Founded in January 1970, Indian Health Council, Incorporated began providing bare-bones medical and dental services to the Native American communities of the San Diego, CA region. In 1976 IHC held a star-studded Grand Opening of its 5,000 sq. ft. facility on the Rincon Reservation. On hand for the opening were Courtney and Robert Kennedy Jr. In 1977 IHC installed a 3,800 sq. ft. modular unit on the Santa Ysabel Reservation to provide easier access for remote tribes to medical services. In 1992 the Indian Health Service honored IHC as “Most Outstanding Rural Indian Health Program in California.” 

Initially proposed in 1991 IHC finally celebrated the Grand Opening of a state-of-the-art 51,000 sq. ft. facility adjacent to their long-time location on the Rincon Reservation in 2000. The IHC Rincon Health Center continues to serve as IHC's headquarters today. IHC created a California Native American Research Center for Health (CA-NARCH) in 2001 to promote greater Tribal control over consortium healthcare. Also in 2001 IHC attained the prestigious Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC). AAAHC accreditation demonstrates IHC’s commitment to providing high quality healthcare and places continuous improvement at the center of our culture.  Additional accreditation as both a Medical Home and a Dental Home recognizes IHC’s approach to patient centered care for all services delivered throughout the organization.  This approach sets the foundation for delivering accessible, comprehensive, team-based continuity of care organized to meet the needs of the individual patient.  

In 2003 IHC opened a second health center with a new 6,100 sq. ft. Santa Ysabel Community Health Center to continue serving top-tier medical and dental services to the more remote communities of San Diego’s Native American populations. 

IHC celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2020 and continues to grow, innovate and work towards empowering native wellness into the future.