Sima Ladjevardian, HHS Region VI Director, oversees health policy for six states and 68 tribal nations. She highlights 2.2 million residents newly enrolled in health insurance in 2022, surprise-billing protections, and billions invested in mental health and overdose prevention. The region covers the third-largest HHS population with significant Hispanic and Native American communities.
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Hello, my name is Sima Ladjevardian, and I am the Region VI Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services based in Dallas, Texas. I am so honored to serve as Secretary Xavier Becerra's representative for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and 68 federally recognized tribal nations. Our regional office is the front door to HHS in this area. And can answer questions, provide information, and assist with resources for the work you're doing. Each day, my team is engaged in meaningful dialogue with governors, mayors, tribal leaders, and partners like you about HHS policies, programs, and regulations to ensure our efforts are informed by your experiences. Region VI represents a very diverse population and is the third most populated among 10 regions. The region includes the second largest Hispanic population of any region in the country, covering two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border. Region 6 is also home to over 750,000 Native Americans out of the 2,907,272 Native Americans nationwide. From the beginning, the Biden-Harris administration and Secretary Becerra have had clear objectives. Tackling COVID-19, expanding access to healthcare and reducing healthcare costs, addressing equity in all aspects of HHS programs and services, tackling maternal health and decreasing childbirth deaths, prioritizing and addressing the behavioral and mental health crisis. Our office in Region VI is prioritizing maternal health, health insurance coverage, health equity, and behavioral health. Together, we are making real progress on our priorities. We have more tools than ever to prevent, fight, and treat COVID-19, including vaccines, boosters, and therapeutics. In the last year, we've worked tirelessly to expand access to healthcare to more Americans, especially individuals from marginalized communities. As an example, in 2022, 2.2 million individuals in Region 6 states signed up for health insurance coverage. Into health insurance marketplace plans. And we are working round the clock to ensure that no matter who you are or where you live, you can access health care free from discrimination. We've reduced health care costs and we've worked to implement the No Surprise Act to protect patients from surprise billing. We've made key investments and activities to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, the near misses, to improve health equity and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities nationwide. We've prioritized behavioral health by investing billions in programs, block grants, and other iteratives, rolling out a new strategy for overdose prevention, and launching a national tour to strengthen mental health on the heels of the State of the Union. Looking ahead, we will continue building on this great work, and that includes implementing the new White House COVID-19 plan to protect against and treat COVID-19. Prepare for new variants, prevent business and school shutdowns, help vaccinate the rest of the world, and save lives. We will continue to be proactive in addressing mental health, which the president has made a national priority in 2022. At the same time, we want to make more inroads in curbing prescription drug costs, combating maternal health crisis, putting childcare in the reach of all, and strengthening home healthcare. This administration, with your help, has made significant progress. And yet we have more work ahead. Equitable access to services is very personal to me. Through my journey as an immigrant, I saw firsthand the power and the promise this country can provide. I have worked extensively to ensure that hardworking families have all the opportunities to strive and be healthy. And I really look forward to serving and working with you to serve the people of Region VI. Thank you again. Produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
