October 31, 2025: IHS Updates for Tribes and Tribal and Urban Indian Organizations
The bi-weekly update provides up-to-date information on recent events, meetings, conferences, upcoming deadlines, and recognition of the work being done across the Indian Health Service, other federal agencies, and Indian Country. For more information or questions, please email IHSPublicAffairsStaff@ihs.gov.
HHS Secretary Delegates Role of IHS Director to Clayton Fulton
In November, the IHS announced that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. delegated Clayton Fulton [PDF 191kb], in his capacity as IHS 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. As part of this transition, Benjamin Smith will return to his previous position as deputy director, and Darrell LaRoche will resume his role as deputy director for management operations. Dr. Rose Weahkee also concludes her service in her acting leadership role.
Fulton, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, provided assurances that while this leadership transition continues, the mission of the IHS remains constant and strong. "We remain fully committed to upholding the government-to-government relationship and ensuring continuity of services and operations across the Indian health system. The work of raising the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level continues to guide every decision we make."
IHS Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton
IHS Attends National Congress of American Indians Conference
In November, (then) IHS Acting Director Benjamin Smith joined other agency leaders at the National Congress of American Indians 82nd Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington. NCAI continues to be one of the most important gatherings for tribal leaders, advocates, and partners from across Indian Country, and IHS was proud to be part of these critical conversations. They began the week with Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Mark Cruz, who helped kick off Day 1 activities by addressing the Opening General Assembly. His remarks underscored the department?s continued commitment to strengthening programs and services for American Indian and Alaska Native people and set a powerful tone for the week ahead.
Later that day, Capt. Carmen "Skip" Clelland and Smith met with the Veterans Committee, where they expressed their gratitude for the generations of Native veterans who have served, and continue to serve this nation with honor. They also shared updates on IHS efforts to enhance coordination and support for Native veterans through our newly established Office for Indian Veterans Support.
On the following day, Smith was joined by Director of Strategic Initiatives Dr. Kim Hartwig [PDF 154kb] and Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton [PDF 155kb] for productive discussions with the Health Committee. Together, they participated in a robust and thoughtful dialogue during the IHS Listening Session, where tribal leaders offered perspectives on priorities ranging from workforce challenges to strengthening the delivery of culturally grounded care.
IHS representatives closed out the week with visits to Muckleshoot and the Puyallup tribal facilities, where they had the opportunity to hear directly from local tribal leaders and health care teams about their ongoing work, successes, and challenges. These conversations remain essential in ensuring that IHS policies and initiatives reflect the lived experiences and needs across Indian Country.
Thank you to all our tribal partners, organizers, and participants for making this week both meaningful and productive. Your leadership, insights, and partnership continue to guide and strengthen the work of the Indian Health Service every day. Together, we move forward with purpose, respect, and our shared commitment to the health and well-being of our people.
IHS Opens New Office for Indian Veterans Support
In November, the Indian Health Serviced announced the opening of the new Office for Indian Veterans Support. Led by Capt. Carmen ?Skip? Clelland, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, this office will lead efforts to strengthen the IHS partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and advance initiatives that support the health and well-being of Native veterans.
Capt. Clelland will serve as the primary liaison between IHS, Veterans Affairs, tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to ensure that the needs of Native veterans are represented and addressed across federal systems. The IHS continues to honor its commitment to serve those who have served our nation with dedication and honor.
Secretary Kennedy Visits Tribes in Phoenix Area
In Novembers, HHS Secretary Kennedy traveled to Arizona to see firsthand the incredible work taking place throughout Indian Country. His visit included a tour of the Patina Wellness Center in Phoenix with tribal leaders, where he observed how traditional healing and modern clinical practices are woven together to support recovery and wellness grounded in culture, evidence, and community strength.
Secretary Kennedy continued his engagement by meeting with tribal leaders and providers at a local recovery center, listening closely to their priorities and working side by side to advance meaningful solutions. As we know, behavioral health and recovery care are strongest when shaped by the people they serve. Secretary Kennedy?s presence and partnership throughout his visit demonstrates his deep commitment to the IHS and to Indian Country?ensuring community voices guide the policies and programs that protect and promote Native health and well-being.
Photos: facebook.com/HHS
The PATH EHR and the Enterprise Collaboration Group Video is Now LIVE!
