Public Health & Human Services
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Public Health & Human Services for the Cherokee Communities in Western North Carolina

Many of our services are only for enrolled members of the EBCI and other federally-recognized Indian tribes. Some programs operate within the child care and school systems and are open to all children. Others, such as Tsali Care Nursing Facility, are open to anyone in need.
In addition to treatment programs, we are very invested in educating our community in prevention of unnecessary illness and disability. We make sure that individuals are aware of all the services available to them. Our programs work hand-in-hand with one another, ensuring continuity of care for individuals.
We are very interested in your well-being. Please call on us for assistance. To report a public health emergency 24/7, call (828)-359-6180. To report a reportable/notifiable disease 24/7, call (828)-359-6241.
Vision: Seven generations of wellness with families strong in mind, body and spirit.
Mission: HONORING our Cherokee community by PROVIDING excellent care, PROMOTING health and SERVING families in a culturally respectful way.
To report a reportable/notifiable disease 24/7 call (828)-359-6241.
News & Upcoming Events
- COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (walk-in) – Cherokee Indian Hospital Hours:
Monday-Friday 9:00am – 11:30am & 1:00pm – 4:00pm - COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (by appointment) – Snowbird (828)-479-3924
Hours:
Monday 8:00am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am – 5:30pm
Wednesday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Thursday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Friday: 8:00am – 3:00pm
CLOSED DAILY 12:00pm – 1:00pm - COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (by appointment) – Cherokee County (818)-837-4312
Hours:
Monday 8:00am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am – 4:30pm
Wednesday: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Thursday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Friday: 8:00am – 3:00pm
CLOSED DAILY 12:00pm – 1:00pm - Ages 6 months and older eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES WITH EBCI HOUSING SERVICES
2 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
3 Bedroom
Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan
- Cherokee Code
- For reliable up-to-date information, visit: NC DHHS and CDC.
- COVID-19 Executive Orders
- EBCI COVID-19 Response
Memorandums
- Cherokee Administrative Regulations
- Checklist for Administrating Medication in a Childcare Facility
- Child’s Health & Emergency Information for Family Child Care Homes
- EBCI Child Care Center Rules
- Childcare Licensure Memo
- Emergency Information on Staff
- EPR Fire Drill Log
- Child Care Fire Inspection Report
- Incident Report Form – Childcare
- Incident Log – Childcare
- Playground Inspection
- Poisonous Plants List
- QB HS & EHS Policies & Procedures
Tribal community health assessment (THA)

A Tribal health assessment (THA) explores how healthy the Tribal community is, how we know, what has changed, and what still needs to change to become the healthiest possible EBCI community.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Public Health and Human Services Division (PHHS) presents this 2018 Tribal Health Assessment (THA), the second community health assessment conducted by and for the EBCI community. The first THA was in 2013, and the THA is written and published every five years.
EBCI PHHS, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority [CIHA]), Analenisgi Behavioral Health, and Cherokee Central Schools worked together to create the 2018 THA with help from the United South and Eastern Tribes Tribal Epidemiology Center and the WNC Health Network.
From the data in the 2018 THA, 10 top health priorities emerged
The THA is most useful when the community shares it widely
If you are interested in working with PHHS to improve the EBCI community’s health, contact thip@nc-cherokee.com!
To access the 2013 Tribal Health Assessment
Compliance Support Line
Pursuant to Cherokee Code (C.C.) section 150-5

Read The Report Of The 2015-17 Tribal Health Improvement Process
In 2015, PHHS led the first community-wide Tribal Health Improvement Process/Plan (THIP) to act on the data in the 2013 Tribal Health Assessment. The THIP included a wide variety of committed and hard-working community members, which took place 2015-17. To learn about the process and read the 2015-17 THIP, click here. To read the report of the results of the 2015-17 THIP now in the 2015-17 Tribal Health Improvement Plan Summary Report, click here.
To summarize, the THIP identified three major health priorities:
- Depression
- Substance Abuse
- Diabetes
Three THIP Teams addressed goals, objectives, and activities for each priority issue during the 3-year process. In summary, improvements in the conditions identified in the THIP included:
Depression:
- Increased screening, referral, and treatment of depression at CIHA and Analenisgi.
- Integration of Behavioral Health staff into primary care clinics at CIHA to emphasize that emotional and physical factors are both critical to good health.
- Improved communication and coordination between PHHS, CIHA, Analenisgi, and CCS.
- The establishment of Family Safety and Family Support in PHHS, which has brought adult and child protective services, social work services, and foster care under Tribal control, and has aligned these services with support for families such as food distribution, emergency pantry, burial funding support, and energy support.
- Establishment of the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS) every two years at CCS; questions on depression and resilience will assist CCS to identify and refer students with depression issues.
- Annual Elders’ Medicine Walks.
- Elders-Clinicians Gatherings (Cherokee Hospital clinicians, Tribal elders, and other participants talked about community experiences with the healthcare system and traditional Cherokee views of health).
- Cherokee Choices Summer Camp surveys to screen for depression and related issues.
- Increased attendance at Cherokee Choices Annual Stress and Wellness Retreat with instruction in stress management and self-care.
Substance Use:
- Convening the “Cultural Identity Task Force” led to the resumption of Elders-Clinicians Gatherings to enable Tribal elders to communicate directly with clinicians in a group setting and discuss health issues.
- The work of the Substance Abuse Team lent support and momentum to the establishment of Kanvwotiyi, “the place where one is healed,” EBCI’s residential treatment center in Snowbird.
- Substance abuse was added to CIHA clinic screening to help identify clients with substance abuse issues and connect them with services.
- Cherokee Central Schools implemented or increased substance abuse prevention programming.
Diabetes:
- The majority of persons with Type 2 diabetes enrolled in the Diabetes Education Empowerment Program (DEEP) completed the program.
- The great majority of middle and high school students at CCS get the recommended level of physical activity.
- Cherokee Choices Summer Camp identified children at risk of Type 2 diabetes, taught them healthy activities and nutrition, and provided access to behavioral health services.
- Cherokee Choices Stress and Healing Arts Retreats provided self-care and healthy behavior education and experiences.
- If you are interested in working with PHHS to improve the EBCI community’s health in the 2019-2024 THIP, contact thip@nc-cherokee.com!
Disclaimer
EBCI PHHS strives to make the information contained on these third party sites as timely and accurate as possible, PHHS makes no claim, promise, or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents on these third party sites, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of these sites. Items posted on these third party sites do not necessarily reflect the views or act as endorsements by EBCI PHHS.