The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on Indian health this morning. The witness list is as follows:

Panel I
Dr. Charles Grim, Director, Indian Health Service
A. Kathyrn Power, Director, Center for Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Panel II
Sally Smith, Chairman, National Indian Health Board
Rachel Joseph, Chairwoman, Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation
Beverly Russell, Executive Director, National Council on Urban Indian Health
Anslem Roanhorse, Executive Director, Navajo Nation Department of Health

Joseph is expected to testify about tribal efforts to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. She will be accompanied by Buford Rolin, Chairman of the Poarch Creek Band of Indians, who co-chairs the national steering committee with her.

Roanhorse will testify about health care disparities affecting the Navajo Nation. Alcohol-related death rates among Navajos are nearly eight times that of the rest of the country and homicides are twice as likely among Navajos.

The hearing begins at 9:30am. A live broadcast can be found at http://indian.senate.gov

Get the Story:
Navajo death rates disturb officials (The Farmington Daily Times 4/13)
Tribe to review health care issues (The Gallup Independent 4/13)