fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 
On Tuesday evening in Washington D.C, Roselyn Tso (Navajo) was sworn in as the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.
 
Tso was confirmed last week by a vote in the Senate. She replaces Elizabeth Fowler (Comanche), who had been serving as the acting Director of IHS since Jan. 2021, when the previous Director, Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee (Zuni) stepped down. 
 

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 
 

“It is my honor and privilege to serve as the next leader of the Indian Health Service. Throughout the confirmation process, I took time to reflect on the many challenges the agency has faced, including the ongoing challenge to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has plagued Indian Country over the past couple of years. While the IHS has made great strides to improve health care services, there are areas we must review and improve on. I am committed to working with our tribal and urban Indian organization partners, and our partners across the federal government, to continue raising the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level,” Tso said in a statement provided by the Navajo Nation.

In her new position, Tso will be charged with developing IHS policy and fulfilling the organization’s mission to improve health outcomes in Indian Country. Her work with IHS dates back to 1984, and most recently she served as Director of the Navajo Area and Director of the Office of Direct Services and Contracting Tribes.

Tell Us What You Think


More Stories Like This

Q&A: Angela Gonzales (Hopi), on New Indigenous Health Research Dashboard
Health Equity Round-Up (December 22,2024)
TWO MEDICINES | How Native-Led Programs Are Blending Culture and Western Science to Help Their Relatives Through the Opioid Crisis
Choctaw Nation Found a Better Way to Deliver Harm Reduction. It's Working.
New Road Map for Brain Health Aims to Tackle Dementia in Native Communities

About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].