From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Indian Health Service: Poor Conditions and Medical
Equipment Challenges

Description: Indian Health Service (IHS) provides health care services
directly to American Indian and Alaska Native populations at federally
operated medical facilities. Of the 212 buildings that IHS has rated,
about 61 percent are in fair or poor condition, compared to the goal of
having 90 percent in good or excellent condition. The state of medical
equipment at IHS federally operated facilities cannot be determined
because IHS does not have complete or reliable data.?Our recommendations
include that IHS implement a plan to address problems with its medical
equipment inventory and provide greater oversight moving forward. 

Related GAO Works: GAO-24-105723. Indian Health Service: Many Federal
Facilities Are in Fair or Poor Condition and Better Data Are Needed on
Medical Equipment

Released: November 2023
 
The Indian Health Service's goal is to improve the health of American
Indians and Alaska Natives by providing quality and accessible health
care services. However, 61% of IHS facilities are in fair or poor
condition and IHS's medical equipment is aging- which can negatively
affect patient care.

IHS collects information about its medical equipment, but the data is
incomplete. Without better data, IHS doesn't know the state of its
equipment and can't properly budget for replacement.

Our recommendations include that IHS implement a plan to address
problems with its medical equipment inventory and provide greater
oversight moving forward.
 [ End ]

For more info, check out our report GAO-24-105723 at: GAO.gov