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Seyler directs Portland Area Indian Health Service
Dean M. Seyler
Dean M. Seyler, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, is the director of the Indian Health Service Portland Area.
The IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care advocate and provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Seyler has more than 34 years experience working with federal agencies, tribes, and local governments.
As the director of the Portland Area, Seyler oversees a health care delivery system for more than 100,000 Native Americans, primarily members of the 43 federally recognized tribes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
The position includes administrative responsibility for clinical, dental, preventive health, nutrition, behavioral health, environmental health, public health, and facility construction services.
Seyler consults with tribal leaders at local, state, and national levels and keeps the tribes informed of new legislation, policy changes, management actions, and available resources.
In addition, each service unit in the Portland Area maintains a close working relationship with the local tribal health board.
He started his health care career in 1976 as an emergency medical technician for the Warm Springs Tribes. Over the next 16 years, he gained experience in emergency medicine and law enforcement with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the city of Prineville.
From 1992 to 1995, Seyler held positions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Great Plains Region and with his tribe.
Seyler began his career with IHS in 1995 as the deputy service unit director for the Portland Area Warm Springs Service Unit.
In 2000, he transferred to the Whiteriver Indian Health hospital to accept the position of administrative officer. He was named acting chief executive officer in 2002 and was appointed CEO in 2004.
During that time, Seyler was detailed for six months to the Phoenix Area Office as deputy director, where he managed service unit operations. In 2006, he returned to Portland Area as the public health emergency manager.
He was selected as Portland Area Executive Officer in 2008. Seyler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration from the University of Phoenix.