Warner to Serve on Health Committee

Next month Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Bryan Warner of Sallisaw will begin serving a two-year term on a national advisory committee that will give input on tribal health issues to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its sister entity, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Warner, who serves as Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for District 6, will serve as a Tribes-at-Large delegate on the Tribal Advisory Committee, with the authority to act on behalf of the Cherokee Nation while representing Indian Country as a whole. The committee addresses everything from environmental toxins to emergency preparedness, diseases and mental health.

Warner is a professor at Carl Albert State College in Sallisaw and Poteau.

“It is an honor to serve Indian Country in this capacity,” Warner said. “As a microbiology instructor, I have always found that the work done by the CDC has played a major role in how the health of our society is shaped. I look forward to sharing our local concerns, as well as gaining insight to what others are facing in order to continue our quest for healthy collaborative efforts across Indian Country.”

In 2005, the CDC and ATSDR established the Tribal Advisory Committee to advise the two federal agencies through input and guidance on policies, guidelines and programmatic issues that affect the health of Indian tribes.

“I commend Councilor Warner for his willingness to represent not only the Cherokee Nation, but tribes across the country, on important matters of health and safety,” Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “Promoting strong and productive relationships between Indian country and federal agencies is critical work. With his background, Councilor Warner will provide invaluable wisdom and advice to the CDC Tribal Advisory Committee.”

The CDC has been dedicated to protecting health and promoting quality of life through the prevention and control of disease, injury and disability for more than 60 years. ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances.

The committee is composed of 16 delegates, including one from a federally-recognized tribe within each of the 12 Indian Health Service areas and one from four federally recognized tribes-at-large. Delegates typically meet for two face-to-face meetings each year and also hold monthly conference calls. For more information, go to the website www.cdc.gov/tribal.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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