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March 2023 Blogs

National Doctor's Day Message from IHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Loretta Christensen

Dr. Loretta Christensen, MBA, MSJ, FACS, IHS Chief Medical Officer

March 30, 2023
by Dr. Loretta Christensen, MBA, MSJ, FACS, IHS Chief Medical Officer

On National Doctors Day, the IHS recognizes and celebrates the ongoing efforts and commitment of doctors throughout the Indian health system. Across Indian Country, our American Indian and Alaska Native communities are stronger because of their great work. ... Continue reading


$1.8M in IHS Funding Provides Additional Resources to Address Alzheimer's and Dementia

Jolie Crowder, PhD, MSN, RN, CCM, National Elder Care Consultant, Division of Clinical and Community Services, Indian Health Service

March 29, 2023
by Jolie Crowder, PhD, MSN, RN, CCM, National Elder Care Consultant, Division of Clinical and Community Services, Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service is announcing the availability of $1.8 million in additional funding for tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and IHS direct service facilities to address Alzheimer’s disease within tribal communities. This follows first-time IHS funding appropriations ... Continue reading


Oral Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Adults Continues to Improve – New IHS Data Brief

Dr. Tim Ricks, DMD, MPH, FICD, FACD, FPFA, Dental Public Health Specialist, Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health

March 22, 2023
by Dr. Tim Ricks, DMD, MPH, FICD, FACD, FPFA, Dental Public Health Specialist, Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health

The Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health recently released a new data brief summarizing the oral health of American Indian and Alaska Native adults ages 35 and older who are served by IHS, tribal, and urban Indian dental clinics across Indian Country. One of the key findings from this data ... Continue reading


National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: HISstory, HERstory, THEIRstory, OURSTORY: Storytelling as Resilience

HIV.gov

March 20, 2023
by HIV.gov

March 20 marks National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD), which coincides with the first day of Spring, and this year we are highlighting two videos featuring Brad Lum and Lisa Tiger, from HISstory, HERstory, THEIRstory, OURSTORY: Storytelling as Resilience, an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge of HIV and breaking down the barriers of HIV/AIDS stigma in indigenous communities through the tradition of storytelling. ... Continue reading


Naloxone and Available Trainings Can Save Lives

Lt. Cmdr. Samantha Gustafson, PharmD, Syringe Service Program Chair of the Harm Reduction Workgroup for the IHS Heroin, Opioids and Pain Efforts Committee

March 15, 2023
by Lt. Cmdr. Samantha Gustafson, PharmD, Syringe Service Program Chair of the Harm Reduction Workgroup for the IHS Heroin, Opioids and Pain Efforts Committee

Opioid overdose can occur anywhere, anytime, and in any setting. It impacts people from infancy through adulthood and claimed the lives of almost 92,000 people in the United States in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  In recent months, ... Continue reading


IHS Re-Commits to Strengthening Patient Safety

Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Livingston, Nurse Consultant, Patient Safety – Division of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management, Office of Quality

March 13, 2023
by Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Livingston, Nurse Consultant, Patient Safety – Division of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management, Office of Quality

Patient safety is a priority of the Indian Health Service and is included in the IHS 2023 Agency Work Plan, which outlines critical priorities that will guide agency improvements over the next year. It is a vital element intricately woven into all processes that come together in the delivery of health ... Continue reading


IHS Celebrates National Social Work Month

Skye Bass, LCSW, Program Coordinator and Clinical Social Worker, IHS TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence, Division of Behavioral Health

March 6, 2023
by Skye Bass, LCSW, Program Coordinator and Clinical Social Worker, IHS TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence, Division of Behavioral Health

IHS is celebrating National Social Work Month in March. This year’s theme is “Social Work Breaks Barriers,” which highlights how social workers have enriched our society by empowering people and communities to overcome hurdles that prevent them from living life to the fullest.

IHS is fortunate ... Continue reading


$2 Million Available to Support Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths through Detoxification

JB Kinlacheeny, Public Health Advisor, Alcohol and Substance Abuse National Lead, Indian Health Service

March 1, 2023
by JB Kinlacheeny, Public Health Advisor, Alcohol and Substance Abuse National Lead, Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service is announcing the availability of $2 million in funding Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  to support the Preventing Alcohol-Related Deaths program. The purpose of this program is to reduce alcohol-related mortality among American Indians and Alaska Natives by providing support ... Continue reading