Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services)

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Posted: October 13, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Indian Health Service Director Travels Across Indian Country to Gain Perspective of Issues Affecting Tribes

This week, the new Indian Health Service Director Roselyn Tso will begin touring several sites across Indian Country to gain a better perspective on national and regional issues affecting the tribal members served by the Indian health system.

“When I first started as the IHS director, I said I would strive to protect and enhance our relationship with tribal leaders, tribal governments and urban Indian health partners. We can best accomplish this by an improved understanding of tribal health and urban Indian health care systems and their needs,” said IHS Director Roselyn Tso. “That is why this tour is important to me as I gain an understanding of the needs and challenges across Indian Country. This is my way of opening the door to better communication across the agency.”

Roselyn Tso, right, takes the oath of office to become director of the Indian Health Service during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on September 27, 2022. Photo: Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President

Tso plans to meet with employees at federal, tribal and urban sites across the U.S. to thank them for their dedication to the people we serve and also visit health facilities and communities up close. Tso is beginning her tour by visiting the IHS Mashpee Wampanoag Service Unit in Massachusetts and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s clinic in Connecticut this week. Her trip to the Northeast will be followed by site visits to northern California, South Dakota, Oregon and Alaska. She plans to visit all areas that the IHS serves within 45 days. You can follow her trip on the IHS Director’s Facebook and Twitter page.

The IHS will use the information gathered from the tour to address challenges and build on progress to support best practices and innovative approaches to health care, strengthen management operations, improve communication and inform leadership as they set priorities for the agency. Tso plans to visit more sites in the coming year.

The IHS, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook , Twitter, and LinkedIn.