Gerald L Ignace Indian Health Center Inc.

Gerald L Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. is a tax-exempt non-profit organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that serves as the only urban Indian health center in the state. Registered in SAM.gov since June 2005, the organization is dedicated to providing culturally sensitive, comprehensive healthcare services to Native American and Alaska Native populations in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and surrounding regions. The center delivers medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and community health programs specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Through federal contract awards, Gerald L Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. has received substantial recurring funding from the U.S. Indian Health Service to deliver comprehensive healthcare services to eligible Native American beneficiaries in the Metro Milwaukee area. The organization has been awarded multiple delivery orders under an indefinite delivery contract vehicle, with the most significant recurring award being $2,181,780 annually for the provision of medical health services covering the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. Beyond the core medical services contract, the center has received supplemental delivery orders for specialized initiatives, including non-recurring funding of $10,971 in September 2025 for the FY 2025 Mini Cognitive Assessment Tool (Mini COG) pilot program focused on dementia research and cyber attack assistance, a $5,000 delivery order in March 2025 for the CHR Mini-COG pilot program for dementia grant services, and $17,011 in September 2024 for non-recurring funding supporting alcohol training, leadership development, and Bemidji area programming. Additional smaller delivery orders have supported specific operational needs, such as $8,960 awarded in April 2024 for non-recurring funding to support a face-to-face meeting. All contract awards from the Indian Health Service have been issued without socioeconomic set-aside designations, reflecting the organization's competitive capabilities in delivering healthcare services. The underlying indefinite delivery contract vehicle, valued at $9,451,000 with a ceiling through September 30, 2026, provides the contracting mechanism through which the Indian Health Service issues these targeted delivery orders.

Through federal grant awards, Gerald L Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. has established itself as a prime recipient for multiple cooperative agreements and project grants focused on advancing health outcomes and addressing critical social determinants affecting Native American communities. The center holds a cooperative agreement awarded September 30, 2024 by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion for its Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GLIIHC-GHWIC) program, which integrates cultural practices, multidisciplinary teams, and community engagement to prevent and manage chronic diseases among urban Native Americans through culturally relevant foods, traditions, and activities extending through September 29, 2029. Additional grants support specialized health initiatives, including a cooperative agreement from the Bureau of Primary Health Care for the FY 2023 Bridge Access Program (awarded September 1, 2023, completed December 31, 2024), a cooperative agreement from the Office of the Director's Special Diabetes Program for Indians (awarded January 1, 2023, extending through December 31, 2027) focused on reducing hypertension among diabetic patients through monitoring, education, and community wellness programs including the Workout Low Fat for Elders (WOLFE) program and Native Wellness Garden, and a project grant from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion for the Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country MKE program (awarded June 30, 2022, extending through June 29, 2027) designed to improve health through cultural and spiritual practices serving all 12 Wisconsin tribes. The center also receives support for critical victim services through a $475,000 cooperative agreement from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program (awarded October 1, 2022, extending through September 30, 2025) to operate its human trafficking program providing emergency and transitional housing, food, clothing, and behavioral health trauma counseling to American Indian and Alaska Native victims. Additional project grants address sexual exploitation and trafficking prevention through the Circles of Strength Program (awarded May 1, 2022, extending through April 30, 2027) and the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Forensic Services Program (awarded April 1, 2022, extending through March 31, 2027), both addressing Milwaukee's significant sex trafficking crisis affecting Native populations. Mental health and crisis intervention are supported through a project grant for the Milwaukee Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention (MKE ERSP) awarded August 15, 2021 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Infrastructure support has been provided through project grants including Health Center Infrastructure Support (awarded September 15, 2021 by the Bureau of Primary Health Care, extending through September 29, 2025), Congressionally Directed Spending for Construction Projects (awarded September 30, 2023 by the Healthcare Systems Bureau for renovation of behavioral health spaces and medical clinic improvements through September 29, 2026), American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Health Centers (awarded April 1, 2021), COVID-19 vaccination expansion support (awarded December 1, 2022), and Milwaukee Emergency COVID-19 Response (awarded February 1, 2021). The center also serves as a sub-grantee under multiple state and university-administered programs, including ongoing subagreements with the University of Wisconsin System for Navigator health insurance enrollment assistance services through the Covering Wisconsin Navigator Consortium and subagreements with the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services for maternal and child health programs serving children with special needs.

Gerald L Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. holds a single-award indefinite delivery contract (IDC) valued at $9,451,000 with an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2026, awarded by the U.S. Indian Health Service on October 1, 2023. This IDC provides the primary contracting mechanism for the Indian Health Service to procure flexible, ongoing medical health services for eligible Native American beneficiaries in the Metro Milwaukee area. The contract does not utilize socioeconomic set-asides and serves as the parent vehicle under which the Indian Health Service has issued multiple firm fixed price delivery orders to address both recurring annual funding needs and specialized, non-recurring health initiatives. The recurring annual delivery orders, valued at $2,181,780, support comprehensive healthcare service delivery including medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and community health programs. Beyond the core services, the IDC vehicle has enabled the Indian Health Service to issue targeted delivery orders for emerging health priorities and programmatic enhancements, such as those supporting dementia research pilots, cybersecurity assistance, alcohol and leadership training, and specialized meeting and conference activities. This flexible contracting approach allows the Indian Health Service to efficiently allocate resources while maintaining consistent, high-quality healthcare delivery to the urban Native American population throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan region.