A Message from the National Indian Health Board:
On February 6, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Acting Deputy Secretary Colleen Barros issued a 2017 HHS Hiring Freeze Exemptions memorandum to provide implementation guidance for exemptions from the presidential memorandum directing a freeze on federal hiring. Certain Indian Health Service (IHS) positions are included among these exemptions (please refer to the HHS Memorandum for a complete list).
On January 25, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), in response to numerous concerns from Tribes and Tribal organizations that the hiring freeze posed a substantial risk to the safety and health of Indian Country, passed a resolution requesting an exemption for the IHS from the hiring freeze. Furthermore, on January 31, NIHB, in collaboration with the the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC), and the Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium, sent a joint letter to President Trump requesting an exemption for IHS.
NIHB applauds the IHS exemption from the federal hiring freeze and celebrates the unity that Indian Country showed in coming together to advocate with one voice. As NIHB continues to work to protect and improve the health and reduce health disparities, we invite continued collaboration and advocacy with all partners.
For a complete list of exempt positions or for more information, please see the 2017 HHS Hiring Freeze Exemptions Memo. You may also contact:
Devin Delrow, Director of Federal Relations at (202) 507-4072/ ddelrow@nihb.org
