Indian Health Service

Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla Logo

IGMC Shimla entrance

Indian Health Service (IHS) is a federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States. It is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for providing federal health services to members of federally recognized Tribes and their descendants. The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level.

History

The Indian Health Service was established in 1955, transferring the responsibility for Native American healthcare from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the Department of the Interior to the Public Health Service within HHS. This shift marked a significant change in the approach to health care for Native Americans, emphasizing public health and medical services.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the IHS is to uphold the federal government's obligation to promote healthy American Indian and Alaska Native people, communities, and cultures and to sustain and improve their health and well-being. The IHS provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.

Services Provided

The services provided by the IHS include primary health care, public health nursing, nutrition services, community health representatives, and environmental health services. The IHS operates hospitals, health centers, and health stations. In areas where the IHS is not able to provide direct health care services, it supports health care services through contracts and grants to tribes that operate their own health care facilities.

Challenges

The IHS faces several challenges, including funding limitations, health disparities, and the vast, often remote areas it serves. Despite receiving federal funding, the IHS often struggles with insufficient resources to meet all the health care needs of the population it serves. Health disparities among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, including higher rates of diabetes, alcoholism, and suicide, present ongoing challenges for the IHS.

Controversies

The IHS has faced criticism and controversies, particularly regarding the quality of care provided in some of its facilities. Reports of mismanagement and underfunding have raised concerns about the agency's ability to fulfill its mission effectively.

Future Directions

Efforts to improve the IHS include increasing funding, enhancing health care services, integrating traditional practices with modern medical treatments, and improving the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in Indian Health facilities. There is also a push towards increasing autonomy for tribes in managing their health care services through self-determination and self-governance agreements.

See Also

• Healthcare in the United States
• Native Americans in the United States
• Alaska Natives

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