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A Message of Hope and Change Yvette Roubideaux, MD '89 MPH '97, has gone from waiting four or five hours to receive health care in an Indian Health Services (IHS) doctor's office as a child to becoming the first woman to oversee the federal agency. In May, Roubideaux was sworn in as the Director of IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. IHS is the principal federal health care advocate and provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Roubideaux says the job so far has been exciting and hectic. "Exciting to be a part of the Obama administration," she explains. "And exciting to carry the message of hope and change to IHS along with the rest of the administration. It has been hectic because I hadn't planned on this." Not expecting the nod from the new president, Roubideaux was surprised when she received the call. "I had to end my academic career, move from Arizona to D.C., go through the process of being confirmed by the Senate and then assume directorship of a large federal agency," she explains. "It's not something I planned on doing, but I'm really grateful for the opportunity. It's an important step in my career." Overcoming Disparities As a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe and part Standing Rock Sioux, Roubideaux's lifelong goal has been to improve the quality of healthcare for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. "This is the premise upon which I have made all the decisions in my career," she says. "And now I am in a position to do just that. " As a clinician and medical administrator in IHS facilities in Arizona, Roubideaux became interested in approaching Indian health problems from a public health perspective. So, she received her Master's of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health in 1997 then sought additional faculty development and research training through the completion of the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy. Now, at the helm of a $4 billion nationwide health care delivery program, which is responsible for providing preventive, curative and community health care to approximately 1.9 million of the nation's 3.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in hospitals, clinics and other settings throughout the U.S., Roubideaux has laid out four ambitious priorities to accomplish her job: 1. To renew and strengthen IHS's partnership with tribes. 2. To bring reform to IHS, she will work with the tribes to identify problems in the agency and then develop solutions to improve those areas. 3. To improve the quality and access to care for patients. 4. To ensure the work of IHS is transparent and accountable, and fair and inclusive. Improving the quality of healthcare for a minority population in which there are health and healthcare disparities and the rates of chronic diseases on the rise, Roubideaux has her work cut out for her. "If we improve care and institute change in what we do, and focus on quality and access to care," she explains, "health disparities will improve over time." For the Greater Good Roubideaux credits HMS for encouraging her to consider careers in leadership positions. "At Harvard, we were always encouraged to be leaders and make as big a difference as possible," she says, "and do it for the greater good." Roubideaux is also grateful to the wise advice give to her by her mentor at HMS, Joan Y. Reede, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership at HMS. "She said to look for work based on what you want to do, not what position you think you should have," explains Roubideaux, "so you are doing things of value in your life." Roubideaux would like to pass along advice of her own to fellow alumni: "I'd like students and alumni to know there are roles for Harvard grads to improve healthcare for American Indians and Alaska Natives," she says. "There are doctors out there from HMS working on health disparities." |
Yvette Roubideaux, MD '89 MPH '97, has gone from waiting four or five hours to receive health care in an Indian Health Services (IHS) doctor's office as a child to becoming the first woman to oversee the federal agency.