美国参议院以51票对47票的投票结果确认Mark Cruz担任印第安卫生局(IHS)主任 [1]。克鲁兹是克拉马斯部落的成员 [1]，将领导这一为约280万美国印第安人和阿拉斯加原住民提供医疗服务的联邦机构 [1]。该职位自2025年底以来一直处于空缺状态 [1]，克鲁兹将开始四年任期 [1]。
印第安卫生局面临多重挑战。该机构运营21家医院和78个较小的卫生中心 [1]，但根据2023年美国政府问责办公室的报告，其设施平均年龄约40年，其中三分之一的设施状况被评为"较差" [1]。该局还面临30年的设施更换积压以及医疗提供者空缺率高的问题 [1]。美国印第安国家大会估计，为了完全满足部落国家的医疗需求，印第安卫生局需要约730亿美元的资金 [1]，而2026财政年度国会仅拨款超过80亿美元 [1]。克鲁兹曾担任卫生部长Robert F. Kennedy Jr.关于部落卫生事务的高级顾问 [1]。
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Mark Cruz as director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) in a 51-47 vote [1]. Cruz, a member of the Klamath Tribe, will lead the federal agency that provides healthcare to approximately 2.8 million American Indian and Alaska Native patients [1]. The position had remained vacant since late 2025, and Cruz will serve a four-year term [1]. He previously worked as a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on tribal health matters [1].
The IHS operates 21 hospitals and 78 smaller health centers but faces significant infrastructure and staffing challenges [1]. According to a 2023 Government Accountability Office report, IHS facilities average 40 years in age, with roughly one-third in poor condition [1]. The agency confronts a 30-year backlog of facility replacements and high vacancy rates among healthcare providers [1]. The American Indian Nations estimates that the IHS would require approximately $73 billion to fully meet tribal nations' healthcare needs, yet Congress appropriated just over $8 billion for the agency in fiscal year 2026 [1].