HIMSS hosted its second annual Native American & Indigenous Symposium at the 2025 HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition, bringing together members of the HIMSS Native American & Indigenous Community and others working to advance Tribal health.

The symposium began with an opening ceremony and prayer by Wallace Coffey, former chairman of the Comanche Nation. During the initial discussion, Evan Dunne, HIMSS Government Relations Manager, moderated a discussion with General Dynamics Information Technology Vice President Donnie Parish and Oracle Health representatives Dr. James Ellzy and Nate Stafford. Each panelist discussed how their respective organizations are modernizing healthcare around the world through technology solutions, most notably in supporting the health and wellbeing of Tribal communities while respecting cultural integration and building community trust.

Dr. Ivar Mendez, director of the Virtual Health Hub, based on Whitecap Dakota First Nation land south of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, delivered a keynote presentation. He described the facility’s groundbreaking capabilities, including the ability to support delivery of virtual health services for up to 90 communities remotely using AI, robotics and other robust virtual care systems. Dr. Mendez and his team work with the community to ensure health interventions are culturally appropriate and respects data sovereignty. They are also training the next generation of Indigenous healthcare workers within the health hub.

Chris Tall Bear, NNPHI’s Tribal Public Health Advisor, went on to describe their role in supporting public health data modernization for Tribes. They are tasked with supporting a Tribal Implementation Center, a CDC funded program that will work to advance public health data access and interoperability for Tribes. NNPHI will be leading this effort to ensure that the program is guided by Tribal community input.

HIMSS hosted a global Indigenous panel and heard from Marcelino Flores, the Tribal liaison for the Pima County Health Department in Arizona, Dr. Ray Mahoney, an Indigenous research scholar from Australia, and Krystal Schramm, HIMSS Native American & Indigenous Community vice chair. Each panelist discussed digital health principles for respectful eHealth collaboration. The session revealed similarities in how different countries honor culture in their data governance protocols with Indigenous people.

Dr. Theresa Cullen, Pima County Health director in Arizona and also a member of the HIMSS Americas Board of Advisors, joined Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Meghan O’Connell for the closing keynote discussion. They discussed a future state where health IT systems can be accountable and responsible for seamless coordination of care within a public health setting while protecting the sanctity of holistic health.

Robert Coffey closed out the symposium by honoring Meghan O’Connell and Krystal Schramm in a blanketing ceremony for their dedication to their Tribal communities in addition to their respective 2025 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Awards.

The 2025 symposium was sponsored by General Dynamics Information Technology, Oracle Health, Innsena, National Network of Public Health Institutes and Greenway Health. These companies showed a vested interest in Tribal leaders, Indigenous health professionals and allies from around the globe convening around their journey toward health IT modernization.

HIMSS continues supporting the modernization of Tribal health through the HIMSS Native American & Indigenous Community’s year-round initiatives.

Member Actions:

• Join the Native American & Indigenous Community
• Learn more about advocacy and education