The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the U.S. Senate has confirmed, and President Donald Trump signed the Commission for, Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to serve a four-year term as director of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Cruz becomes the federal agency’s 12th Senate-confirmed director, filling a leadership position that had remained vacant since January 2025.
Nominated by President Trump on June 1, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on June 24 and reported the nomination out of committee on July 22. Mr. Cruz was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7. His confirmation places a Native leader at the helm of the nation’s 18th largest public health system that is responsible for providing healthcare services to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives through nearly 600 federally operated hospitals and clinics, Tribal health programs, and urban Indian organizations.
“From my first day as Secretary, I have made strengthening the Indian Health Service and improving the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native communities a top priority,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “I congratulate Mark Cruz on his well-deserved Senate confirmation. Mark has already been an invaluable partner in advancing our priorities across Indian Country as my Senior Advisor. As Director of the Indian Health Service, he will build on that work by supporting Tribal self-determination and food sovereignty, and ensuring Native families receive the high-quality healthcare they deserve.”
“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their trust in me and appreciate the U.S. Senate’s confirmation. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve American Indian and Alaska Native communities as the new director of the Indian Health Service,” said Cruz. “I look forward to working closely with Tribal leaders, urban Indian organizations, our dedicated workforce, and partners across Indian Country to strengthen Tribal consultation, improve access to high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare, hire health professionals our communities need, and modernize the Indian health system.”
In addition to being the IHS director, Mr. Cruz will continue to serve as senior advisor for Native Affairs to Secretary Kennedy, a position he has held since June 2025. The position of senior advisor makes him the highest-ranking Native American official within the Department of Health and Human Services.
Cruz previously served as deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior under Secretary Ryan Zinke and Secretary David Bernhardt. He also held key roles on Capitol Hill, under Representative Todd Rokita from Indiana and Representative Tom Cole (Chicksaw) from Oklahoma.
Mr. Cruz earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from Brown University.
The Indian Health Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 575 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.
