Marcy Ronyak, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Clinical and Community Services

Dr. Marcy Ronyak is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington. Dr. Ronyak is the Director for the Division of Clinical & Community Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Headquarters. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to improve the health services to approximately 2.8 million American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people through a system of IHS, Tribal, and Urban (I/T/U) operated facilities and programs. Previously, she served at IHS as the Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health. Prior to re-joining IHS, she was the Director of the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and served as the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Lead. Preceding her Federal career, she worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation as the Tribal Psychologist and an independent contractor providing clinical services to children and families within the community.

Wyatt Whitegoat, MAT, ATC, MPH, Ph.D.

National CHAP Coordinator

Dr. Wyatt Whitegoat is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. As a Program Coordinator for the National Community Health Aide Program, Dr. Whitegoat assists the program with administrative, analytical, and evaluative work. This includes, but is not limited to, support with policy, grant technical assistance, budget operation, and engagement with stakeholders to develop, manage, and review programmatic program procedures and processes.

Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS

National Dental Health Aide Specialist

Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee and the Seneca-Cayuga Nations of Oklahoma. As the National DHA Specialist, Dr. Sixkiller is part of a multidisciplinary team tasked to establish a national Community Health Aide Program as authorized in the 2010 amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA).

She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before earning her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry as an IHS Scholar.

Dr. Sixkiller served as the Area Dental and Privacy Officer from 2015-2020 to promote moderately invasive dentistry, trauma informed care, expansion of dental work force models, and privacy compliance. Dr. Sixkiller joined the Division of Oral Health headquarters staff in January 2020 where she successfully led efforts to revise the Indian Health Manual and the National Oral Health Council Charter. She is currently the program officer for the Dental Support Centers and Chair of the IHS National Oral Health Council.   Since joining the CHAP team in 2022, Dr. Sixkiller has ushered the CHAP System of Record Notice to the Federal Register and most recently graduated from the first cohort of the IHS Executive Leadership Development Program.

Bobbi Jo Peltier, MS, MPA

National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist

Bobbi Jo Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian, is the National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist for the National Community Health Aide Program at the Indian Health Service.

As the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Specialist for CHAP, Ms. Peltier serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Behavioral Health and the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) regarding the coordination of the BHA Program. She directs and advises on the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the system of mid-level behavioral professionals working alongside licensed providers to offer patients increased access to quality care within the BHA Program.

Ms. Peltier joined the OCPS DBH team in January 2023 and has been working with the Indian Health Service for 25 years, 20 of those years working in some capacity for Behavioral health. Prior to her current position, she served as the Great Plains Area Deputy Director for Behavioral Health for 7 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Services and Gerontology from Northern State University and completed her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of South Dakota. Her specialization is Healthcare Management.

Dion Reid, MHA

National Community Health Aide Specialist

Dion serves as the Acting National CHAP Lead and National Community Health Aide Specialist at the Indian Health Service, where he drives nationwide efforts to strengthen and expand the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP). His leadership is key to advancing community-based healthcare, empowering health aides, and expanding access to essential EMT and clinical services in underserved and rural areas. With over a decade of leadership experience, including distinguished service in the United States Air Force, Mr. Reid brings extensive expertise in public health, healthcare operations, and strategic planning. He is committed to improving access to care, enhancing service quality, and driving patient-centered initiatives, with a strong focus on health equity and preventive care.

Dr. Patricia Capo

Faculty

Dr. Patricia (Tricia) Capo, MD, FACOG, is an ObGyn physician at Alaska Native Medical Center and Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska. She graduated from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and completed her residency training at The Mayo Clinic and Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina. Tricia has an inherent passion for Indigenous women’s health. She is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and grew up on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota. As a physician and a patient in the IHS system she hopes to provide a unique perspective and strive for quality care for Indigenous people.

CDR Tina Pattara-Lau

Lead Faculty

CDR Tina Pattara-Lau, MD, FACOG, is the Maternal and Child Health Consultant with the IHS Office of Clinical and Preventive Services. In this role, she serves as subject matter expert, develops national programs and policies, and collaborates with federal and community resources to optimize patient access to quality care. She began her IHS career in 2015 as an OB/GYN at Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Parker and Peach Springs Indian Health Centers, and Valleywise Health Medical Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic she developed modified guidelines for OB/GYN care including delivery of telehealth prenatal care, vaccine education for patients, and multidisciplinary simulation training for Obstetric Readiness in the Emergency Department.

Tina graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in Molecular and Cell Biology and Psychology. She commissioned into the US Public Health Service in 2007 and received her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2011. She completed her OB/GYN residency at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, is board certified, and a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

CAPT Stacey Dawson

Lead Faculty

CAPT (Ret.) Stacey Dawson, PhD, MSN, CNM, graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Baccalaureate degree in nursing and joined the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant.  Her initial inspiration to become a nurse midwife occurred when she attended a specialized OB course instructed by nurse midwives at Langley AFB, VA. Stacey transferred from the Air Force to the Public Health Service and served as an immigration health nurse. She earned her MSN from Frontier Nursing University, transferring to the Phoenix Indian Medical Center as a nurse midwife, and later, the Chief of Midwifery Services. Stacey completed her PhD in Nursing Education from Capella University, moving to the IHS Phoenix Area Office as a Maternal Child Health Consultant that same year. She served 2 years as the Women’s Health Consultant at IHS HQ then retired from the US Public Health Service after 23 years of total uniformed service. She has recently rejoined in her previous IHS HQ role, as a civil servant and is looking forward to continuing her prior work. She enjoys working with students in various capacities and loves teaching and learning something new every day!