Winona Kitto

Winona Kitto serves as a primary contracting professional within the Bemidji Sub-area of the Indian Health Service, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurements that support culturally competent health delivery to Native American communities, with a strong emphasis on dental infrastructure, clinical support services, and workforce development. Her acquisitions prioritize mission-critical needs aligned with tribal health equity goals, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while advancing the agency’s commitment to self-determination and community-based care. She routinely handles contracts for professional training, facility maintenance, medical equipment, and temporary staffing services critical to sustaining operations in remote service units. Kitto collaborates with a diverse range of vendors, including specialized dental equipment manufacturers, local tribal enterprises, and small business contractors with expertise in health services support. Her working relationships emphasize long-term partnerships with firms that understand the unique operational and cultural contexts of tribal health delivery. She frequently engages with Indian Economic Enterprises and Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises, fostering vendor capacity through targeted outreach and technical assistance to ensure sustainable, community-rooted service delivery. Her procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for socioeconomic set-asides, with nearly half of her acquisitions reserved for small businesses, including nearly one in five designated for Indian Economic Enterprises and over one in ten for Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises under IHS-specific authorities. The Buy Indian Act set-aside is also regularly applied, demonstrating her commitment to prioritizing Native-owned and tribally controlled businesses in accordance with federal trust responsibilities. Kitto’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS categories related to dental equipment manufacturing, plumbing and HVAC services for health facilities, professional training, and administrative support. Her technical expertise centers on acquiring clinical infrastructure, workforce development programs, and facility maintenance services tailored to the operational realities of tribal health centers, ensuring that acquisitions directly enhance access to high-quality, culturally appropriate care.