White House announces plans for Obama to nominate IHS Director

President Obama plans to nominate Yvette Roubideaux, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine, as director of Indian Health Service, the White House announced on Monday along with several other appointments, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The nomination is expected to be made official by the Senate in coming weeks.

Roubideaux, a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, has worked for IHS in the past as a medical officer and clinical director on the San Carlos Indian Reservation and in the Gila River Indian community, according to a university release. She also is the co-director of an effort that provides diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention programming to 66 American Indian/Alaska Native communities.

According to the Daily Star, Roubideaux wrote a comprehensive study on health disparities in American Indians and Alaska Natives. In addition to research and teaching, Roubideaux also has advocated for increased representation of American Indians in health professions and helped recruit students from American Indian communities into health care careers.

In a statement about the nominations, Obama said, "The expertise that these talented individuals bring to their respective roles gives me confidence that they will be effective advocates for the American people in meeting the many challenges our nation faces."

Roubideaux is barred from commenting on the nomination until the position is confirmed (Mackey, Arizona Daily Star, 3/24).