submit a request and someone will contact you soon.

SOW Programs
- Tribal Opioid Response Grant (TOR)
- 988 Tribal Response Project
- -Improve response to 988 contacts originating in Tribal communities and/or activated by American Indians in the AAIHB service area
- -Improve integration to ensure there is navigation and follow-up care
- -Facilitate collaborations with tribal/state health providers, tribal organizations, law enforcement, and other first responders in a manner which respects Tribal sovereignty.
- Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
The purpose of the Tribal Opioid Response Grant (TOR) is to address the opioid crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to culturally appropriate and evidence-based treatment.
The overarching purpose of the AAIHB 988Tribal Response Project is to:
AAIHB is in partnership with Equine Therapeutic Connections (ETC) to serve the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native(AI/AN) youth through equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). EAP is a non-traditional experiential therapy which guides the clients to learn about themselves and others through the use of horses. This effective and unique therapeutic method serves to facilitate internal healing and a sense of well- being for youth and their families. Eligible participants are AI/AN youth who are 12- 18 years old. There is no cost to participate.
The SOW team can provide:
- Technical Assistance click here to put in a request for
- - Presentations on topic such as Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
- - Referral to the EAP project
- Trainings click here to put in a request for
- - Adult Mental Health First Aid training
- - NARCAN Training and Distrubution
- Harm Reductions Tools click here to order
- - Deterra Drug Disposal pouches
- - NARCAN Kits
The SOW TEAM
- Charlene Poola, PhD, LCSW, PhD Tribal Behavioral Health Program Director
- Randi Begaye, MPH – Equine Program Coordinator
- Phillip Garcia, CPSW – Peer Support Specialist
- Rob SilverFox, BA – Substance Abuse Counselor
- Kylie Cayedito, BS, BA– Program Specialist
- Stephanie Paz, MPH, CHES- Program Evaluator
- Ivan Toya, CPW- Peer Support Specialist
- Willa Ortega, MS- Evaluator

Tribal Preparedness Summit has concluded, if you are interested in viewing presentations from this event click here.
TO REQUEST TRAINING OR ASSISTANCE CLICK HERE
Although tribal governments have been dealing with emergencies and disasters for centuries, many are just now beginning to establish formal programs to address them. Consequently, there is a critical need for sustained resources and culturally appropriate technical support to bolster tribal public health infrastructure in all four domains of public health preparedness – mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery.
AASTEC aims to establish and maintain public health resources and culturally appropriate technical support to the 27 tribes in its assigned region. This support is critical to rural tribal communities that face natural and human-made disasters with increasing frequency. Research suggests that American Indians and Alaskan Natives are at a higher risk of disaster exposure, and consequently, disasters are often exacerbated by limited access to resources. Many tribes face unique challenges to disaster planning, stemming from geographic isolation and limited or no access to critical emergency response services. AASTEC is chartered to bolster tribal public health infrastructure in four domains— preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery.
Ultimately, the outcome will include:
- Increased regional surveillance of public health emergencies and tribal preparedness capacity
- Increased comprehensiveness of tribal public health emergency plans and protocols
- Increased reach and utilization of culturally relevant communications tools
- Increased regional partnerships focused on tribal public health preparedness
View the following links for more information.
(Links Under Development)
- Assessment:
- Communication:
- Community Partnerships:
- Workforce Development:
- Technical Support:
Tribal Healthy Homes Projects
- Aims to use a community engaged model to assist with the development of a GPS data collection tool and to train staff to conduct home indoor radon assessment, chronic health conditions, and potential injury risk factors.
- To learn more about our program, visit our website at Tribal Healthy Homes
Indigenous Healthy Homes & Healthy Communities Project
- The Indigenous Healthy Homes & Healthy Communities Project (IHHC) aims to identify and decrease indoor environmental exposures, such as radon, fall injury risks and hazards, asthma triggers, and everyday stressors to support healthier homes and communities.
- IHHC is funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) program. The Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC), a subsidiary of the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Inc. (AAIHB), is partnering with two academic institutions, University of Arizona (UA) and University of New Mexico (UNM) on this project.
AASTEC Spatial
- Supports the use of spatial data to advance the health and wellbeing of tribes
AASTEC TECPHI provides technical assistance, training, and funding for tribes to collect, manage, and use data to make data-driven decisions.
- Tribal Data
- Trainings
- Technical Assistance
- Tribal Data Users Workgroup
- Success Stories

