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- By Elyse Wild
More than 70 Public Health Service officers from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps will be deployed to Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities nationwide, the Department of Health and Human Services announced yesterday.
The IHS is the federal agency tasked with providing healthcare to 2.8 million American Indian/Alaska Native people in the United States. It directly operates more than 880 health centers across Indian Country, and oversees tribally contracted services at more than 420 additional facilities. IHS has long struggled with underfunding and a 30% staff vacancy rate. The National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup, which includes 12 tribal representatives from IHS service areas, recommended a $63 billion funding level for the agency in fiscal 2026 — nearly eight times the proposed budget.
The officers will be detailed to IHS sites identified as facing the most urgent staffing shortages to bolster leadership and operations, according to the HHS.
IHS Acting Director Benjamin Smith said in a press release that the effort will aim to expand access to preventive care, chronic disease management, and overall wellness across Indian Country.
“Mobilizing Public Health Service officers to IHS facilities allows us to better meet the health needs of our tribal communities,” Smith said.
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