Author: Angela Cox

Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has hired Kelly Lewis as its new Chief Operating Officer.  Lewis began her new position on April 20, 2020. She reports to Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley.

In her role as chief operating officer, Lewis directly oversees human resources, information technology, office management, building operations and contract management for the foundation. She plays a key role in overall strategy development and supports a high level of coordination between the foundation’s programmatic work and hospital ownership. She also assists the CEO in operational oversight of MSHF subsidiaries, helping to ensure compliance with all LLC operating agreements, management services agreements, and policies, and working with legal counsel to address any deficits or compliance issues.

“We’re thrilled to have found someone with Kelly Lewis’s unique skills and experiences to help take the Mat-Su Health Foundation to the next level,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “She has the talent needed to help develop our people, infrastructure and systems to scale the foundation’s impact over the next 10 years and beyond. Among her many duties, she will help me assess our leadership, talent processes, infrastructure and culture to build an improvement plan that addresses diversity, equity and inclusion across the organization and its strategies.”

Lewis was previously chief executive officer of her own consulting firm, specializing in leadership, management, and technical training for public and private sector clients. Prior to that she worked for the Municipality of Anchorage as director of organizational development and deputy director of property appraisal. She holds a doctorate of management in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix, an MBA from Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Lewis and Clark College. Lewis also earned a certificate in dispute resolution from Willamette Law School.

Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently made 11 new grant awards totaling $360,104 to local nonprofit service providers for coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response. This is in addition to another nine previously awarded grants bringing the total to $738,228 awarded under the Coronavirus Prevention and Response (CPR) grant program. The foundation’s CPR grant program was developed over the last few weeks and will continue offering grants throughout the pandemic.

“As the impact of COVID-19 continues to develop across our community, we remain committed to supporting the nonprofits that are working incredibly hard to meet the essential needs of our residents,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley.

The new grantees to receive funding under the CPR program include the following:

• Blood-n-Fire Ministries of Alaska: $49,450 to support the increase in staff hours and work-from-home capabilities, the purchase of quarantine and prevention supplies, as well as supporting operations which provide a critical safety net for housing and food needs during the pandemic.
• Covenant House Alaska: $15,000 to support Covenant House Alaska’s shelter services for homeless youth who are coming from the Mat-Su during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Daybreak: $35,784 for technology and operating expenses required to provide case management services and work remotely.
• Family Centered Services of Alaska: $36,800 for financial support to their Wasilla behavioral health client families so they can purchase food and other basic necessities.
• Mat-Su Health Services, Inc.: $50,000 to help lessen the impact brought about by the COVID-19 crisis by providing supplemental funding for staff performing necessary patient care activities that are not reimbursable through traditional means due to the changes in delivery models demanded by the virus.
• Partners for Progress: $23,070 to support housing assistance, foster care needs, and phone cards, as well as incentives for participants in the Palmer Therapeutic Courts.
• Set Free Alaska: $25,000 to assist with loss of revenue and increased expenses for delivery of behavioral health care during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Valley Residential Services: $50,000 to assist with unplanned expenses for response, maintenance and administrative responsibilities needed to provide housing support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Volunteers of America Alaska: $25,000 to support COVID-19 related expenses for the VOA ARCH residential treatment program which serves Mat-Su youth.
• Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc.: $50,000 to purchase transportation to further support their Meals on Wheels program serving Mat-Su seniors which has expanded during the COVID-19 crisis.

CPR grant applications receive expedited handling to help grantees experience limited disruption of service. In addition to offering the CPR grant program, the foundation has taken other steps to support grantees during this tumultuous time, including easing reporting requirements for new and existing grantees, and allowing for repurposing of previously awarded grants if the money is needed for coronavirus response. To further support the community, the foundation worked with Mat-Su mayors and other government officials to develop an advertising campaign to amplify the health mandates issued by the State of Alaska.

CPR grant requests may be as high as $50,000 per grantee. Approvals are prioritized as follows:

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are trying to minimize exposure for high risk groups while meeting their basic needs.

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

Nonprofit organizations offering services to Mat-Su residents may apply for CPR grants online at www.healthymatsu.org.

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has announced the hiring of three new staff members and the promotion of another. The new hires are Ashley Peltier as director of Connect Mat-Su, Brian Tiefenbrun as Connect Mat-Su community resource specialist, and Kailey Gamble as communications specialist. Kathryn Swartz is being promoted into the position of Healthy Aging program officer.

