As Chairman of the Committee on Indian Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I would like to comment on Dr. Mortimer's provocative commentary: "Indian Health: An Unmet Problem." In the main I agree with its content, but I would modify some of his statements and offer additional or alternative solutions.
Dr. Mortimer sees problems in the Albuquerque area, and he is inclined to generalize from them to the entire Indian Health Service. Although problems exist everywhere, they differ from area to area in their nature and severity. For example, in his first paragraph he refers to the fact that Indian Health Service physicians have little time for study, research, and reflection.