Tamela Richards

Tamela Richards serves as a key procurement professional within the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service, supporting the agency’s mission to deliver culturally competent, community-based health services to American Indian and Alaska Native populations across the Southwest. She manages a portfolio of acquisitions focused on healthcare infrastructure modernization, telehealth systems, behavioral health services, and clinical support solutions, ensuring alignment with federal procurement regulations and tribal health priorities. Her work directly enables the agency’s strategic goals of expanding access to preventive and digital health services in underserved tribal communities through timely and compliant contracting. Richards maintains strong, sustained relationships with a core group of contractors including DT-TRAK CONSULTING, INC., NATIVEARC II, LLC, NATIVEVET MATERIEL, LLC, BADGER HEALTH & ASSOCIATES LLC, and MONTECH INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with demonstrated experience in tribal health systems, Native-owned enterprises, and culturally responsive service delivery. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, performance-based outcomes, and the integration of Indigenous health perspectives into service design and implementation. She exhibits a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic equity, directing 100% of her acquisitions toward small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to prioritize small business participation, particularly Native-owned and tribally affiliated firms, fostering economic development within the communities served. Her contracting patterns consistently align with federal goals to increase opportunities for disadvantaged and historically underrepresented business owners in federal health procurement. While specific NAICS codes are not available, her acquisitions primarily target healthcare services, information technology systems, medical equipment supply, and behavioral health program support. Her domain expertise lies in procuring solutions that enhance clinical workflows, expand telehealth capacity, and strengthen workforce development in remote and rural tribal settings, ensuring technology and services are tailored to the unique needs of Native populations.