U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service: The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives
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Nashville Area
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Welcome to the Nashville Area Indian Health Service


 Nashville Area Map - click to viewZoom In
Nashville Area
Indian Health Service

711 Stewarts Ferry Pike
Nashville, TN 37214

At the Nashville Area Indian Health Service (IHS), our primary mission is to raise the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. In order to accomplish this objective, we work diligently to assure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to American Indian and Alaska Native people. The basis for these goals is rooted in our duty to uphold the Federal Government's obligation to promote healthy American Indian and Alaska Native people, communities and cultures and to honor and protect the inherent sovereign rights of tribes.

The Nashville Area is the most geographically and culturally diverse Area within IHS. This poses unique challenges to our staff and requires the use of creativity, flexibility, and understanding in accomplishing our mission. The Nashville Area logo tries to capture this on a number of different levels, using image and color associations found in Native American culture and traditional heraldry.

In the center a representation of the states that make up the Nashville Area is shown. This symbolizes the geographic extremes and diversity of the Area. The individual states are not identified symbolizing that we work together as a unit to accomplish our mission. The light blue background behind the states traditionally represents health, healing, and understanding; qualities that form the core of our mission. The dark blue of the outer band is symbolic of knowledge, integrity, and sincerity. These are the qualities that bring our actions together into an effective and efficient organization. The caduceus and feather is the traditional symbol of the Indian Health Service and serves to remind us that we are part of a larger, nationwide organization dedicated to health and well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Integrated into the outer band of the logo is the medicine wheel, a traditional symbol in Native American culture. The medicine wheel has many layers of symbolism. It represents the four directions (North, South, East and West) brought together in a common union. It is a symbol of how we bring together ideas from across the Area to solve our problems. The colors each have their own significance and also represent the stages of life. The wheel is a physical representation of the cycle of life and symbolizes our journey toward a common goal.

2010 Nashville Area IHS Director's Award Winners
The Nashville Area has a proud history of national recognition for service to American Indians and Alaska Natives. In 2010, five individuals and two teams were honored for extraordinary work in furthering the IHS mission and agency priorities. Pictured from left are: former Nashville Area Director and current Albuquerque Area Director RADM Richie Grinnell, recipient of the US Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal for his continuous period of leadership in the Nashville Area; Nashville Area Division of Technical Support Director Gina Blackfox, who accepted a Customer Service Award on behalf of the Nashville Area Office First Impressions Team for their efforts in improving customer service in the Nashville Area; Nashville Acting Area Director Martha Ketcher, who received an Award for Excellence for her leadership and dedication to the Nashville Area; LCDR Tonya Cornwell who received a Service Award for her service as Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Catawba Service Unit; and LCDR Allen Bollinger, who accepted the Project TRANSAM Team Award on behalf of the TRANSAM Team for their continued efforts in transferring assets throughout Indian Country. Also recognized were CAPT Michael Toedt, who was awarded a USPHS Outstanding Service Medal and CDR Robin Bartlett, who received an Award for Outstanding Sustained Performance.

Visit the IHS National Director's Awards web site for more information.

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