AHA applauds creation of House IHS task force, citing work of AHA task force

The AHA today applauded leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for creating a bipartisan Indian Health Service Task Force. “We look forward to working with you, as co-chairs of the IHS Task Force, to develop and pass legislation to address barriers to care coordination and improve access to health care services for all American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes,” AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said in a letter to Reps. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA). “In 2015, the AHA created the Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities, which examined ways in which hospitals can help ensure access to health care services in vulnerable communities. As part of that work, the task force examined how care provided by the IHS could be strengthened to improve access and the quality of care available for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. Ultimately, they recommended a multi-step strategy to promote care coordination between IHS facilities and other health care providers. Enclosed is a one-page document highlighting the IHS strategy recommended by the AHA task force, along with an executive summary of their full report.”