Urban Leader Letters
January 17, 2025
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to express deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the Indian Health Service Director. [PDF - 175 KB]January 16, 2025
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share a vital resource developed by the IHS to help our patients overcome barriers when accessing cancer care services in our communities. We are building an interactive web map that provides our patients with a search tool to locate cancer services near home, and health care providers can use the map to plan appointments and referrals. [PDF - 203 KB]January 16, 2025
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the appointment of Dr. Beverly Cotton as the Deputy Director for Field Operations at the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 168 KB]January 15, 2025
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders in follow-up to Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer on the IHS Headquarters reorganization of the offices that comprise the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs. Following the publication of our Federal Register Notice on January 8, 2025, we are pleased to announce the completion of this reorganization. [PDF - 218 KB]January 13, 2025
The IHS Director writes to announce four upcoming information sessions in Calendar Year 2025 regarding the IHS Health Information Technology Modernization Program. In conjunction with ongoing Agency outreach, we will also be seeking your recommendations and feedback via Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer on these topics. [PDF - 238 KB]- Enclosure: IHS Calendar Year 2025 Health Information Technology Modernization Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer Sessions [PDF - 119 KB]
January 2, 2025
The IHS Director writes to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Poole to serve as the Director of the Bemidji Area Indian Health Service. [PDF - 147 KB]December 26, 2024
The IHS Director will proceed with the competitive grant funding distribution method for the Community Opioid Intervention and Prevention Program (COIPP). [PDF - 190 KB]December 26, 2024
The IHS Director, along with the Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Rachael M. Levine, MD, write to share information about the joint efforts being made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Indian Health Service to address the escalating cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis in our Tribal communities. [PDF - 142 KB]December 12, 2024
The IHS Director writes today to reaffirm the commitment of the Indian Health Service to protecting our patients and improving the Purchased/Referred Care program. The letter includes information about IHS's work in collaboration with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect eligible PRC patients receiving IHS-approved medical services from being subjected to improper bills from medical providers and collection activities from debt collectors as prohibited under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. [PDF - 172 KB]December 5, 2024
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the release of the Indian Health Service Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2025-2029. [PDF - 180 KB]- Enclosure: IHS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2025-2029 [PDF - 313 KB]
October 10, 2024
The IHS Director writes to initiate Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer to seek your comments and recommendations on the proposed reorganization of the Indian Health Service Headquarters Office of the Director, specifically the structure of offices under the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs. [PDF - 242 KB]October 4, 2024
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share the Director's Year 2 Accomplishments Report--2024, which details the progress and shared achievements over the past year. [PDF - 197 KB]- Enclosure: Director's Year 2 Accomplishments Report 2024 [PDF - 6.5 MB]
October 1, 2024
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share information regarding the current status of fiscal year 2025 appropriations for the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 850 KB]August 12, 2024
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share information to help support your efforts to address climate change, assess associated health risks, and develop strategies to advance environmental justice. [PDF - 197 KB]July 29, 2024
The IHS Director invites Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to join us at the Health Information Technology Modernization Summit, which will be held on Friday, August 16, 2024, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This half-day, in-person event will be held in conjunction with the 2024 IHS Partnership Conference. We anticipate a robust and meaningful dialogue with you on important Health Information Technology modernization issues. We will also convene a caucus to enable Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to exchange viewpoints and share information. [PDF - 172 KB]