Author: Bryan Meshke

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION TO ACQUIRE FOUR ACRES ADJACENT TO MAT-SU REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently entered into an agreement to purchase four acres of land in front of Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. The land is currently owned by Maple Springs of Alaska. Pending completion of appropriate due diligence, the deal is likely to close in the next 60 days. The foundation has no immediate plans to develop the land.

    “This purchase allows us to be a good partner to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, complementing and enhancing what is clearly the foundation’s most important asset,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. “The land is directly in front of the hospital, and adding it to our investment mix is a prudent use of foundation resources.”

    The Mat-Su Veterans Wall of Honor is located on the land, and because the foundation has no immediate development plans for the land, the wall will not be affected in the foreseeable future. The foundation is committed to meeting with representatives of local veterans groups as soon as the purchase closes and working closely with them to address any concerns.

    The purchase contract is for $1.6 million.

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    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS INCREASE TO MORE THAN $770,000

    Wasilla, Alaska –The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently awarded 128 academic scholarships totaling $721,400 to Mat-Su students pursuing college degrees in health and wellness. In addition, the foundation awarded 23 vocational scholarships totaling $48,636 to residents pursuing health-related training and certificate programs. Together, the academic and vocational scholarship programs awarded $770,036 – almost double the $389,227 awarded the previous year.

    “Workforce development is the key driver of our scholarship program,” said MSHF Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. “Of the 25 occupations expected to grow the most in Alaska, 18 are related to health care. As Mat-Su grows, so does our need for a highly trained and educated health care workforce, and this scholarship program can help fill that need with local residents.”

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation offers scholarships in two categories: academic scholarships for students pursuing college degrees with health or wellness majors, and vocational scholarships to assist students with the cost of training and certifications for jobs in health and wellness fields. Scholarships are awarded based on how well each applicant meets MSHF’s eligibility criteria, which includes financial need, demonstrated interest in health care, and selection of a career choice that matches the workforce needs of the Mat-Su. MSHF academic scholarships are awarded one time annually, while vocational scholarships are awarded throughout the year.

    New in 2017 is the Mat-Su Scholars Award, which is not based on financial need, but instead is awarded based on the applicant’s career goal, an essay, and an interview. Mat-Su Scholars awards are for $10,000 each and were awarded to students who meet specific criteria:

  • The Annie Demming Scholarship for a current high school student: Deborah Johnston
    • The Vivian “Babe” Shaver Scholarship for a behavioral health major: Michael Consalo
    • The Ya Ne Dah Ah /K’tl’egh’i Sukdu Scholarship for a graduate-level applicant: Christina Bernier
    • The Jessica Stevens Scholarship for a physician assistant major: Hilary Stark
    • The Darlene Reed Scholarship for a nursing major: Heather Hanes

    • The following people received 2017 MSHF academic scholarships; individual awards ranged from $500 – $20,000:

    Josephine Amaktoolik
    Kelsea Armstrong
    Alan Bartelli
    Christina Bernier
    Hailey Boatman
    Christen Bohl
    Braden Booker
    Kelsey Boss
    Stormy Boylan
    Daniel Brunnhoelzl
    Heather Buchanan
    Thomas Buckley
    Colleen Bue
    Alex Buness
    Teresa Capo
    Mariya Chavez
    Joshua Christensen
    Kathryn Cocker
    Michael Consalo
    Moriah Cordell
    Sarah Crowley
    Jessica Czechowicz
    Bryan Dahms
    Kaitlin Daly
    Adinda Demske
    Alexis Dilley
    McKenzie Docherty
    Ashlyn Dorn
    Keegan Dossett
    Daniel Dryden
    Jessica Duke
    Gregory Eisenhower
    Laurel Eliason
    Terri-Jo Ewing
    Parker Flaming
    Troy Foley
    Simona Fonov
    Samantha Gibson
    Seneca Glenn
    John Gregory
    Heather Hanes
    Heather Harlow
    Celeste Harrell
    Haley Hershman
    Marika Hintz
    Kyra Hoenack
    Matthew Horner
    Lydia Howard
    Tyler Howlett
    Sierra Imoe
    Mackenzie Jenkins
    Harrison Jennings
    Deborah Johnston
    Sabrina Jurasek
    Angela Kesler
    Paige Kessler
    Sierra Kistler
    Mary Klapperich
    Madeline Ko
    Jennifer Kolb
    Kerston Krull
    Rachel Laws
    Jared Layton
    Katherine Little
    Sheva Loncle
    Robert Lyons
    Richard Manrique
    Blake Marks
    Ruby Matthews
    Candace Mauldin
    Shiloh McRae
    Lindsay Messenger
    Carol Mitchell
    Christopher Mobley
    Andrea Moore
    Zoe Morris
    Sean Morris
    Hayden Niekamp
    Vicki Nisonger-Maack
    Melissa Oathout
    RuVonne Parson
    Lauryn Pealatere
    Rebecca Petersen
    Deven Pfister
    Sydney Poorbaugh
    Maria Power
    Caitlin Prichett
    Beverly Ray
    Jessica Reisinger
    Kiera Richardson
    Brecken Riekean
    Michelle Rountree
    Nathaniel Savel
    Brayden Schachle
    Lynnsay Scott
    Mackenzie Seims
    Kaleb Self
    Lynda Selk
    Leyla Sinyawski
    Alesya Sinyawski
    Isabel Snell
    Karl Soderstrom
    Rebecca Sorensen
    Valerie Spotto
    Hilary Stark
    Alexa Starr
    Katherine Stochosky
    Molly Sullivan
    Sarah Svedin
    Luke Tegeler
    Yolanda Thomas
    Taylor Tracy
    Kiana Verplancke
    Samantha Vetter
    Jorene Volkheimer
    Whitney Wang
    Annie Wang
    Adam Ward
    Michelle Warner
    Steven Webb
    Megan Webb
    Alana Wheaton
    Heidi Wheeler
    Kevin Williams
    Macaela Wolfe
    Annette Woodard
    Kirsten Woodard
    Maryann Zmuda

