Insight in Indian Country Podcast
Trusted Expertise to Serve Tribal Nations
As a tribal healthcare finance professional, it is essential to understand the various responsibilities involved in fulfilling your fiduciary responsibility. From technical accounting standards to cybersecurity and IT-related matters, all facets of the job are interconnected and crucial to protect your organization’s funding and ultimately serve your patients.
In this episode, REDW Principal and National Tribal Practice Leader Wes Benally is joined by tribal healthcare finance experts Chris Tyhurst and Marcus Benally to discuss the role of a tribal healthcare finance professional, covering a wide range of topics, including technical accounting standards, the use of federal funds, cybersecurity, and IT-related items. They emphasize the importance of planning strategically, prioritizing current issues, and creating a plan of action, and recommend utilizing your team and outsourcing to address specific categories that require expertise.
Tribal healthcare professionals responsible for finance will want to make sure they’re up to scratch on the various responsibilities involved in protecting funding for their organizations.
Have a question or want to suggest a discussion topic for our podcast? Connect with Wes.
REDW LLC is proud to bring you the Insight in Indian Country Podcast, covering important advisory, accounting, and finance topics that impact Tribal Nations and business affairs. Thanks for listening!
Meet Your Host & Guests
Wesley Ryan Benally, CPA
REDW Principal and National Tribal Practice Leader
As the leader of REDW’s National Tribal Practice, Wes is committed to improving financial literacy throughout Indian Country and hosts the Insight in Indian Country Podcast. He oversees audits of a wide range for Native American communities, state and local government agencies, and non-profits, nationwide and is a member of the Arizona State Board of Accountancy’s Peer Review Oversight Advisory Committee. He also serves as an instructor with Arizona State University’s American Indian Policy Institute.
Christopher Tyhurst, CPA
REDW Principal, Audit & Assurance
Chris has extensive experience auditing Native American Tribes and their enterprises, including hospitals and health centers. He has also provided many other financial and strategic consulting services to Tribes, including internal controls, enterprise board training, financial forecasts, and staff training on accounting and federal grant management topics. He has also developed a broad base of knowledge in the healthcare industry by performing financial audits and consulting with many hospitals and healthcare organizations in the areas of patient accounts receivable and internal controls.
Marcus Benally, MBA
REDW Audit & Assurance Manager
Since joining REDW in 2015, Marcus has gained significant experience working on numerous financial statement audit engagements and single audits of federal programs for governmental and healthcare clients. An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, he is also a key member of the firm’s National Tribal Practice Team. He holds a B.A. degree in Accounting from New Mexico State University and a Master of Business Administration from Gonzaga University.
Compensation Studies—Your Key to Hiring & Retaining Top Talent.
It’s important to attract—and retain—the best employees to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of your tribal organization. And given an exceptionally competitive labor market and the usual budget constraints, this means basing your employee compensation and benefits programs on relevant and reliable data.
More from Insight in Indian Country
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- REDW to Speak at the 2026 WEWIN National ConferenceREDW is heading to Tulsa for the 2026 WEWIN National Conference, where Jessica Goodfox and Taryn Reynolds will lead a workshop on confidence, boundaries, and voice for Indigenous women in leadership.
- REDW to Exhibit and Present at the 2026 Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) ConferenceREDW will exhibit and present at the 2026 OIGA Conference, July 20–22 in Oklahoma City. Visit Booth #517 and join Kandi Link’s panel on casino accounting and audits.
- Oklahoma’s Hiring Demand Is Up Nearly 19%. What Does That Mean for Tribal Employers?By Taryn Reynolds, MSL, THRP II, REDW Senior Human Resources Consultant,and Jessica Goodfox, THRP, TMP, HRC Business Partner, REDW Oklahoma’s labor market is among the fastest-growing in the country —… Read more: Oklahoma’s Hiring Demand Is Up Nearly 19%. What Does That Mean for Tribal Employers?
- REDW to Present and Exhibit at the 2026 UNITY National Conference for Native YouthREDW is proud to participate in this year’s Conference in Oklahoma City, July 10-14, supporting Native youth leadership and financial literacy through an interactive workshop and on-site engagement.
