Charles W. Grim, D.D.S., Director of the Oklahoma City Area of the Indian Health Service (IHS), has been promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). With this promotion, Dr. Grim becomes one of 9 flag officers in the IHS, or one of 56 flag officers in the eight agencies of the USPHS.
    Dr. Grim is a native of Oklahoma and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. As Director of the Oklahoma City Area, Dr. Grim oversees a comprehensive program that provides health services to the largest user population of all the IHS Area Offices, more than 280,000 American Indians comprising 37 tribes. The geographic area of responsibility covers the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and portions of Texas. Health care is provided through direct care, contract care, or tribally operated facilities. As an Area Director, he is also a member of the Indian Health Leadership Council composed of IHS, tribal, and urban Indian health program representatives, which is a decision making body of the agency that examines health care policy issues.
    Dr. Grim was appointed to the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and began his IHS career in 1983. Among Dr. Grim's honors and awards received from the USPHS are the Commendation Medal (awarded twice), Achievement Medal (awarded twice), Citation, Unit Citation (awarded twice) and Outstanding Unit Citation. He has also been awarded Outstanding Management and Superior Service awards by the Directors of three different IHS Areas. In 1999, he received the Jack D. Robertson Award, which is given to a senior dental officer in the USPHS who demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to the organization. Dr. Grim is a member of the Commissioned Officers Association, the American Board of Dental Public Health, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and the Society of American Indian Dentists. 
    The IHS, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care advocate and provider for approximately 1.5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to more than 550 federally recognized tribes in 35 states. It is composed of 12 regional offices and a system of 49 hospitals, 221 health centers, 120 health stations, 160 Alaska village clinics, and 34 urban projects. 
    The USPHS is an active duty force of approximately 5600 health care professionals who serve in all 50 states and more than 550 locations worldwide. The USPHS provides officers to serve in the eight agencies of the PHS. The largest number (37% or approximately 2100) of all commissioned officers in the USPHS are assigned to the IHS. 

NOTE TO EDITORS: To schedule an interview with Dr. Grim, contact Steve Barse at 405-951-3768. Dr. Grim's biography and this press release are available at http://www.ihs.gov/publicinfo. General information about the IHS is available on the IHS website at http://www.ihs.gov and http://info.ihs.gov. Further information about the USPHS is available at http://www.os.dhhs.gov/phs/corps/