Tribal Leader Letters
January 19, 2021
RADM Weahkee sends a farewell letter to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders. [PDF - 167 KB]January 19, 2021
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to follow-up on the December 17, 2020, letter to provide an update on the Indian Health Service and the Department of Health and Human Services proposed regulatory activities regarding implementation of the Buy Indian Act of 1910 (Buy Indian Act, 25 U.S.C. § 47) which would update the regulations for IHS contracting policy and procedures. [PDF - 173 KB]January 15, 2021
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the allocation decisions for $790 million in new resources transferred from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to the Indian Health Service to support COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, containment, mitigation, and related activities for monitoring and suppressing COVID-19 in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, Pub. L. No. 116-260, Div. M, Title III. [PDF - 385 KB]December 29, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021. [PDF - 190 KB]December 17, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to follow-up on the November 2, 2020, letter, which initiated Tribal Consultation on Indian Health Service contracting policy and procedures associated with implementing the Buy Indian Act of 1910 at 25 U.S.C. § 47. [PDF - 176 KB]December 10, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide an update and invite input on next steps for health information technology modernization at the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 331 KB]December 2, 2020
The Director and the Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge write to Tribal Leaders to initiate a joint Tribal Consultation to seek input on a draft revised Memorandum of Understanding between the VHA and the IHS. [PDF - 92 KB]- Enclosure - Draft Revised VA-IHS Memorandum of Understanding [PDF - 159 KB]
November 18, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to issue the Indian Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Plan. [PDF - 167 KB]November 6, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to provide an update on Indian Health Service COVID-19 vaccination planning efforts. [PDF - 20]- IHS Area Vaccine Point of Contact [PDF - 17 KB]
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Tribal Health Program Agreement – Vaccines Coordinated through IHS [PDF - 254 KB]
November 2, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate the first of a series of Tribal Consultations in conjunction with updates to Indian Health Service contracting policy and procedures associated with implementing the Buy Indian Act of 1910. [PDF - 441 KB]- Enclosure: IHS Framing Paper on The Buy Indian Act [PDF - 235 KB]
October 29, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide clarification on COVID-19 vaccination of non-beneficiaries. [PDF - 303 KB]October 23, 2020
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide an update on short-term continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021 that affect Tribal Health Programs with performance periods starting within the current continuing resolution period for October 1, 2020 through December 11, 2020. [PDF - 269 KB]October 14, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to announce the new solicitation for the fiscal year 2020 Indian Health Service Small Ambulatory Program. The deadline for submitting applications is February 1, 2021. [PDF - 64 KB]October 14, 2020
The Director notifies Tribal Leaders about a comment period, open through October 21, to request input on the Indian Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Draft Plan. [PDF - 168 KB]October 4, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to inform them that the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration recently amended the national IHS-VA VHA Reimbursement Agreement, which effects direct health care services to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans at 74 IHS facilities. [PDF - 178 KB]