Hello, my name is Sima Ladjevardian, and I am the Region 6 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 are 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 6 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 health
care and reducing health care 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 6 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 health care 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 in through health insurance marketplace plans. And we are working around 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 surprises act to protect patients from surprise billing. We have 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 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, combatting
maternal health crisis, putting childcare in the reach of all, and strengthening home
health care. This Administration, with your help, has made significant progress. And
yet we have more work ahead. Equitable access to services is personal to me. Through my
journey as an immigrant, I saw first-hand the power and 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 6. Thank you again.