Champion for her people: Indian Health Service taps Loretta Christensen as top doctor

WINDOW ROCK

Dr. Loretta Christensen, who has served as chief medical officer for the Navajo Area Indian Health Service from 2017 to 2021 and chief medical officer for the Gallup Service Unit from 2014 to 2017, was appointed as chief medical officer for the entire U.S. Indian Health Service, the IHS announced last Friday.

“She is a frontline warrior and we will miss her as she moves on to another prestigious position with IHS,” said President Jonathan Nez.

Christensen is Naakaii Dine’é and born for Bitáá’chii’nii (Táchii’nii). Her cheii is Naakaii Dine’é and her nálí is Bilagáana.

The IHS provides a health service delivery system for approximately 2.6 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.

In her new role at the federal agency, Christensen, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will be the lead expert on medical and public health issues and guide IHS leadership and staff across the country on health care policies and protocols for tribal nations.

“I am so appreciative of the opportunity to take on the role of IHS chief medical officer and to be able to make a difference in the lives of Native people across Indian Country,” Christensen told Navajo Times on Monday.

“The IHS mission of raising the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level is more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said, “and a goal that I am proud to continue working towards.”

In collaboration with the Navajo Nation’s Department of Health and Health Command Operations Center, Christensen helped lead the Nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the rollout and implementation of the vaccination program – one of the most successful in the country.

“We are very proud and thankful of the work that Doctor Christensen has done for the Navajo people, especially during COVID-19,” Nez said. “I am confident that her guidance, expertise, and leadership helped to save many lives.”

Nez said throughout the pandemic Christensen provided “tremendous insight” and recommendations that led to the reduction of new COVID-19 cases and the high vaccination rate on the Nation.

IHS Acting Director Elizabeth Fowler said in a July 30 news release, “Christensen has been a consistent voice and leader in the Navajo Area IHS for years, most recently serving as a leader in the area’s COVID-19 response by ensuring that patients received quality care, communicating safety measures to the public and staff, and establishing safety standards for the area.

“Christensen is deserving of this important role as the IHS CMO,” she said, “and we look forward to having her experience and expertise as she leads our IHS health care professionals towards further advancing the IHS mission.”

Prior to her service with the Navajo Area IHS, Christensen was the clinical trauma director and associate director of the surgical intensive care unit at Jersey Shore University Hospital.

She was also the director of integrative medicine and non-invasive pain management services, as well as an assistant professor of surgery at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

She has specialty training in medical acupuncture, palliative care, functional medicine, just culture, quality management and patient safety.

Christensen earned an undergraduate degree in biological anthropology from Harvard University and a medical degree from Hahnemann University Medical School and now Drexel University College of Medicine.

She completed her general surgery residency at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey and a fellowship in trauma and critical care at Cooper University Hospital.

She also earned a master’s in business administration from Georgian Court University and a master’s of jurisprudence with a specialty in health care law from Seton Hall Law School.

Her appointment as chief medical officer for IHS comes after the retirement of Rear Adm. Michael Toedt, M.D.

Christensen said, “I look forward to taking on the challenges of this role and I am thankful to have worked with such an incredible team throughout the Navajo Area IHS during my service with them.”

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