    The following individuals received MSHF vocational scholarships during the time period of May, 2016 through April, 2017. Individual awards ranged from $650 – $5,000.

    Francine Bennis
    Hope Dahl
    Rachel Gobbell
    John Hubbard
    Jennifer Johnson
    Tawnya Luppino
    Samantha Mckown
    Mary Medinas
    Benjamin Norton
    Alesya Oleynik
    Balassia Olsen
    Ruth Pearcy
    Rebecca Petersen
    Elona Petrienko
    Hailey Pierce
    Laura Porter
    Kathryn Rose
    Angela Spencer
    Breanne Sterner
    Danette Totten
    Robert Wensel
    Michelle West
    Macaela Wolfe

    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

  • MAT-SU ORGANIZATIONS AWARDED NEARLY $5 MILLION IN GRANTS

    Wasilla, Alaska – Fourteen local organizations were recently awarded a total of $4,926,881 in grants from the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF). Grant amounts ranged from $60,000 for Wasilla Area Seniors (WASI) to purchase a new van, to $1,698,000 for a new library and community center upgrades in Willow.

    “This is the highest dollar amount ever awarded by the Mat-Su Health Foundation at a single time,” said MSHF Executive Director Elizabeth Ripley. “We were especially pleased to see so many applicants focus on prevention and working upstream to stop problems before they start. The programs and services supported by these awards will make a measurable difference in the health of Mat-Su residents.”

    The grants awarded address concerns identified in the Community Health Needs Assessments conducted by the Mat-Su Health Foundation in 2013 and 2016. The 2013 report showed that residents of Mat-Su prioritized the most important health-related issues as alcohol and substance abuse, and child maltreatment. The 2016 report identified transportation as the number one issue affecting health in the borough.

    The grants recently awarded are as follows:

    • Alaska Legal Services: $100,000 to extend the reach of its services with a full-time staff attorney in the Community Resource Center Network being developed in Wasilla as part of the new Mat-Su Health Foundation building.
    • Beacon Hill: $64,000 over two years to fund expansion of its Safe Families for Children and Heart Gallery projects that provide services to help families in crisis to prevent unnecessary foster care, and to help find permanent families for children in the state’s custody who are eligible for adoption.
    • Burchell High School: $168,670 over two years to launch a targeted, comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention.
    • City of Wasilla: $350,000 over three years to enable two police officers, one from Palmer and one from Wasilla, to join a local (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force working to reduce the abuse of opioid-based medications in the community.
    • Cook Inlet Tribal Council: $1,162,032 to fill gaps in adult substance abuse treatment services for all Mat-Su residents.
    • Hatcher Alpine Xperience (HAX): $500,000 over 18 months to help buy a triple chairlift and fund a part-time executive director for the first phase of a planned alpine ski area in Hatcher Pass.
    • Mat-Su Borough School District: $126,000 to support a comprehensive approach to social-emotional learning and competency development across the district.
    • Mat-Su Imagination Library: $82,000 over two years to allow the organization to continue mailing free books monthly to 2,500 Mat-Su families with children under the age of 5.
    • MYHouse: $101,465 to support their work helping homeless Mat-Su youth.
    • Onward and Upward: $133,000 over two years to formally assess the impact of its Qayeh curriculum on student health, well-being and resilience.
    • Student Conservation Association: $100,714 over two years to fund high school crews conducting trail rehabilitation and maintenance on Government Peak and Lazy Mountain.
    • Valley Transit: $281,000 in match money to ensure that the organization receives its full federal match for sustained operations.
    • Wasilla Area Seniors (WASI): $60,000 for purchase of a 14-passenger van capable of holding two wheelchairs, to bring older Alaskans from their homes to the senior center to have lunch with others, reducing isolation while providing nutritious meals.
    • Willow Library Association: $1,698,000 over 30 months to replace and expand Willow’s public library and renovate the adjacent community center.

