Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
It Took Almost 2 Years: Senate Confirms Indian Health Service Chief
In a long-awaited vote, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Indian Health Service. The health care provider for 2.6 million Native Americans had not had a permanent leader in the 20 months since Biden took office. Roselyn Tso takes over as IHS director after leading the agency’s operations on her own Navajo Nation. (Young, 9/23)
Navajo Nation citizen Roselyn Tso was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday to lead the Indian Health Service, the first permanent director the agency has had in nearly two years. Tso’s term will last four years. The director of Indian Health Service is the most senior position that helps to develop healthcare policy for 2.6 million Indigenous people across the nation. (Denetclaw, 9/26)
In other health news from the Biden administration —
President Joe Biden will headline the White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health on Sept. 28, unveiling his plan to make good on a pledge to end hunger and diet-related diseases by 2030. (Bustillo, 9/23)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that it has established a Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE) network with $90 million in funding support to five laboratories and their academic partners. (9/23)
