On March 9, the Biden Administration announced the nomination of Roselyn Tso to be the Director of the Indian Health Services (IHS). She is a member of the Navajo Nation and has worked for IHS for over 32 years. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a hearing on her nomination.
Roselyn Tso is currently the Director of the Navajo Area of IHS. She was appointed in 2019 and has concentrated on directing services and resources to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. She oversees health services for over 244,000 people, covering more than 25,000 square miles stretching across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
Roselyn Tso also served as the Director of the IHS Office of Direct Services and Contracting Tribes and the Director of the IHS Office of Tribal and Service Unit Operations for the Portland Area. She was responsible for implementing the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or Public Law 93-638, enabling tribes to assume control over their healthcare services.
If confirmed, she will oversee health care services for approximately 2.6 million members of 574 federally recognized tribes. She would be responsible for a budget of about $6.6 billion in the fiscal year 2022.