HealthCast: IHS Modernizes Native Health Care with PATH EHR

Mitchell Thornbrugh, CIO and director of the Office of Information Technology at the Indian Health Service (IHS), is leading a transformative effort to modernize health care delivery for Native American and Alaska Native communities. Patients at the Heart Electronic Health Record (PATH EHR) is an enterprise-wide initiative uniting more than 200 staff from federal, tribal and urban health facilities. At the core of Thornbrugh's vision is an understanding that rural and underserved areas face distinct health care challenges, including limited resources and workforce shortages. By approaching EHR modernization through the lens of community impact, IHS is positioning itself as a leader in redefining how digital health serves patients across vast and diverse regions. Thornbrugh emphasizes that the true breakthrough lies in data liberation — unlocking decades of health records to improve outcomes and guide smarter decision-making. This patient-first, data-driven approach ensures PATH EHR is not only a milestone for Native health systems today but also a blueprint for health care transformation for generations to come.