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Tribal Leader Letters

April 16, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the release of the IHS Phase II Action Plan to address the systemic conditions underlying the Government Accountability Office's high-risk designation. [PDF - 178 KB]

April 7, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to provide the final report on the IHS-HUD Tribal Consultation held on December 16, 2024, regarding housing-related water and sewer infrastructure needs and restrictions governing the use of Sanitation Facilities Construction Program funding for HUD-funded homes. [PDF - 198 KB]

March 25, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders to announce updates to the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF) threshold for Fiscal Year 2026. [PDF - 152 KB]

January 29, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share important news regarding the launch of an unprecedented Agency-wide hiring initiative vital to filling mission-critical health care positions at IHS facilities. [PDF - 156 KB]

January 27, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce an extension of the comment submission deadline for the Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer on the IHS Proposed Realignment until February 27, 2026. [PDF - 235 KB]

January 26, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer and announce newly scheduled Calendar Year 2026 IHS Health Information Technology (HIT) Modernization Program information sessions. [PDF - 252 KB]

January 22, 2026

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to announce that the Federal Register Notice for the calendar year 2026 All-Inclusive Rates was published on January 22, 2026. This year's rates reflect increases compared to calendar year 2025. [PDF - 204 KB]

December 18, 2025

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Arizona Tribal Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation and seek your recommendations on an updated feasibility study for creating a state-wide Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area in Arizona. [PDF - 163 KB]

December 18, 2025

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to announce the list of eligible degree programs for the Indian Health Service Scholarship Program in Academic Year 2026-2027. [PDF - 128 KB]

December 5, 2025

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce an expanded schedule of Tribal Consultations and Urban Confer to seek your engagement on the proposed IHS realignment. [PDF - 311 KB]

December 2, 2025

The IHS Chief of Staff writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has delegated to him, in his capacity as Chief of Staff, all delegable authorities, duties, and functions of the IHS Director. This delegation will remain in place while the IHS Director position continues to be vacant. [PDF - 168 KB]

November 19, 2025

The IHS Acting Director writes to announce the awards for the Fiscal Year 2025 IHS Joint Venture Construction Program. [PDF - 176 KB]

November 13, 2025

The IHS Acting Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer to seek your recommendations on the next phase of the proposed IHS realignment. [PDF - 188 KB]

October 1, 2025

The IHS Acting Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share information regarding the current status of fiscal year 2026 appropriations for the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 186 KB]

September 29, 2025

The IHS Acting Director is pleased to announce the IHS National Supply Service Center's launch of LINK, a new IHS Enterprise Resource Planning system to strengthen the Agency's supply chain infrastructure in support of IHS, Tribal, and Urban health care facilities. [PDF - 260 KB]