Native News
IHEART, an Indigenous Taskforce, Hosts Spring Summit to Strengthen Native Health Workforce
The Indigenous Health, Education, and Resources Taskforce (IHEART), a national collaborative working to address the shortage of American Indians and Alaska Natives in health professions, will host its Spring 2026 Virtual Summit later this month on March 24 and 25.
The two-day conference aims to strengthen the Native health workforce through collaboration, mentorship, and shared learning.
IHEART is an Indigenous-led network of approximately 650 American Indian and Alaska Native health professionals, educators, students, organizational leaders, and community members. The collaborative focuses on increasing Native representation in health careers by supporting engagement, matriculation, retention, and graduation of Native students pursuing health-related fields.
Through culturally responsive programming and mentorship, IHEART supports Native students across the entire educational pipeline—from K–12 through professional school, residency, and beyond. Organizers say the effort is critical as Native communities continue to face significant health disparities and an ongoing shortage of Indigenous healthcare providers.
The Spring 2026 Virtual Summit will bring together students, educators, healthcare professionals, and organizational partners who are working to expand the Native health workforce.
Programming will include discipline-specific discussions across multiple healthcare fields, student panels exploring educational and career pathways, and policy and program updates from the National Indian Health Board.
Linda Bedeau, B.S., M.B.A., a founding member of Red Lake Nation College, will serve as the keynote speaker for the IHEART 2026 Virtual Summit. She is an enrolled citizen of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and currently serves as Director of Operations and Extension at Red Lake Nation College. With more than 40 years of leadership experience in Tribal governance, health systems administration, higher education, and federal program management, she has dedicated her career to advancing Indigenous self-determination, strengthening Tribal health systems, and expanding educational opportunities for American Indian communities.
Bedeau previously served as Deputy Health Systems Administrator for the Indian Health Service (IHS), where she oversaw hospital operations, secured major healthcare infrastructure funding, and guided accreditation efforts through The Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services standards.
A featured presentation will be delivered by Jessica A. Rickert, DDS, who is scheduled to speak on March 24, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. EST. Rickert, a nationally recognized advocate for Native health equity, will address participants during the virtual gathering.
The summit will be held online via Zoom and is designed for students, healthcare professionals, educators, and partners engaged in advancing Native health workforce development. Organizers hope the event will foster stronger connections among participants while highlighting opportunities to support and mentor the next generation of Native healthcare leaders.
By bringing together experienced practitioners, emerging professionals, and community advocates, IHEART continues its mission to ensure more Native voices are represented in the healthcare system—ultimately improving health outcomes in Indigenous communities across the United States.
