Our Commitment
The Oregon Medical Board recognizes and honors the sovereign status of Oregon's federally recognized tribes and their respective authorities on tribal lands. We are committed to building meaningful government-to-government relationships through consultation, collaboration, and mutual respect.
Consultation Opportunities
The Board seeks tribal input on Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) and policies that may affect tribes. We invite tribal representation on the Board and working groups of interest to tribes. We believe in early and frequent consultation, with leader-to-leader communication and the authority to make decisions. OMB rulemaking and public meeting notices can be received by signing up on
Subscriber Lists.
Healthcare Practice Areas
We are committed to learning from tribes about their healthcare efforts and needs related to the practice of medicine, podiatry, and acupuncture. We want to understand how our regulatory work in these areas can support tribal healthcare delivery and workforce development. We seek to provide resources for licensing and supporting healthcare practitioners serving tribal communities. However, care provided in a tribal facility is not under the Board's jurisdiction. Tribal agencies have regulations separate from state regulation.
Data Sharing and Resources
The OMB supports the exchange of relevant public data collected by our staff or by tribal governments. We want to be a valuable resource for tribes and look for ways our agency programs can provide useful information, insights, and support for tribal healthcare initiatives.
Program Development and Improvement
We actively look for opportunities where our agency programs and projects can be improved with input from tribes. We want to understand tribal healthcare needs and find ways to make our programs more effective and responsive. We believe that building and maintaining strong government-to-government relations with Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes makes our agency more effective overall.
Ongoing Engagement
The Oregon Medical Board maintains a dedicated Tribal Liaison who coordinates with tribes, supports internal agency programs and projects, and participates in tribal-state meetings. We consult with the Legislative Commission on Indian Services on matters concerning tribal government and make reasonable efforts to cooperate with tribes in the development and implementation of agency programs.
For consultation requests or to learn more about partnership opportunities, please contact our Tribal Liaison, Gretchen Kingham, at 971-673-2700 or
gretchen.kingham@omb.oregon.gov.