WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery to AI/ANs, as well as upholding the Federal government’s trust responsibility to AI/AN Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, the unmet health needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives are severe and the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives is far below that of the general population of the United States, resulting in an average life expectancy for American Indians and Alaska Natives 4.2 years less than that for the U.S. all races population; and
WHEREAS, there is currently a 34% vacancy rate of physicians within the Indian Health Service (IHS); and

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need in rural Tribal communities for family practice physicians and many Tribes have been approved to host medical residency programs in their Indian health systems; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) currently does not have any funding stream for Tribal medical residency programs in Indian Country. The funding streams that exist do not have set-asides for Tribes to participate, which results in no funding to support Tribal medical residency programs; and