The AAIHB Injury Prevention Program focuses on reducing injuries, particularly older adult falls, and motor vehicle crashes, within American Indian communities. Using a combination of evidence-based strategies and Indigenous methodologies, this program aims to build capacity at the community, policy, system, and environmental levels, ultimately improving the health and wellness of the AI/AN population in our service area.
Key ObjectivesOur goals include fostering collaboration among tribal injury prevention partners, offering fall prevention training, and supporting low-cost home safety interventions for elders. In the area of motor vehicle-related injuries, we focus on increasing the proper use of motor vehicle seats for children under 13, distributing Child Passenger Safety (CPS) seats, conducting seat installation trainings and inspections, and offering National CPS Certification training and educational resources.
Culturally Relevant ResourcesThrough the Albuquerque Area Tribal Injury Prevention Coalition, we support tribes in developing culturally appropriate, trauma-informed injury prevention materials, including fact sheets on fall prevention and CPS as well as bringing subject matter experts to the coalition. The program encourages networking and resource sharing to collectively address injury prevention across the region, strengthening tribal staff capacity and advancing community well-being.
Program SupportAAIHB AASTEC coordinates the Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program (TIPCAP) with funding from the Indian Health Service to develop injury prevention infrastructure. We also participate in the CDC’s Alcohol-Impaired Driving Prevention Program, addressing alcohol-related injuries in AI/AN communities using evidence-based strategies and Indigenous evaluation approaches.
For more details, please visit our website - CLICK HERE
Program and project goals vary to:

- provide a survey to assess the health needs of Native American mothers and babies in New Mexico,
- develop a toddler survey that features questions designed to understand toddler health through an Indigenous lens,
- increase knowledge and availability of tribal specific Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SIDS/SUID) prevention materials and resources,
- build awareness around maternal health, enhance review of maternal deaths, formalize tribal partnerships, and policy assessment to improve maternal health outcomes, and
- engage a statewide maternal health task force to create a shared space to strategize and bring awareness across all maternal health areas.
- Tribal Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
- Tribal PRAMS Toddler Survey
- Contributing to Healthy Native Babies Program (HNBP)
- ERASE Maternal Mortality
- New Mexico Maternal Health Task Force (NMMHTF)
Our key strategies are : 1) Improvements to Overdose Data
- Enhance existing overdose datasets and public health surveillance systems to strengthen the identification of emerging trends.
- Build an overdose data portal that tribal programs can use to collect, manage, and report tribe-specific overdose data.
- Develop and disseminate data products on AI/AN drug overdose trends and hotspots in the Southwest.
- Facilitate provider detailing sessions on opioid prescribing practices for clinicians in IHS/Tribal/Urban Indian Health facilities.
- Provide trauma informed care trainings for health professionals in tribal communities.
- Increase awareness of and access to harm reduction resources.
- Combat stigma around substance use with culturally specific communication products.
- Data collection and management
- Survey design
- Program evaluation
- Community-based health research
- Developing health education/communication materials
For more information on our internship program and how to apply, please visit our internship webpage.
-
2025
- Gonorrhea Brochure for Clinicians
- Chlamydia Brochure for Clinicians 2024
- STI & HIV Partner Services Social Media Posts
- STI & HIV Partner Services for Clinicians
- H5N1 Bird Flu – What You Need to Know
- HIV Clinician Brochure
- 2021 Marijuana Use Among American Indian Youth in New Mexico
- 2021 Alcohol Use Among American Indian Youth in New Mexico
- Racial Misclassification of American Indian/Alaska Native Patients in New Mexico Emergency Departments
- Accessing Public Health Data on Opioids
- Congenital Syphilis Brochure for Clinicians
- Syphilis Brochure for Clinicians 2023
- Hantavirus Prevention Education
- The Opioid Crisis-Overdose Reversal with Naloxone
- The Opioid Crisis - Opioid Addiction & Treatment for Native American Communities
- The Opioid Crisis -Impact on Native American Communities
Aggregate Reports
-
2023
- 2023 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey high School Report
- 2023 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey Middle School Report
- 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey High School Report
- 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Middle School Report 2022 2021
- 2021 High School New Mexico (NM) Youth and Risk Resilience Data Highlights
- 2021 Middle School New Mexico (NM) Youth and Risk Resilience Data Highlights
- 2021 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey Middle School Report
- 2021 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey High School Report
- 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey High School Report
- 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey High School Report
- 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Middle School Report
- 2019 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey Middle School Report
- 2019 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey High School Report
- 2020 Navajo Nation Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment
- A Guide to HIV Related Resources in the Albuquerque Tribal Area
- Tribal Injury Atlas
- 2017 NM YRRS Aggregate Report – High School
- 2017 NM YRRS Aggregate Report – Middle School
- 2017 Health Risk Behaviors among American Indian Youth in SW Colorado – High School
- 2017 Health Risk Behaviors among American Indian Youth in SW Colorado – Middle School
- Health Risk Behaviors among American Indian Youth SW Colorado (High School)
- Health Risk Behaviors among American Indian Youth SW Colorado (Middle School)
- Tobacco Use Among American Indian Youth in New Mexico
- Tobacco Use Among American Indian Adults in New Mexico
- 2015 NM YRRS Aggregate Report – Middle School
- 2015 NM YRRS Aggregate Report – High School
Click on an image to download/ print (all Educational Material is available to print in PDF format)
To make bulkorder requests or special size request of selected Educational Material please see our "order form" below
NEW RELEASES