In her role as director of Connect Mat-Su, Peltier leads a team utilizing partnerships and technology to ensure delivery of quality, warm, and responsive customer service to meet individual information and referral (I&R) needs and facilitate connections to service providers. She was previously director of health promotion for the American Lung Association in Alaska. Peltier earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of North Dakota.

Tiefenbrun joins MSHF as the Connect Mat-Su community resource specialist. In this role he serves as the first point of contact for Connect Mat-Su, providing resource navigation and referral tailored to individual needs. He spent the past two years as an investigator for the Office of Children’s Services where he focused on clients struggling with trauma and substance abuse. Tiefenbrun is a veteran of the U.S. Army and has also worked at North Star Behavioral Health. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from American Military University.

As communications specialist, Gamble works to support the foundation’s strategic communication initiatives in order to advance the foundation’s mission. She came to the foundation from the University of Alaska Anchorage where she served as communications specialist and managed the public relations, marketing, editorial and social media facets of the College of Business and Public Policy. Gamble holds a master’s degree in public relations and marketing from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Washington University.

As the new program officer for the Healthy Aging focus area, Swartz’s responsibilities will include reviewing and approving funding recommendations; providing project and grantee technical assistance; and interacting with other grant-makers, not-for-profit leaders and public and private stake holders whose work intersects with that of the foundation. She has been with the foundation for more than three years in the role of special assistant to the CEO and board liaison. She begins her new position on May 4, 2020. Swartz previously worked for the World Bank providing operational support to development projects and performing research and writing. She earned a Master of Arts degree in international development studies and anthropology from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology/anthropology and Spanish from Kalamazoo College.

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has made nine grant awards totaling $378,124 to local nonprofit service providers for coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response. The foundation’s Coronavirus Prevention and Response (CPR) grant program was developed over the last two weeks and will continue offering grants throughout the pandemic.

“Our entire community is impacted by COVID-19, and we want to be there to support the organizations that provide critical services to our residents,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “CPR grant applications receive expedited handling to help health and human service nonprofits experience minimal to no disruption of service.”

In addition to offering the CPR grant program, the foundation has taken other steps to support nonprofits during this tumultuous time, including easing reporting requirements for new and existing grant recipients, and allowing for re-purposing of previously awarded grants if the money is needed for coronavirus response. Foundation staff are also working alongside Mat-Su food and homelessness/housing coalitions to assist in managing a coordinated response to meeting the basic needs of Mat-Su residents during the pandemic. In addition, the MSHF worked with Mat-Su mayors and other government officials to develop an advertising campaign to amplify the health mandates issued by the State of Alaska.

CPR grant requests may be as high as $50,000 per nonprofit organization. Approvals are prioritized as follows:

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are trying to minimize exposure for high risk groups and meet the basic needs of the people they serve.
• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

The first organizations to receive funding under the CPR program include the following:

• The Children’s Place: $50,000 to support efforts to continue to provide services to emergency child abuse cases throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by developing a system to respond to cases safely using personal protective equipment (PPE).
• CODI: $50,000 to help mitigate the effects of federal and state social distancing protocols while delivering essential behavioral mental health services.
• Frontline Mission: $50,000 to provide emergency food assistance to those in need.
• Kids Kupboard: $50,000 to support expanded youth meal services via mobile route distribution and home delivery.
• Santa Cop & Heroes: $50,000 to support a coordinated effort to supply a biweekly food box to seniors in need, as well as medication delivery.
• True North Recovery: $50,000 to support their payroll needs and to invest in developing telehealth expansion.
• Upper Susitna Food Pantry: $42,587 to support a stable supply of much needed commodities in their rural food pantry.
• Valley Charities: $29,536 to cover missed wages for Valley Charities staff and fixed expenses related to the closure of their thrift store, which helps fund homeless prevention efforts.
• HeartReach Center: $6,000 to provide emergency supplies for families served.

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

Wasilla, Alaska — In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) building will be temporarily closed to the general public effective Monday, March 23, 2020. This closure affects not only the MSHF office, but the conference center and the tenants in the building as well. It’s difficult to predict when the facility will reopen, but MSHF staff will be monitoring the situation continuously.

This was a difficult decision to make, but one that is necessary to help keep employees, building tenants, and the community healthy. The building closure doesn’t mean that the foundation will stop providing the assistance that grantees and their clients count on. The MSHF team stands ready to serve, working virtually from each employee’s home to ensure business continuity. The staff can be reached via the email addresses and phone numbers online at www.healthymatsu.org.

During the closure, many of the building’s other businesses will also be offering services in alternative ways.  Please see the list below for more information.

Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska

(907) 746-3413

 

BBBS

Kaitlyn Morrison

Kaitlyn.morrison@bbbsak.org

(907) 376-4617

 

Care Coordination Resource of Alaska

(907) 746-3445

 

Connect Mat-Su

373-CNCT (2628)

specialist@connectmatsu.org

 

LINKS/ADRC

(907) 373-3632

links@linksprc.org

 

Mat-Su Health Foundation

(907) 352-2863

Email addresses for all staff are available online at www.healthymatsu.org

 

Onward & Upward

Randy Dowd

(907) 953-5360

randy.dowd@onwardandupward.org

 

REACH 907

Rachel Olson

(907) 982-9645

rachel@reach907ak.org

 

R.O.C.K. Mat-Su

info@rockmatsu.org

 

Stone Soup Group

Thomas Summers

thomass@stonesoupgroup.org

(907) 792-3413

 

Thread

Tamora Harding-Childs

tharding@threadalaska.org

Cell: (907) 355-8927

 

VIA

Joe DowlingSoka

(423) 202-4436

 

Youth 360

Tyler Healy

(907) 715-0121

director@youth-360.org

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is offering Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response grants to Mat-Su nonprofit organizations. The grants are designed to support local nonprofits as they address unplanned expenses and/or lost revenue relating to the Coronavirus pandemic. Examples of things that may be funded include:

• Support to build and develop pandemic education and prevention strategies for an organization’s staff and clients.
• Assistance in communicating with clients about service/outreach changes due to a heightened risk of exposure to Coronavirus.
• Funding for critical safety-net needs for the clients of nonprofits, including housing, transportation, medical care, childcare, and food security for those affected by disease, quarantine, or school/agency closures.
• Grants for psychosocial supports and mental health services for staff.
• Quarantine supplies for nonprofit residential programs.
• Unexpected work-from-home expenses, which could include establishing collaboration platforms and secure file sharing.
• Prevention-related expenses for items such as sanitizing supplies and equipment, or professional cleaning of common areas.
• Costs for offering services to a nonprofit’s clients in less risky ways to deliver services (for example, bringing pick-up or home-delivered meals rather than serving congregate meals, and offering virtual rather than in-person service delivery).
• Operating expenses associated with Coronavirus, such as lost revenue, continuity planning, or increased labor costs.

Grant funding is not available for the following:

• Reimbursement for any goods or services purchased or provided prior to March 12, 2020.
• Expenses without documentation or invoices.
• Any costs that insurance or state/federal emergency relief funds will cover or reimburse, unless delays will cause critical and/or ongoing program delays.

CPR grant requests may be as high as $50,000 per grantee. Approvals are prioritized as follows:

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are trying to minimize exposure for high risk groups while meeting their basic needs.

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

These special grants may be used to fund projected needs based on estimates or other documentation, and applications will receive expedited handling.  Qualified applicants may request a CPR grant by filling out a Target Wellness grant application online at www.healthymatsu.org.  Assistance securing a line of credit is also available.

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .

Wasilla, AK — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is hosting a photovoice exhibition on Thursday, February 6 from 4 – 7 pm. Photovoice is a form of participatory action research that enables community members to take a leading role collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. Using this process, groups of people come together to take pictures that answer specific questions.  In this case, MSHF asked project participants to identify factors that promote health in the community, and also ones that hinder it.  The photovoice project was part of the foundation’s recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment; 11 community groups participated in photovoice, producing several hundred photos.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation started the photovoice project because traditional methodology used in previous assessments, such as Census and survey data and community meetings, were not adequately capturing the voices of all Mat-Su residents. Voices of people such as youth, those without telephones, those who don’t trust traditional systems, including government, and those who speak English as a second language or are recent immigrants and refugees were not being heard.

“Photovoice is unique way to hear every voice in the community,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “It is a way to highlight strengths, assets, weaknesses, issues and barriers in each participant’s life, environment and community.”

The groups that participated in this project were Chickaloon Traditional Council (three groups: Elders, Women and Tribal Citizens)); Kabayan Inc (Filipino Community); Knik Tribe; Latinx Residents; Mat-Su Health Services: Parents With Purpose (CCS Early Learning); People of a Certain Age (older residents); Williwaw Community Residents, and  the Youth Leadership Council of  R.O.C.K. Mat-Su.

The photovoice project will be on display at the Mat-Su Health Foundation building at 777 N. Crusey St. in Wasilla through the end of February. It is free and open to the public.

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.  More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org .