How Ellsworth is Ready to Support the 2026 IHS Hiring Initiative

The recent announcement from the Indian Health Service regarding the launch of the largest hiring initiative in the agency’s history marks a pivotal moment for healthcare in Indian Country. As reported on January 29, 2026, this unprecedented push is a historic investment in rebuilding the workforce to address a near-30 percent vacancy rate across the agency. For us at Ellsworth, we hear some facilities are reporting 70%! We know that behind every vacancy statistic is a patient waiting for care, and we stand ready to serve as a professional resource to help close that gap.

Since our beginning, Navajo-owned Ellsworth has been dedicated to resolving critical staffing shortages in rural areas with a model built on “Native Ways of Knowing.” The challenge is significant, as official data often lags behind the reality on the ground. The Government Accountability Office has long documented these workforce challenges, which are compounded by the fact that only 2,500 Native doctors exist globally. This shortage has consequences, but we believe it is a problem we can fix together.

We Scaled Our Growth, and We Can Scale IHS

We have been actively doing this work and delivering results. In 2025 alone, Ellsworth was awarded 11 new Purchase Orders for 15 candidates. Through these new and existing agreements, we have successfully placed 35 different candidates on 64 assignments. You can review our profile on G2Xchange to see our established presence in the federal marketplace. Our track record proves that we can mobilize quickly to fill direct patient care positions, providing peace of mind that the back office—including high-quality recruitment, quick onboarding, and correct invoicing—runs smoothly and on time. You can view our verified contract history on FPDS.gov to see that we are not just promising results, but delivering them.

The Indian Health Service has clearly outlined its priorities. As noted by IHS Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton in the IHS Blog, the immediate focus is on filling vacancies for mission-critical positions to keep facilities operating smoothly, particularly in remote locations. This aligns perfectly with our capabilities. We team with over 100 recruiters who can provide high-quality candidates seeking permanent positions, rather than just the temporary help services often utilized. We are positioned to help the Department of Health and Human Services and IHS meet these 2026 priorities immediately.

The “Make America Healthy Again (MAHA)” initiative, backed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is reaching more people in both urban and rural areas, including Native and non-Native communities. The announcement has been highlighted on the official IHS Facebook page and covered extensively by outlets such as Native News Online and ICT News. Even local reporting from the Gallup (NM) Sun Weekly is amplifying this call to action. We are echoing that call by offering a solution that is already vetted, active, and deeply integrated into the community.

We are Obsessed with Only Two Things

Ellsworth isn’t just a ISBEE medical staffing company, we are a homegrown partner obsessed with fixing the two biggest challenges: staffing shortages, and the lack of Indigenous representation in medicine. We provide a bridge between the talented professionals ready to serve—who can find opportunities on IHS Jobs and USAJobs—and the facilities that desperately need them. For a deeper dive into how we address these specific challenges, you can read about the Ellsworth Solution to the Tribal Care and IHS medical staffing shortage.

We are happy to help and we stand ready. Whether you are a Contract Officer looking for a reliable, culturally competent partner or a healthcare professional looking to make a difference, Ellsworth is your solution. Let us discuss your current open solicitations or set up a pilot recruitment program for your specific service unit today. Send us an email at info@ellsworth.solutions today.