Cherokee Nation is a recipient of the Steps to a Healthier US grant in 2004. The Steps to a HealthierUS 5-year cooperative agreement program funds States, cities, and tribal entities to implement chronic disease prevention efforts focused on reducing the burden of diabetes, overweight, obesity, and asthma and addressing three related risk factors: physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.

For FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $13.6 million to fund 24 communities; in FY 2004, HHS allocated $35.8 million to increase funding to the existing 24 communities and to fund an additional 16, including the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, for a total of 40 communities.

The Steps to a Healthier Cherokee Nation Project will, over a 5 year time period (2004-2009), work with:  Communities, schools, worksites/employers, and health care systems, to develop and integrate health promotion programs and services that address diabetes, overweight, obesity, and three related risk factors: physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use. The project intervention areas include Cherokee, Adair, Mayes, Sequoyah, and Delaware counties with the potential to expand programs to include all or part of 14 counties in the Cherokee Nation tribal service jurisdictional area (TSJA).