IHS Announces New CEO of the Phoenix Indian Medical Center

The Indian Health Service announced the appointment of James Driving Hawk as the chief executive officer of the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. The center is the IHS’ largest hospital, providing direct health care services to more than 150,000 patients.

Driving Hawk, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, has served as director of the IHS Great Plains Area Office since 2019, where he provided leadership in the administration of a comprehensive federal, tribal, and urban Indian health care system.

With more than 23 years of service to IHS, Driving Hawk brings deep expertise in financial management, healthcare administration, purchased/referred care, business office operations, and tribal budget consultation to this role. Before joining the IHS Great Plains Area, he served as executive officer of the IHS Phoenix Area Office.

“I thank Jim Driving Hawk for his continued commitment to the IHS mission. His wealth of knowledge and experience will be a true asset for the Phoenix Indian Medical Center,” said IHS Acting Director Elizabeth Fowler.

“The Phoenix Indian Medical Center is the largest hospital operated by the IHS, providing comprehensive multi-specialty outpatient and inpatient care to people in the Phoenix Area. I am excited to have an experienced and accomplished leader at the helm,” said Dr. Ty Reidhead, IHS Phoenix Area Director.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to return to the Phoenix Area, where my IHS career began, and join the team at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. I look forward to continuing our efforts to provide high quality, comprehensive health care services for American Indians and Alaska Natives in the Phoenix area,” Driving Hawk said.

Mr. Driving Hawk led the IHS Great Plains Area as director and acting director for more than four years. During that time, he established a new governance structure for all hospitals and clinics and developed a Division of Quality and Compliance for the area. Under his leadership, all IHS health care facilities in the Great Plains Area achieved full accreditation. He also emphasized improving transparency and communication to better respond to input from tribal partners.

Mr. Driving Hawk holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and is a current member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Brent Rohlfs will serve as the acting director for the Great Plains Area. Capt. Rohlfs is the director of the IHS Great Plains Area Office of Environmental Health and Engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University and a master’s in engineering from the University of Idaho. He started his IHS career in Mobridge, South Dakota, in 1997 as a field engineer with the IHS Great Plains Area Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction.

The Phoenix Indian Medical Center provides primary care services to four Phoenix Service Unit tribes; the San Lucy District of the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Tonto Apache Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Indian Tribe, and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe. The Phoenix Indian Medical Center also works closely with the two other Phoenix Service Unit tribes, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, that have contracted operations of their primary care. Tribal members who receive care at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center are also often residents of the greater Phoenix area and hail from tribes throughout the country. The Phoenix Indian Medical Center also provides specialty care to rural and remote reservation health care facilities in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and a small portion of California.

The IHS Great Plains Area provides services to 17 tribes and more than 130,000 American Indian people in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. It encompasses 19 service units consisting of seven hospitals and 10 health centers.

The IHS, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , Twitter Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , and LinkedIn Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov .