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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2003

The Bush administration's consolidation initiative at the Department of Health and Human Services will not impact Indian preference, an official said on Wednesday.

Dr. Charles Grim, the interim director of the Indian Health Service (IHS), said an agreement was worked out this week to address tribal leaders' concerns. The arrangement still calls for about 200 human resource employees at the agency to be transferred to HHS later this year, but the posts will retain their Indian preference status.

"All of our HR employees in the field, when we need to rehire them, will be able to use Indian preference," he said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

The decision would reverse one made in late April as part of the administration's "One HHS" proposal, which is designed to streamline operations and cut costs. At the time, officials indicated that the HR employees will lose Indian preference once removed from IHS.

Grim said the plan is on track to transfer the employees in October. In the process, about 16 HR positions will be eliminated but those affected will be offered jobs elsewhere at the department or allowed to take early retirement or "buyout" packages.

Another compromise allows the employees to stay in the field, closest to the Indian communities they serve. Earlier talks would have required them to relocate to Baltimore, Maryland.

Despite the concessions, tribal leaders still have concerns. At a meeting with department officials last month, Jefferson Keel, a vice-president of the National Congress of Americans (NCAI) and lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, said the HR move will "seriously degrade and compromise" the mission of IHS.

Separately, the agency is undergoing a restructuring that tribal leaders have been involved in. But they have indicated they want more time to consider the impacts on the delivery of health care services.

Grim, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, enjoys bipartisan and tribal support. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate panel said they would vote in favor of his confirmation. Tribal leaders and Indian health organizations have also praised him.

"The word that I hear back from Alaska is that you're a good listener," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). "I think that that speaks a lot. If you listen well to the concerns, and are willing to then implement afterwards, I think we all win."

Grim, a dentist by trade, has been interim director of IHS since last August. He was nominated as director by President Bush in April.

With about 15,000 employees, IHS is the second largest division within HHS. The agency serves more than 1 million Native Americans.

Relevant Documents:
Written Witness Testimony (June 11, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Indian Health Service - http://www.ihs.gov
Department of Health and Human Services - http://www.hhs.gov

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