Using DHCP Technology in Another Public Environment

Abstract

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and, like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is an agency of the US Public Health Service. It is responsible for providing comprehensive health care to approximately 1 2 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives, often from birth to death, in rural and generally remote regions of the country scattered across the continental United States and Alaska. This is accomplished through a system of IHS direct-care facilities (47 hospitals and 122 outpatient centers), IHS funded tribal programs (another 7 hospitals and 149 outpatient sites), and services contracted for from the private sector. The organization has approximately 15,000 employees and a budget of about $1.7 billion. Its programs range from installation of basic sanitation infrastructure, such as water and sewer systems, to dental and medical care delivered in facilities, communities, schools, and homes.