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IHS Area Offices |
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Who We Are
As early as the treaties of the late 1700's, the U.S. Government has recognized its responsibility to Native American peoples. By the mid-1800's, this responsibility began to include medical care in various forms through a number of governmental agencies. Finally, in 1955, the delivery of health care to American Natives was placed with the Public Health Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. In response to the growth of the program and the needs of the people, PHS formed the Indian Health Service.
Simply put, the purpose of IHS is to lift the health status of the land's indigenous people to the highest level possible. Delivery of health and medical services of IHS is managed through local Service Units organized under the administration of Area Offices. Each Service Unit serves a specific geographical and tribal sector, working closely with tribal governments and officials to enhance their people's health and, therefore, their lives. The Indian Health Service in Tucson works with the Tohono O'odham Nation (to.ho.no aah.tum), formerly known as the Papago, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe (pah.skwah ya.ke) of Arizona. Health service for the Tohono O'odham is centered in Sells, Arizona, capital of the Tohono O'odham Reservation and hub of reservation life. Health centers are also located in the reservation communities of Santa Rosa and San Xavier. The Tohono O'odham Reservation is in the process of constructing a health care facility on the western end of the reservation adjacent to the community of San Simon. It is anticipated that the facility will be operational in fiscal year 2005. Health care in the Sells Service Unit is a combined effort of IHS and the Tohono O'odham Health Department, providing a comprehensive health program of inpatient services, ambulatory care, and community health services. The Pascua Yaqui Service Unit is jointly managed by IHS and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. Services are rendered directly and indirectly through a non-traditional system of subcontracts. Both the Sells and Yaqui Service Units are administered by the Tucson Area Indian Health Service. |
