Indian Health Service

This article is about the Native American agency in the United States. For the ministry in India, see Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Indian Health Service
IHS Logo
Operating Division overview
Formed1955; 69 years ago (1955)
Preceding Operating Division
JurisdictionU.S. federal government
Headquarters5600 Fishers Lane, North Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., 20857
(Rockville mailing address)
Annual budget$5.9 billion (2017)
Operating Division executives
  • Roselyn Tso, Director, Indian Health Service
  • Benjamin Smith, Deputy Director, Indian Health Service
Child Operating Division
Websitewww.ihs.gov Edit this at Wikidata

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native people. IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for American Indian people.[1]

The IHS provides health care in 37 states to approximately 2.2 million out of 3.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).[2] As of April 2017, the IHS consisted of 26 hospitals, 59 health centers, and 32 health stations. Thirty-three urban Indian health projects supplement these facilities with various health and referral services. Several tribes are actively involved in IHS program implementation.[3] Many tribes also operate their health systems independent of IHS.[1] It also provides support to students pursuing medical education to staff Indian health programs.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Quick Look". Newsroom. Indian Health Service. April 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "About IHS". Indian Health Service. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  3. ^ Champagne, Duane, ed. (2001). The Native North American ALmanac (2nd ed.). Farmingtom Hills, Michigan: Gale Group. pp. 943–945. ISBN 0787616559 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :33 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).