The Indian Health Service Health Information Technology Modernization Program has launched the EHR and the Enterprise Collaboration Group video . This video provides a behind-the-scenes perspective of the enterprise configuration of PATH EHR and the work of the Enterprise Collaboration Group (ECG). ECG domain group chairs share their experience in the enterprise design workshops and offer insight into activities and decision-making processes of the ECG.The ECG collaborates with expert users from IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organizations to support the configuration of PATH EHR. The ECG is made up of 15 domain groups representing a variety of clinical and business areas. Throughout 2025, group members joined workshops to suggest design and configuration changes for PATH EHR based on their areas of expertise.
You can watch the brief PATH EHR and the ECG video to hear more about the PATH EHR enterprise configuration process! For more information about the Health IT Modernization Program or how to get involved, email modernization@ihs.gov.
Tribal Delegation Meeting with the Cherokee Nation
In November, (then) IHS Acting Director Benjamin Smith and Mark Cruz, senior advisor to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., met with Cherokee Nation Principal Chuck Hoskin Jr. and members of his staff for a tribal delegation meeting in Washington, DC. The discussion focused on IHS policy related to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and how to maximize the effective use of IHS funds.
Fowler Assumes Duties as Acting Director for Oklahoma City Area
In November, the IHS announced that Elizabeth Fowler has been appointed as acting director for the Oklahoma City Area. A member of the Comanche Nation with descendancy from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, she began her career with IHS in 1990 with the headquarters Division of Personnel Management. Fowler has served in a variety of senior and executive roles throughout her career at IHS, most recently as the executive officer for the Oklahoma City Area. Fowler has received numerous awards from the IHS and HHS, including the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service, various IHS Director's Awards, and the Luana Reyes Leadership Award. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Maryland university system.
Oklahoma City Area Acting Director Elizabeth Fowler
IHS Announces New Acting Director for Equal Employment Opportunity Staff
Also in November, the IHS announced Cmdr. Lenora Littledeer, Esq., MHA, BSN, RN, as acting director of Equal Employment Opportunity Staff. An enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, Littledeer has served the Indian Health Service for 22 years. She began her IHS career as a staff nurse at W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. During her career, Littledeer has held multiple executive leadership roles, including chief nurse executive, director of quality, and chief executive officer. Most recently she has served as the SE Region EEO manager where she was responsible for overseeing EEO processes, including counseling, informal and formal EEO complaints, investigations, hearings, agency final actions, and appeals.
Cmdr. Lenora Littledeer, Acting Director of Equal Employment Opportunity Staff
Lt. Cmdr. Melisaa de Vera Honored with Arthur S. Fleming Award
Congratulations to Lt. Cmdr. Melissa de Vera, assistant director with the Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction and a member of the Rocky Boy Chippewa Cree Tribe, for being selected as one of 12 recipients of the 76th annual Arthur S. Flemming Award , one of the highest honors for federal employees. Her efforts and recruiting approach helped enable the agency to deliver $3.5 billion in sanitation projects funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, improving access to safe drinking water and sanitary waste disposal infrastructure for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
"What I see this work really doing for Native communities in the long run is hopefully putting more Native American engineers in positions to be able to assist the tribes, and to be able to assist them in a way that helps them make informed decisions about their water and their sewer and their solid waste infrastructure," de Vera said.
In addition to participating in the awards ceremony on November 2, de Vera represented the agency beautifully in response to the extensive media interest in her story, including this piece from Minnesota Public Radio . You can see additional coverage here and here and here .
Photo courtesy of Michael Woestehoff
Lt. Cmdr. Melissa de Vera (center) with James-Christian Blockwood (left), president and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration, and Dr. Kathryn Newcomer (right), president of the Flemming Awards Commission and Director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University. Courtesy of National Academy of Public Administration
HQ Cybersecurity Professional Receives HHS CAPE Award
In November, the IHS Division of Information Security announced that staff member Tyler Brummer has been honored as part of the HHS 2025 Cybersecurity Awards Program for Excellence (CAPE). The program recognizes those who demonstrate exceptional commitment to cybersecurity across the department. It is a testament to individuals who act as change agents, culture builders, and visionaries?leaders who not only drive transformation but also remain closely aligned with the tactical needs of our cybersecurity enterprise. Congratulations to Tyler on this remarkable achievement! Watch a video spotlighting the CAPE nominees and winners.
OEHE Announces 2025 Healthcare Facilities Engineer of the Year
The IHS Facilities Engineer/Architect of the Year Award recognizes IHS facility engineers who have demonstrated exemplary work, as evidenced by specific engineering and related health care facility stewardship. We are proud to announce that this year's award winner is Tavis Allam, a member of the Great Plains Area Office of Environmental Health and Engineering.
