Senate Confirms Charles Grim as Director of Indian Health Service

The Senate on July 16 confirmed Charles Grim as director of the Indian Health Service. Grim, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, will oversee the agency, which includes 12 regional offices that oversee local hospitals and clinics providing services to 1.6 million American Indian and Alaska Native people. Grim has worked at IHS since 1983. Grim said, "The challenge of improving the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives and the rest of the nation will be addressed by focusing on health promotion and disease prevention, and through strengthening the infrastructure of the Indian health system of IHS, tribal and urban Indian programs" (IHS release, 7/17). HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson called Grim's confirmation "a vote of confidence that the health issues of American Indians and Alaska Natives will receive the attention they deserve," adding, "Dr. Grim's emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, and his support of treatment programs, reflects a vision that will ensure a healthier future for generations to come" (HHS release, 7/17).