Grijalva, Kelly, Gallego Demand Answers on Proposed Closure of Tucson Indian Health Service Area Office
Monday, June 1, 2026
Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva, alongside Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting answers regarding the proposed closure of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Tucson Area Office.
“The Tucson Area Office facilitates essential health services for nearly 28,000 patients in coordination with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O'odham Nation. Merging these offices will require patients and staff to travel as long as two hours to visit the closest Area Office, exacerbating bureaucratic delays, communication failures, and service disruptions. The Tucson Office also provides specialized, local services, including dedicated Area Diabetes Consultants which the Phoenix office may be unable to replicate,” said the lawmakers in the letter.
The letter follows a press conference hosted by Rep. Grijalva this morning, where Tribal leaders, local elected officials, and community advocates raised concerns about the proposed elimination of the Tucson Area Office and its potential impact on Tribal communities across Southern Arizona.
About the Tucson Area Indian Health Service: The Tucson Area Indian Health Service (IHS) works in partnership with the Tohono O’odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe in providing technical assistance to the primary health care and community outreach services of the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and a growing and diverse urban Indian population. The Area also provides urban health care services through the Tucson Indian Center, which provides community health outreach, education, prevention, and referral services, including case management, advocacy, and transportation.
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