Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA)
The Indian Health Service (IHS) FOIA Program is committed to public service. We are stewards of the federal government who take pride in our ability to help guide the user through the FOIA process by providing an innovative and informative Freedom of Information Act Homepage.
Freedom of Information Act (as amended, 1996) [PDF - 57 KB]
The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016
Important Agency contacts
Carl Mitchell - Indian Health Service FOIA Officer
Jim Souther – FOIA Public Liaison - Government Information Specialist
David Meservey - Government Information Specialist
Where to submit your FOIA request
Your FOIA request can be sent electronically to IHSFOIAMailbox@ihs.gov.
Please send all written FOIA requests to the Indian Health Service FOIA Office, Division of Regulatory and Policy Coordination (DRPC), 5600 Fishers Lane, Mailstop 09E70, Rockville, Maryland 20857.
If you are requesting records on behalf of another person, a consent form authorizing representation must be presented at the time you submit your FOIA request.
Please be aware that due to COVID-19, IHS’s response time to certain FOIA requests may be delayed. Given the work flexibilities at the agency, some or all of IHS’s employees may be working off-site. If a record responsive to a request is only available in hard-copy format that record’s availability will be limited until further notice. Additionally, in an effort to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work, IHS has adjusted its response time to all requests. Finally, employees may not receive FOIA requests that are sent by U.S. mail, overnight mail services or facsimile in a timely manner. We recommend that all requesters submit FOIA requests through the online system. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience during this time.
Please be advised
To protect you, your families, or your patient's privacy, DO NOT include any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Protected Health Information (PHI).
Examples of PII and PHI are: Individual Health Condition(s), Social Security Number, Date of Birth (DOB), Patient Name (if not your own), and Patient Registration Number.
For more information regarding PII and PHI, please visit the Privacy Policy and HIPAA pages.
Do Not Send Personally Identifiable, Private or medical records information in your FOIA request.
"It is our goal to provide excellent customer service in the effort to maintain an informed citizenry"
