Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Delivering Health Care - Part 1
Lecture:Organization of Health Care and the Federal, State, and Local Levels
Slide content:Indian Health Service ( IHS ) Improve physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives Accessible public health services Culturally sensitive; recognizes sovereign rights 567 federally recognized tribes in 35 states Medical and social issues Disparities in health and life expectancy Higher mortality from diseases, social problems 18
Slide notes:As seen in the previous slides, many HHS agencies target needy, underserved, or rural populations. The Indian Health Service, or IHS , is the federal agency that serves American Indians and Alaska Natives. Its mission is to improve the physical, psychological, and spiritual health of these groups by ensuring access to public health services. Health care for these groups must be delivered in a culturally sensitive manner that recognizes the sovereign rights of tribes. In fact, the U.S. has 567 federally-recognized tribes in thirty-five states, totaling about two million individuals, who mainly reside on reservations, or in rural areas. Unfortunately, Native populations have poorer health than other Americans. Their life expectancy is a full five years shorter. For American Indians and Alaska Natives born today, their life expectancy is 4.4 years less than the U.S. all races population. Sometimes these problems are due to poor education, poverty, discrimination, and cultural misunderstandings. The IHS seeks to address these problems, as well as health disparities. 18