September 2014 Blogs

HHS Secretary Burwell Visit to IHS Headquarters

In July, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell visited IHS Headquarters and met with senior leadership, a group of employees in a small meeting, and employees in an all-hands meeting. Here are pictures from the event:

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Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting

The IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee held its Quarterly Meeting in Washington, D.C., in July. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Running in Beauty for a Stronger Healthier Navajo Nation

I participated in the Running in Beauty for a Stronger Healthier Navajo Nation Event in July at the start of the event in Towaoc, CO. I was invited to participate in the kick-off event and walk by Navajo Nation Vice President Rex Lee Jim. The event is coordinated by the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project and is a week-long run and walk across the Navajo Nation. Here are pictures from the event:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

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Navajo IHS Area Listening Session

I held a listening session with the Tribes in the Navajo IHS Area. Here are pictures from the listening session.

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Tribal Delegation Meetings in July

Tribal Delegation Meetings were held in July with the Gila River Health Care Corporation and the Colorado River Indian Tribe. Here are pictures from the meetings:

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California Indian Health Conference

I attended the first California Indian Health Conference in Sacramento, CA, in July. This conference was hosted by the California Rural Indian Health Board. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Tucson IHS Area Listening Session

I held a listening session with Tribes in the Tucson IHS Area in July. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Direct Service Tribes Annual Conference

I attended the Direct Service Tribes Annual Conference in July in Albuquerque, NM. The meeting focused on issues important to Tribes that are served directly by the IHS. The IHS Direct Service Tribes also held their quarterly meeting before the conference. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Santa Fe Service Unit Site Visit

I visited the Santa Fe Service Unit for a Site Visit in July to tour its new renovations. Here are pictures from the Site Visit.

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Albuquerque IHS Area Listening Session

I held a listening session with tribal leaders in the Albuquerque IHS Area in July. Here are pictures from the session:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

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NCAI Native Graduate Health Fellowship Program

I met with the finalists of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Native Graduate Health Fellowship Program in July. Here's a picture from the meeting:

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Contract Support Costs Update

On Friday, September 19, 2014, IHS held an all-Tribes Call/Webinar to provide an update on Contract Support Costs (CSC). Based on work with IHS staff and Tribes to reconcile ongoing CSC need as well as to complete as many negotiations as possible, the amount of reprogramming for CSC is lower, but still significant. Here is a copy of the updated slides [PDF - 197 KB] used on the webinar. IHS will provide further updates as needed. We appreciate the recommendations received from Tribes for a long-term solution, and they are under review.

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Contract Support Costs Update

An All Tribes Call/Webinar was held today to provide an update on Contract Support Costs (CSC) appropriations. As promised on the call today, here is the letter [PDF - 65 KB] sent to Tribes on September 2, 2014, and a copy of the slides [PDF - 376 KB] from today's webinar. IHS will host another update in the near future. We are working with Tribes on recommendations for long-term solutions to the CSC appropriations issue as requested by Congress. We appreciate the discussions we have had with tribal leaders on the importance of focusing on solutions as soon as possible.