Don Lyons to Lead Tribal Healthcare Workforce Session at 2026 Healthcare Workforce Summit

Michigan Health Council is pleased to announce Don Lyons, MSW, as a featured speaker at the 2026 Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next on October 27, 2026.

Lyons will lead “Rooted in Experience: Strengthening the Tribal Healthcare Workforce,” an interactive session that examines the distinct workforce challenges facing Tribal communities and actionable pathways to address them.

A citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe with Six Nations Mohawk heritage, Lyons brings more than 17 years of professional expertise and a perspective shaped by his lived experience. Raised in Detroit and guided by the city’s urban Native community, he has maintained a strong connection to his Indigenous roots throughout his personal and professional journey.

Lyons has worked as a behavioral health director for an urban clinic, a technical assistance provider for federal grants, a project manager, an administrator, and an entrepreneur. As a facilitator, evaluator, trainer, coach, and leader, he has supported hundreds of communities, organizations, and businesses in the United States and internationally. His work centers on Indigenous knowledge and helps Indigenous Nations advance their goals for self-sufficiency.

During his Summit session, Lyons will explore systemic barriers affecting the recruitment, education, training, and retention of health professionals serving Tribal communities. Participants will also consider practical strategies, cross-sector partnerships, and policy opportunities that Tribal Nations, health systems, academic institutions, and state partners can develop together. The session will encourage participants to examine culturally centered solutions that build sustainable Tribal healthcare capacity while bolstering the broader healthcare ecosystem across Michigan.

“Rooted in Experience: Strengthening the Tribal Healthcare Workforce” is part of the 2026 Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next. The Summit will bring together employers, educators, policymakers, and other partners to examine Michigan’s most pressing health care workforce challenges and identify opportunities for collective action.

Learn more and register at mhcsummit.eventbrite.com.