IHS works through decades-old backlog on Native health facilities
A new Santa Ana Pueblo medical center is set for 2027 as IHS targets a decades-old list, but officials say billions more are still needed
The Indian Health Service is moving forward on long-delayed construction projects aimed at replacing aging health facilities that serve Native communities, according to The Associated Press. At Santa Ana Pueblo, a new 235,000-square-foot medical center is expected to break ground in 2027 and provide services including dialysis, diabetes care and optometry. Tribal leaders said the project is expected to ease pressure on the Albuquerque Indian Health Center, a federal facility built about 90 years ago.
According to The Associated Press, the Albuquerque center remains on a 1993 priority list of clinics and hospitals identified for replacement. In February, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged $1 billion toward delayed projects, including $22 million for the Santa Ana Pueblo center. Federal officials said about $8 billion is still needed to complete the remaining projects on the list.
- 1.Savannah Peters. The Associated Press, .