Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service

11/04/2026

Community Health Representatives – here's your chance to build skills and connect with other CHRs. Join us from February 1-4 in San Diego for the 2027 IHS National Community Health Representative Conference.

Sessions include hands-on workshops, skill stations, and talking circles. There is no cost to attend. Register by January 15: https://2027ihs-chrconference.vfairs.com/en/

10/13/2026

10/02/2026

Community Health Representatives (CHRs) connect people to the care, services, and support they need. CHRs work within American Indian and Alaska Native communities. They share health information, help people navigate services, and explain next steps.

CHRs also provide follow-up and ongoing support. Trusted relationships and local knowledge help CHRs make care easier to reach, better coordinated, and more connected.

Read our FAQs to learn more about CHRs and the many roles they play: https://www.ihs.gov/chr/faqs

09/29/2026

IHS has awarded $1.7 million to support Tribal self-governance and self-determination across Indian Country.

More than $1.1 million in Tribal Management Grant Program funding will go to nine Tribes and Tribal organizations to develop and improve Tribal capacity to manage health programs under the authority of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The program is designed to prepare Tribes and Tribal organizations for assuming all or part of existing IHS programs, functions, services, and activities, and to further develop and improve their health management capabilities.

• California Rural Indian Health Board (Roseville, CA) – $150,000
• Indian Health Council, Inc (Valley Center, CA) – $130,274
• Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma (McCloud, OK) – $100,000
• MACT Health Board, Inc (Angels Camp, CA) – $150,000
• Ponca Tribe of Nebraska (Niobrara, NE) – $97,560
• Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc (Pine Hill, NM) – $150,000
• Seldovia Village Tribe (Seldovia, AK) – $84,805
• Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (Wewoka, OK) – $100,000
• Yavapai-Apache Nation (Camp Verde, AZ) – $150,000

Through annual Planning and Negotiation Cooperative Agreements, more than $600,000 will also be awarded to five Tribes and Tribal organizations to support the planning and preparation necessary to assume responsibility for providing health care to their tribal members through the Tribal Self-Governance Program.

The Planning Cooperative Agreement funding assists Tribes with legal and budgetary research, internal Tribal government planning, and preparation needed for the administration of health care programs. The Negotiation Cooperative Agreement assists Tribes to defray the costs related to preparing for and conducting self-governance program negotiations. The Tribal Self-Governance Program exemplifies the nation-to-nation relationship that exists between the U.S. Government and Tribes and the strong federal-Tribal partnership that is critical to the program’s overall success.

Planning Cooperative Agreement Awards:

• Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana (Elton, LA) – $142,170
• Guidiville Indian Rancheria (Talmage, CA) – $164,487
• Klamath Tribes (Klamath Falls, OR) – $180,000

Negotiation Cooperative Agreement Awards:

• Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (Wewoka, OK) – $84,000
• Taos Pueblo (Taos, NM) – $77,962

09/29/2026

On September 26, Lawton Indian Health Service officially transitioned to the new electronic health record (EHR) solution, PATH EHR. This milestone reflects years of careful preparation and was made possible by the shared commitment of our PATH and Lawton Service Unit teams. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring this effort to fruition. Together, we are moving forward as One Team, One PATH EHR.

Learn more about how PATH EHR enables our providers to keep “patients at the heart” of their work: https://www.ihs.gov/hit/

09/22/2026

IHS has awarded $3.5 million to 14 Tribal and urban Indian communities through the Produce Prescription Pilot Program (P4) to help establish and implement community-driven produce prescription programs across Indian Country. This advances P4 into Phase 2, expanding access to healthy foods and strengthening connections among health care, nutrition, and local food systems.

This investment advances the Trump Administration’s Make America Healthy Again Strategy by addressing nutrition as a foundation of health, strengthening preventive care, and supporting community-driven approaches to reducing chronic disease. Phase 2 builds on the foundational work completed during the original P4, which was established in 2023 to help reduce food insecurity and improve health care outcomes among American Indians and Alaska Natives by increasing access to produce and other traditional foods.

Read more: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/indian-health-service-awards-3-million-tribal-food-nutrition-initiatives.html

08/21/2026

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that the U.S. Senate has confirmed, and President Donald Trump signed the Commission for, Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to serve a four-year term as director of the Indian Health Service. Cruz becomes the federal agency's 12th Senate-confirmed director, filling a leadership position that had remained vacant since January 2025.

“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their trust in me and appreciate the U.S. Senate’s confirmation. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve American Indian and Alaska Native communities as the new director of the Indian Health Service,” said Cruz. “I look forward to working closely with Tribal leaders, urban Indian organizations, our dedicated workforce, and partners across Indian Country to strengthen Tribal consultation, improve access to high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare, hire health professionals our communities need, and modernize the Indian health system.”

Read more at: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-welcomes-mark-cruz-confirmed-director-indian-health-service.html

08/21/2026

Open to the Public: Oklahoma City IHS Area Office 701 Market Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73114

08/12/2026

Calling all Native men ages 18 and older! Join Oklahoma City Indian Clinic for Man vs. Wild on Tuesday, September 29, for a day of outdoor activities, health education, and connection at Shiloh Adventure Camp.

Participants will enjoy fishing, archery, arrow making, pickleball, horseshoes, Native cooking, and health education sessions. Plus, every attendee will receive a t-shirt, water bottle, hat, and leather work gloves, and you'll have the chance to win outdoor gear and other raffle prizes.

Registration is required. To sign up or learn more, call (405) 948-4900 ext. 698. or go to OKCIC.com/events. Registration is due by September 15th to guarantee a shirt. We hope you'll join us for a day of learning, fellowship, and time outdoors.

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