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Navajo Department of Health — the enabling law
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Two Council actions define what the Navajo Department of Health (NDOH) is and how it is organized. Both original documents are hosted here so you can read them yourself. Summaries below are the site’s words; the documents are the record.
CO-50-14 — the Navajo Department of Health Act of 2014
Resolution of the Navajo Nation Council · passed October 23, 2014 · signed November 6, 2014
This Act amended Title 2 of the Navajo Nation Code (2 N.N.C. §§ 1601 et seq.) to elevate the former Division of Health into the Navajo Department of Health — described in the signing memo as the first tribally operated, state-like health department. Highlights of the powers the Council delegated:
- Monitor, evaluate, regulate, enforce, and coordinate health codes, regulations, policies, and standards on the Nation.
- Review and comment on federal and state health care agreements within 5 business days of receipt (§ 1604.D).
- Conduct due diligence toward a potential Navajo Nation Medicaid Agency — today, patients and providers work with three separate state Medicaid systems (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah).
- Assist the practice and retention of traditional medicine, including certification and registry through traditional practitioner organizations.
- Establish an information system for health data, epidemiological surveillance, and disease investigation.
The President’s signing memo also addresses a concern raised at the time: the Act does not authorize the Department to intercept or impede existing self-determination (638 Title I contract or Title V compact) funding of tribally operated facilities.
Read the original: CO-50-14 with signing memo (PDF, 9 pages + memo) →
HEHSCJA-01-18 — the NDOH Master Plan of Operation (2018)
Resolution of the Health, Education and Human Services Committee · passed January 29, 2018
Where CO-50-14 created the Department, this resolution approved how it is organized. The Master Plan of Operation sets out:
- An Office of the Executive Director with support offices, including the Office of the Medical Director and the Office of Traditional Cultural & Spiritual Healing.
- Three divisions: Aging & Long Term Care Support, Behavioral & Mental Health Services, and Public Health Services.
- Thirteen public health programs under the Division of Public Health Services — from the Community Health Representative Program to WIC, Public Health Nursing, and the Uranium Workers Program.
- Regional Health Departments at six locations (Chinle, Fort Defiance, Shiprock, Crownpoint, Tuba City, Dilkon), phased in starting Fiscal Year 2019.
Why this matters in 2026
Context, not conclusions
Candidates and delegates often discuss 638 contracting, health facility oversight, and a possible Navajo Medicaid agency. These two documents are the baseline: they say what the Department is already authorized to do. When you hear a proposal, you can check it against the existing law yourself.
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