“My mother, Dr. Melvina McCabe, joined the team to utilize her professional network of doctors to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with COVID-19 in Native communities,” explained Sean McCabe (right), Founder and Managing Member of McCabe CPA & Consulting Group LLC.
McCabe CPA & Consulting Group LLC, which has developed a COVID-19 risk assessment tool for Indian Country, was recently recognized by the Albuquerque Business Journal and John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health for bolstering diversity and providing imperative coronavirus resources for Tribal communities.
In their recent collaboration with John Hopkins, led by Health Policy Advisor, Dr. Melvina McCabe, they developed an information risk assessment tool listing 10 common activities with their various levels of risk for contracting the coronavirus.
“I noticed that certain activities increased the risk for COVID-19 transmission coming out for general activities in the U.S. Population. What I didn’t see was anything geared towards Tribal Nations,” explained Dr. McCabe.
“That’s why we decided to develop an activities risk assessment tool for Tribal Nations. It initially included 19 activities in areas such as rodeos, sweat lodge, traditional ceremonies, multi-generational homes, fishing as a livelihood, powwowing, and more.”
Dr. McCabe was pleased with the professionals at John Hopkins and their willingness to work collaboratively with their group.
“They were very, very helpful,” she said. “The Center has council representatives throughout Tribal Nations who also reviewed our idea and the risk activities before we proceeded with the development of the project.”
At the outset of the pandemic crisis and with the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the McCabe Group knew there would be an influx in demand for accounting, audit, and economic development consulting services.
“We wanted to ensure that our Tribal communities were ready for the opportunities and the accounting and audit implications associated with the relief funds,” explained Sean McCabe, CPA and Managing Partner. (Sean McCabe will join Native Business at the upcoming Native Business Virtual Summit, live broadcasting November 17-20. He will partake in our Native Business Warrior segment and address how Tribal organizations can remain financially and legally compliant while capturing economic opportunities for the Tribe and its members.)
“Within a few weeks, we realized there was a disconnect between the guidance handed down by our nation’s leading health experts and what was going on in the Tribal communities,” he said.
The McCabe Group realized that by leveraging their personal and professional networks, they could provide a wider range of needed services to slow the spread of infections, including public health policy.
“My mother, Dr. Melvina McCabe, joined the team to utilize her professional network of doctors to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with COVID-19 in Native communities,” explained Sean.
“At the outset, she advised that if we’re going to do this, we needed to collaborate with a university. We wanted the message that we put out examined and reviewed by those who are experts in the field.”
For more information and resources for Tribal communities and responding to COVID-19, visit http://mccabe.consulting/.
