Senate Approves Dr. Yvette Roubideaux as New Director of the Indian Health Service
On Wednesday, May 6, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the nomination of Dr. Yvette Roubideaux as the new director of the Indian Health Service. Dr. Roubideaux is the first American Indian woman to head the Indian Health Service since it was founded in 1955. She served most recently as an assistant professor in the department of family & community medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and was also an assistant professor at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Dr. Roubideaux has conducted extensive research on American Indian health issues, with a focus on diabetes in American Indians/Alaska Natives and Indian health policy. She previously worked in the Indian Health Service as a medical officer and clinical director on the San Carlos Indian Reservation and in the Gila River Indian Community. Dr. Roubideaux, 46, is a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe. She received her MD from Harvard Medical School and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dean Iman Hakim (Arizona) said, "Schools of public health are very fortunate to have Dr. Yvette Roubideaux leading the Indian Health Service. She will bring the public health perspective to issues relating to American Indians and Alaska Natives. We look forward to working with Dr. Roubideaux and enhancing the relationship between schools of public health and the Indian Health Service."
The Indian Health Service is "The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives." The agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Indian Health Service is "The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives." The agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
