“The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to establish a framework for coordination and partnering to leverage and share resources and investments in support of each organization’s mutual goals. The United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Indian Health Service (IHS) recognize the sovereign status of tribal governments and value the important role that both tribal governments and Urban Indian Organization (UIOs) have in the delivery of health care services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Veterans. Accordingly, the VHA and the IHS recognize the value of tribal input into the policies, programs, and services that effect AI/AN Veterans. Although this MOU may serve as an agreement between two Federal agencies, both agencies commit to engaging in communication, collaboration, Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer consistent with their respective policies, applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Order(s).
With full delegated authority of the VA and HHS Secretaries to do so, the VHA and the IHS enter into this MOU to facilitate a broad range of collaboration between the agencies that will allow for the development of additional agreements around specific activities. This MOU recognizes the importance of coordinated and cohesive effort on a national scope, while acknowledging that implementation of such efforts may require local adaptation through a local MOU1 to meet the needs of individual Veterans and their families, as well as local VHA, IHS, Tribal Health Programs2 (THPs), and UIOs…” Read the full MOU here.
Source: Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration and United States Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service – December 2, 2020. Indian Health Service.
