Kevin Meeks

Rear Admiral Kevin D. Meeks joined the Indian Health Service, an agency that is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, in 1987. As a member of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the two non-military U.S. uniformed services, he holds rank as a commissioned officer.

In his early career, Adm. Meeks served as sanitarian and environmental health officer on reservations in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Alaska. In 1995 he was assigned to Oklahoma City, holding various management positions until he was named Oklahoma City Area Director in 2009. He held this post through 2017, providing comprehensive healthcare services for a large and diverse range of communities.

Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy promoted Meeks to the rank of Rear Admiral (Upper Half) in 2015, praising his "leadership, integrity, and accomplishments at the highest levels." In 2016 he was named interim director of the Great Plains Area office in an effort to improve healthcare services after documented problems.

Currently serving as Deputy Director for Field Operations, Meeks oversees 12 IHS Area offices and is responsible for providing healthcare to 2.2 million members of Native communities.

Meeks graduated from East Central University in Ada and received his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He has been married to his wife Janice for 35 years and has three children, two of whom are also officers in the PHS Commissioned Corps.