Description

There are job openings for pediatricians at multiple Navajo Area IHS Facilities. We are made up of over 50 board certified/board eligible pediatricians, med/peds physicians, and ancillary pediatric providers who collectively represent one of the largest pediatric “group practices” in the Southwest. We have staff from all parts of the United States who have trained at some of the best pediatric training programs in the country. 

The Navajo tribe is the largest federally recognized Native American tribe in the US, and Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the country (it is approximately the size of West Virginia). The reservation land mass is primarily in Arizona and New Mexico, but also stretches into Southern Utah. The NAIHS operates 8 “service units” with 6 hospitals, 6 independently staffed health centers and multiple health stations across the reservation.  Each service unit has independent medical, nursing, support and administrative staff,  but all 8 function together in an extended referral network for primary care and referral services.

6 Navajo Area IHS hospital-based service units provide both inpatient and outpatient pediatric care (including delivery/newborn care). These include:

• Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility (Chinle, AZ)
• Gallup Indian Medical Center (Gallup, NM)
• Northern Navajo Medical Center (Shiprock, NM)
• Crownpoint Comprehensive Health Care Facility (Crownpoint, NM)
• Tse Hoot Sooi Medical Center (Fort Defiance, AZ)
• Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (Tuba City, AZ).

All 6 sites are currently recruiting Pediatricians to help meet a critical need. Practicing at any of these sites allows providers to provide full-spectrum pediatric care-- including outpatient, inpatient, and newborn care services. Opportunities exist for providers to focus and hone skills in areas such as Developmental Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Peds Emergency Preparedness, and Public Health, among others.  

There are also opportunities at many of the outpatient-only health centers on Navajo Nation (that are independently staffed but technically part of other service units):

• Tsaile Health Center (Tsaile, AZ) and Pinon Health Center (Pinon, AZ)- both are part of the Chinle service unit
• Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Health Center (outside of Bloomfield, NM)-  part of the Shiprock service unit
• 4 Corners Regional Health Care Center (Red Mesa, AZ)- part of the Shiprock/NNMC service unit
• Tohatchi Health Center (Tohatchi, NM) - part of the Gallup service unit. 
• Kayenta Health Center (Kayenta, AZ) and Inscription House Health Center (Shonto, AZ) - part of the Kayenta service unit
• Winslow Indian Health Care Corporation (Winslow, AZ).   

All facilities across Navajo Area provide necessary medical care to a very underserved population in rural settings. 

Navajo Nation is also a remarkable place to live. Located in the four corners region, the entire reservation offers access to world-class hiking, camping, skiing, and other outdoor activities. While the geographic backdrop is hard to beat, it is the sense of community that really makes NAIHS sites shine. Our providers are a self-selecting group of people connected by a desire to serve the underserved. While this may seem like a challenging time to join a federally funded institution, recent political shifts have only strengthened our resolve to deliver high-quality, culturally grounded care. 

Though we all take our work seriously, we also value our time outside of work. Work-life balance is prioritized in meaningful ways that vary from site to site. Time off is generous, and financial compensation is at or above the national average for pediatric providers, especially when taking into account the low cost of living here. 

If you are interested in learning more about any Navajo Area IHS jobs, please reach out to the appropriate recruiter-- information can be found here: https://www.ihs.gov/careeropps/contactrecruiter/ 

Requirements

• Completion of an ACGME-accredited pediatric or med-peds residency program
• Board certification from the American Board of Pediatrics [or board eligibility, for new grads who have not yet had the opportunity to sit for boards]
• Valid [current], unrestricted allopathic and/or osteopathic medical license to practice medicine issued by any one of the 50 states
• US citizenship