IHS

IHS is an acronym that may refer to several organizations and a religious symbol, depending on the context. It is most commonly associated with a U.S. federal health agency, a libertarian educational foundation, a global information and analytics company, and a Christian monogram.

Indian Health Service (IHS) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that provides medical and public health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. It operates hospitals, health centers, and community programs to address the health needs of tribal communities. The agency traces its roots to mid-20th century efforts to expand health care access for Indigenous peoples, with formal establishment in the 1950s.

Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a nonprofit educational organization focused on promoting libertarian and classical liberal ideas. Based at George Mason University in Virginia, it funds scholars, fellowships, and programs intended to support research and teaching on individual liberty, limited government, and free markets.

IHS Markit refers to a global information, analytics, and solutions company formed by the merger of Information Handling Services (IHS) and Markit in 2016. In 2022, IHS Markit was acquired by S&P Global and now operates as part of that company’s data and analytics portfolio, providing diverse data, insights, and decision-support services across industries.

IHS also denotes a Christogram, a monogram derived from the Greek letters iota, eta, and sigma that spell the name of Jesus. In Latin tradition it is often interpreted as Iesus Hominum Salvator and appears in church art, liturgy, and religious ornamentation.