AHCCCS Tribal Relations


The mission of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is to provide comprehensive, quality care to those in need. AHCCCS and Tribal Nations in the State of Arizona share the common goal of decreasing health disparities and maximizing access to critical health services.

Tribal Consultation

AHCCCS is committed to engaging in open, continuous, and meaningful consultation on a government-to-government basis. The AHCCCS Tribal Consultation Policy (note: pending technical changes and Tribal Consultation) guides the agency’s work and interaction with the Tribal Nations of Arizona.

Learn more about Tribal Consultation at AHCCCS.

Tribal Relations at AHCCCS

The Tribal Liaison serves as a point of contact for information and issues concerning health care policies that affect American Indian AHCCCS members. The role of the Tribal Liaison is to work across sectors to help improve the quality and accessibility of health care for American Indian AHCCCS members.

At AHCCCS, the Tribal Liaison is housed in the Division of Community Advocacy and Intergovernmental Relations and serves as the link between AHCCCS staff and the 22 tribes in Arizona, three Indian Health Service (IHS) areas, urban Indian health programs, and tribal community members and stakeholders.

Christine Holden currently serves as the AHCCCS Tribal Liaison and she can be contacted at christine.holden@azahcccs.gov or at tribalrelations@azahcccs.gov.

Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations

The Governor's Office on Tribal Relations contains many additional resources relating to Tribal Relations in the State of Arizona, including the List of State Tribal Liaisons by Agency, the Tribal Consultation Policy for each State Agency, the Arizona Tribal Leadership List, and the Arizona Tribal Lands Map.

AHCCCS Emergency Protocols

Under A.R.S. § 41-5202 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, AHCCCS has a process for communicating with its members during a state of emergency. AHCCCS has protocols in place to communicate with local state, county, city and tribal personnel, and additional protocols for notifications to members when they could be threatened by a state of emergency. It is AHCCCS’s priority that all members receive effective communication regardless of language of origin or ability.