A self-taught expert in Geographic Information Systems, Allam has modernized how IHS manages and plans health care facilities nationwide. Overseeing 49 projects totaling more than $5.7 million, he has delivered improvements in facility performance, safety, and efficiency. His leadership in developing national GIS data standards and contributing to the National Quarters Inventory Pilot has transformed facility asset management and strengthened agency decision-making?exemplifying excellence, initiative, and service to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Tavis Allam, Healthcare Facilities Engineer of the Year
National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting
The IHS National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee held its fall 2025 quarterly meeting at the Oklahoma City Area Office on November 4-5. The NPTC is a standing committee of the IHS that works to promote quality, access, and value in formulary management through maintenance of the IHS National Core Formulary and the provision of clinical expertise related to pharmacotherapy and pharmacovigilance. During the meeting, the NPTC reviewed a range of topics including inflammatory bowel disease practice guidelines, biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, open-angle glaucoma, HIV injectables, constipation treatments, and pediatric antibiotic stewardship. Visit the NPTC website for more information, including clinical guidance documents and the National Core Formulary. To receive NPTC correspondence and clinical updates, self-enroll to the NPTC Listserv.
National Business Office Committee Meeting
The IHS National Business Office Committee (NBOC) met from November 18-20 at the California Area Office. The purpose of the NBOC is to provide strategic planning and to make recommendations on the federal, tribal, and urban Indian organization third-party revenue cycle. The NBOC focused on topics including Youth Regional Treatment Center revenue cycle operations, clinical pharmacy billing practice documentation, training opportunities for staff in revenue cycle positions, and modernizing payment operations.
Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital Joins Native Hearts Advocate Pilot Program
The IHS is pleased to recognize the Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital as its ninth designated IHS Native Hearts Advocates pilot team. American Indian and Alaska Native people have higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD-related premature death than any other racial or ethnic group with mortality rates 20 percent higher than the general population. The IHS National Native Hearts Initiative is a "get-with-the-guidelines approach" to support evidence-based clinical care for CVD, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation.
The Crow Service Unit provides comprehensive health care services to Native communities within the Billings Area, serving primarily members of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Nations. Their Native Hearts pilot project focuses on the four core Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy medication classes for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, in alignment with the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines.
IHS remains committed to safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, and efficient care for American Indian and Alaska Native people as we work to improve health and health outcomes in tribal communities. Since the roll-out of the IHS Native Hearts Initiative, we now have pilot teams serving 14 tribal communities in Indian Country. As we seek to mitigate the impacts of heart-disease among Native people, I want to encourage each of our programs to join the Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in becoming a Native Hearts Advocates pilot site [PDF 74kb].
NPC Monthly Wellness Spotlight ? Quentin N Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility
The Pharmacy Department at the Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility in the IHS Great Plains Area has been commended for its ongoing efforts to promote workplace wellness through compassion, connection, and team support. From peer shout-outs and employee recognition to regular check-ins and daily acts of kindness, they have cultivated a culture where wellness is integrated into their daily routines. Their commitment to caring for one another, while delivering exceptional patient care sets a powerful example for all health care teams.
Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service, and Education Hosts Symposium
Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service, and Education (N-NURSE) hosted the 11th Symposium "Indigenous Pathways to Maternal and Child Health" on November 5-7 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event offered a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions on bridging Indigenous and Western perspectives on maternal and child health wellness. Participants embarked on a transformative journey along the Pathway of the Sun guided by Indigenous leaders who excel in clinical care, environmental stewardship, and policy advocacy. Speakers included traditional healers from Chinle, Robert Wood Johnson Fellow Nicolle L. Arthun, faculty from Johns Hopkins University, University of British Columbia, University of Minnesota, and University of New Mexico, and IHS leadership from the Division of Nursing Services and Maternal Child Health. Thank you to N-NURSE leadership, the University of New Mexico, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for their hospitality and support.
Members of N-NURSE leadership, Division of Nursing Services, and Maternal Child Health at the N-NURSE Symposium
IHS Blogs
- Honoring Indian Health Service and Tribal Domestic Violence Providers
- The Role of the Enterprise Collaboration Group
- Early Detection Saves Lives: Making Breast Cancer Screening a Priority
- CMO's Corner: Advancing Cancer Prevention, Screening, and Care
- Decade-long collaboration improves public health outcomes in rural Minnesota
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