2025 MMR Vaccines multiple sizes
Available to order or download/print in 8.5"x 11" only
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Available in 11"x 17" posters/ 5"x7" postcards; & 8.5"x11"
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General Assistance - data, training, presentations etc. Database - new builds, access, issues ect.
AASTEC STAFF
Name
Kevin English
Sheldwin Yazzie
Michele Suina
Charlene Poola
Aisha Baloo
A. Sixtus Dominguez
Amy Muchna
Antonio Blueeyes
Brandi Reano
Carmen Julian
Carolyn Parshall
Chase Charley
Cheryl Mason
Cheyenne Jim
Cody St. Arnold
Daytona Raye
Delrae Peterson
Emily Newman
Esteban Rosales
Eudora Claw
Faleria Chavez
Ivan Toya
Janna Vallo
Judith Espinoza
Kori VanDerGeest
Kristen Tsosie
Kylea Garcia
Kylie Cayedito
Loretta House
Lucinda Cowboy
Martina Garcia
Mary Costello
Michael Ontiveros
Michael Sam
Ming Gong
Nathania Tsosie
Nicholas Sharp
Ophelia Spencer
Patsy Lowden
Paul Tindall
Raanan Harrison
Randi Begaye
ReAnna Watchman
Reiko Yazzie
Ryan Arkie
Stephanie Paz
Tara Spencer
Virginia Blue-Ramirez
AASTEC Director
AASTEC Deputy Director
Indigenous Health & Wellness Director
Tribal Behavioral Health Director
Evaluation Specialist
Tribal Injury Prevention Program Lead/Coordinator
Evaluation Specialist
Injury Prevention Technician
Public Health Specialist
Program Coordinator
Epidemiologist
Public Health Specialist
Epidemiologist
Project Research Coordinator
Health Communications Specialist
Program Coordinator
Administrator Assistant II
Public Health Specialist
Public Health Specialist
Behavioral Health Program Coordinator
Administrator Assistant I
Peer Support Worker
Commercial Tobacco Control & Prevention Coordinator
Epidemiologist
Epidemiologist
Jr Database Administrator
Research Assistant
Program Specialist
Tribal Public Health Preparedness Specialist
TEC-PHI Program Coordinator
GHWIC Administrative Assistant III
Evaluation Specialist
Epidemiologist
Epidemiologist
Biostatistician
Health Researcher
Epidemiologist
Tribal Survey Coordinator
Public Health Project Specialist
Epidemiologist
Public Health Project Specialist
Program Coordinator/Project Specialist
Administrator Assistant I
Public Health Preparedness Coordinator
Program Coordinator/Project Specialist
Evaluation Specialist
Project Assistant
Public Health Specialist
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- Home
- Who We Are
- About Us
- Programs
- Back
- AASTEC (Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center)
- Southwest Tribal NARCH Native American Research Center for Health
- Audiology
- Back
- COVID-19 Update
- Audiology Program Staff
- Clinic Locations
- Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids
- Audiogram of Familiar Sounds
- Communication Strategies
- Battery Program
- Allergies and Your Hearing
- Sudden Onset Hearing Loss
- Veterans and Hearing Loss
- Ear Infections
- School Hearing Screening Program
- Audiology Services
- Protect Your Hearing
- Noise Levels
- Community Health Education and Resiliency Program
- Trainings & Events
- Meetings
- Contact Us
- COVID-19 Resources