Skip to site content

June 2020 Blogs

National HIV Testing Day Highlights the Benefits of HIV Testing and Knowing Your Status

Rick Haverkate, IHS National HIV/AIDS & HepC Program Coordinator

June 26, 2020
by Rick Haverkate, IHS National HIV/AIDS & HepC Program Coordinator

June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. On this day, we unite with federal and tribal partners across the country to raise awareness about the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis of HIV. The Indian Health Service recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of their routine health care. People at higher risk should get tested more often.

... Continue reading


IHS supports the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in electronic health records

Rick Haverkate, IHS National HIV/AIDS & HepC Program Coordinator

June 19, 2020
by Rick Haverkate, IHS National HIV/AIDS & HepC Program Coordinator

As we celebrate Pride Month in June, the Indian Health Service recognizes the diversity of our American Indian and Alaska Native patients. The IHS Office of Information Technology, Office of Resource Access and Partnerships, and Office of Clinical and Preventive Services have launched a collaborative initiative to train staff in the collection of voluntary sexual orientation and gender identity data in order to identify essential health services.

... Continue reading


National Men’s Health Week focuses on prevention and early detection

Kristina Cary, MPH, Division of Clinical and Community Services, Indian Health Service

June 16, 2020
by Kristina Cary, MPH, Division of Clinical and Community Services, Indian Health Service

National Men’s Health Week is observed every year beginning the week leading up to Father’s Day, with this year’s observance occurring June 15-21. This time is important, serving as a reminder to take care of one’s health, increase awareness of preventable health issues, and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases and injuries. Participating in this observance to increase awareness can also be done by taking part in Wear Blue Day, which occurs on June 19.

... Continue reading


IHS nurse inspired by her experiences on the Pine Ridge Reservation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Suzanne Curts, outpatient clinic nurse, Kyle Health Center, IHS Great Plains Area

June 11, 2020
by Suzanne Curts, outpatient clinic nurse, Kyle Health Center, IHS Great Plains Area

I am a registered nurse in the outpatient services department at the Kyle Health Center, an ambulatory care clinic located in Kyle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The clinic is under the Pine Ridge Service Unit of the IHS Great Plains Area. The small city of Kyle is located in the middle of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, with a population under 1,000. The closest fast food, big-chain grocery stores, and major shopping retailers are about 90 miles from Kyle.

... Continue reading


#IAmIHS: Tanya Tohtsoni, RN

Tanya Tohtsoni, RN, inpatient discharge planner, Northern Navajo Medical Center, Navajo Area

June 10, 2020
by Tanya Tohtsoni, RN, inpatient discharge planner, Northern Navajo Medical Center, Navajo Area

I’m Tanya Tohtsoni, an inpatient discharge planner at the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico. I grew up in the Four Corners area, so I’m home grown to the region. As a kid I loved animals and thought I might be a veterinarian someday.

... Continue reading