Health | National

Indian Health Service to discuss Two Spirit issues in teleconference

Friday, April 8, 2016

Participants in the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow, on February 20, 2016, in San Francisco, California. Photo from Baaits / Facebook

The Indian Health Service will hold a teleconference next month to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Two Spirit issues in Indian Country.

The May 5 call is part of the agency's attempt to advance and promote the health needs of an often overlooked segment of the population. The IHS held two in-person meetings last year, drawing praise for its inclusion efforts.

"This is critical, this is such a historic meeting and this is the first of many," acting IHS director Robert McSwain, who has worked at the agency for 40 years, said at the first meeting last July.

Topics at that meeting included the U.S. Supreme Court decision that requires all states to recognize same-sex marriage. The IHS is prepared to provide service to same-sex couples, a senior advisor at the IHS said at the time. The federal government, as a whole, has already been recognizing all marriages.

The upcoming call -- which is to be followed by others -- will focus on the following questions, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday:

a. Are there effective models and best practices surrounding the health care of the LGBT2S community that should be considered for replication?
b. What are the specific measures that could be used to track progress in improving the health of LGBT2S persons?
c. How can IHS better engage with stakeholders around the implementation of improvements?
d. Are there gaps or disparities in existing IHS services offered to LGBT2S persons?
e. What additional information should the agency consider while developing plans to improve health care for the LGBT2S community?

Participants can also discuss other LGBT2S issues during the call, the IHS said in the notice.

Federal Register Notices:
Notification of a Public Teleconference on American Indian/Alaska Native Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Two-Spirit Health Issues (April 7, 2016)
Meeting on American Indian/Alaska Native Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues (August 26, 2015)
Meeting on American Indian/Alaska Native Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues (July 22, 2015)
Notice of Request for Information (June 5, 2015)