Navajo Nation Committee Approves Five-Year Injury Prevention Grant for Tsehootsooi Medical Center

Council Delegate Dr. Andy Nez sponsored legislation that cleared the Naabik'íyáti' Committee of the 25th Navajo Nation Council on March 12, bringing $150,000 in first-year federal funding to Tsehootsooi Medical Center for injury prevention work targeting Navajo elders.

The Indian Health Service awarded the Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program grant to Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board, Inc. on January 15. FDIHB, the nonprofit organization that operates Tsehootsooi Medical Center in Fort Defiance, will receive the funds under Legislation No. 0038-26, which authorizes the grant for a five-year period running from 2026 through 2031. No total five-year dollar figure was identified in the legislation or supporting materials.

"This grant represents a meaningful investment to the safety and well-being of our elders in our communities," said Delegate Nez, who added he is proud to sponsor the legislation because the Navajo Nation must continue pursuing every opportunity within the IHS system to expand services, address health disparities, and improve quality of life for Navajo people.

First-year funding will go toward hiring a full-time Tribal Injury Prevention Coordinator to lead program expansion, along with staff training, fitness equipment and supplies, and participant incentives designed to sustain engagement over time. The Navajo Nation Community Health Representative Program has committed to reinforcing those efforts by conducting home assessments and encouraging elder participation across service communities.

The legislation was referred to the Naabik'íyáti' Committee from a Navajo Nation Council special session held March 5, with Honorable Shaandiin Parrish listed as sponsor and Honorable Crystalyne Curley as co-sponsor in that referral. Curley, serving as Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, presided over the March 12 meeting at the Navajo Nation Council Chambers in Window Rock. The committee approved the measure under its consent agenda, 13 in favor and 5 opposed. Because the Naabik'íyáti' Committee holds final authority over the legislation, the March 12 vote concluded the approval process.