Over 25 years ago, the Alaska Native people took a tiny health care organization, restructured and redesigned its infrastructure, then boldly began assuming the government’s role in operating and managing health care and related services for 50,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people in the Anchorage Service Unit.
Now, Southcentral Foundation, under the tribal authority of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., has redesigned our health system as a customer-owned and customer-driven operation. Alaska Native people have risen to the health challenges of today and have designed strategies for change toward better health outcomes.
Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka Model of Care has produced significant results:
- Increased customer satisfaction to 91 percent overall;
- Increased depression screening rates to 80 percent;
- Increased number of customers with a primary care provider to 95 percent;
- Decreased utilization of Urgent Care Clinic and ER by 40 percent per person; and
- Decreased utilization of specialists by 50 percent person.
Where are we today? The Alaska Native Community goals are to:
- Reduce the rate of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect;
- Reduce the rate of preventable cancers and improve the management of cancer;
- Reduce the incidence of suicide;
- Reduce the rate of obesity;
- Reduce the rate of substance abuse;
- Reduce the rate of and improve the management of diabetes;
- Improve oral health; and
- Reduce the rate of and improve the management of cardiovascular disease.
Alaska Native customer/owners have direct input to Southcentral Foundation’s leadership and are the driving force behind this transformation of care. Southcentral Foundation develops and mentors Alaska Native leaders over a period of years. Two members of the executive leadership team mentored include: Vice President of Behavioral Services Chanda Aloysius and Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Charles Clement. Other new leadership includes Vice President of Organizational Development and Innovation Michelle Tierney, who all work together to achieve the corporate goals addressing the needs of the community. I am proud of their growth within Southcentral Foundation and their recognition statewide as strong and capable leaders.
Our Alaska Native youth represent tomorrow’s leadership, and we are committed to recruiting, training and mentoring the next generation as part of our strategic plan. Our RAISE internship program is now hiring youth ages fourteen through eighteen for the summer session. RAISE offers meaningful summer employment, insight into future career paths and opportunities to build leadership skills and grow. Southcentral Foundation values the contributions these youth make to our vision of a healthy Native Community.
It is an honor to walk this journey of wellness with our community. Together we are making a difference. May God continue to bless you and yours.
Sincerely,
The Nuka Model of Care
That low rumble you hear is the Health Care Earthquake, caused by Alaska Native and American Indian people marching together toward wellness. As members of the Native Community, we are both customers and owners of our health care. Together, we have created a relationship-based system known as Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka Model of Care. The Nuka Model has gained international recognition as a leading, world class health care system focused on customer/owners and prevention. This model has resulted in a 91 percent customer and employee satisfaction rating, while significantly improving health outcomes for our Native Community. Click here to learn more!
The Family Wellness Warriors Initiative (FWWI) is a movement that brings together leaders of the Alaska Native Community, the faith community, regional corporations and agencies, health care providers, and many other interested people, in an effort to restore wellness to the Alaska Native Community. It specifically addresses all forms of violence that occur within the family. These include child abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, vulnerable adult abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and adult sexual assault.
The Family Wellness Warriors Initiative is able to provide education and training services through grant awards and private donations. We are a non-profit program and in order to continue offering education, training, and healing opportunity’s to the people of Alaska we rely on donation assistance from others who believe in the process and who share a similar desire to end domestic violence, abuse, and neglect in the State of Alaska in this generation.
SCHOLARSHIP: These donations provide scholarship opportunities for those who cannot afford to attend a training event.
TRAVEL: These donations provide travel opportunities for those who are unable to transport themselves from rural Alaskan villages and communities to attend a training event.
LEADERSHIP: These donations provide support to our growing number of volunteers and group leaders who donate their time, energy, and support to assist FWWI in staffing events, speaking and storytelling at events, and leading small groups.
If you are unable to offer donation support but are interested in becoming part of our Prayer Warrior email database, please visit us at www.fwwi.org and email us to let us know you would like added to this database. Joining this prayer database means you will be able to receive and submit prayer request, praises, and updates with FWWI event alumni from around the state.
