Local elected officials are criticizing the planned closure of the Indian Health Service’s Tucson Area Office as part of an agency-wide restructuring.
Announced last year, the IHS Realignment plan is the first overhaul of the agency’s organizational structure in two decades and aims to improve its accountability, efficiency and service provision, according to the agency’s website.
It calls for merging its Tucson Area Office with its Phoenix Area Office, with no changes to its 10 other area offices.
“The manner in which IHS alignment is occurring undermines tribal sovereignty and violates federal trust responsibilities we have to native nations,” said U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva at a Monday press conference protesting the planned closure.
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Patty Talahongva is an Arizona native and a longtime journalist; she’s also directed and produced documentaries, among other roles.