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation has several grant programs available; some accept applications year-round, while others have specific opening and closing dates. Complete information can be found online at www.healthymatsu.org.

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    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

  • $625,000 AWARDED BY MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $625,000 to five organizations working to improve the health and wellness of the community. Selected for grants were Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, Covenant House Alaska, Kids Kupboard, Native Village of Eklutna, and Valley Interfaith Alliance. The following grant awards were made under the foundation’s Healthy Impact grant program:

    • Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, $300,000 for the Ya Ne Dah Ah School Multi-Use/Daycare Expansion project located near Sutton. This project is a 2,000-square foot addition of the existing school structure which is intended to house the local Native Youth Olympics (NYO) program, a childcare center and a community gathering space. The planned addition will include a shock-absorbent floor, an ADA accessible bathroom/shower, small laundry facilities and a teaching kitchen.
    • Covenant House Alaska, $60,000 as a match over years two and three of a three-year national award from the Annie E. Casey Foundation for the continuation of education, employability skills and training for at-risk youth in the Mat-Su. Services are offered at MyHouse in Wasilla through a partnership that includes Nine Star Education and Employment Services.
    • Kids Kupboard, $60,000 to expand its physical space and operations serving meals to children throughout the Mat-Su Borough. The mission of Kids Kupboard is to impact child hunger in the Mat-Su through the provision of healthy, free meals to children in areas that have been identified as food insecure based on school district and income data. The grant will be used to purchase two re-locatable containers customized as kitchens and feeding spaces.
    • Native Village of Eklutna, $100,000 for the purchase of a mobile x-ray machine for their new clinic, which serves all – Native and non-Native, including many Mat-Su residents. The clinic provides primary care and dentistry services, and in the future plans to offer behavioral health and substance abuse disorder treatment.
    • Valley Interfaith Action (VIA), $105,000 over three years to fund operations. VIA uses congregation- based community organizing to address community problems and is currently comprised of 11 congregations located from Sutton to Willow. The organization is in regular communication with other congregations throughout the Valley and expects to expand into the far reaches of the borough in the future.

    Healthy Impact grant applications are accepted two times annually; the next opening date will be announced soon. The Mat-Su Health Foundation also offers a Target Wellness grant program for projects less than $15,000, and it is open year-round. More information and the online applications can be found at www.healthymatsu.org/.

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    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION MAKES TEN-YEAR COMMITMENT TO MAT-SU TRAILS AND PARKS FOUNDATION

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has increased its annual grant award to the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation to $550,000 per year for ten years. This award doubles MSHF’s previous commitment, and it enables the Trails and Parks Foundation to increase its own grantmaking, build its capacity by hiring a development director, and begin building an endowment to ensure the organization’s sustainability.

    “Trails and parks are vital to the overall health of our community,” said MSHF Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. “From encouraging physical activity to bringing people together, recreation plays an important role in both our physical and mental health.”

    Stuart Leidner, executive director of the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, stated, “Our mission if to develop and maintain a quality trails and parks system which promotes healthy lifestyles, enriches our residents’ quality of life, and provides economic value by enhancing recreation, tourism, and business opportunities for all. This long-term commitment from the Mat-Su Health Foundation helps to ensure that we are able to not only continue this work, but to make more grant dollars available to organizations working to advance quality trails and parks projects throughout the community.”

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation began funding the Mat-Su Parks and Trails Foundation in 2012 as a way to ensure that trails and parks projects throughout the borough were approached in a coordinated way. With this increase in funding to the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, the Mat-Su Health Foundation will no longer accept grant applications related to public trails or parks. Organizations seeking this type of funding will be directed to the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, where they will be evaluated in the context of the entire trails and parks system.

    More information about the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, including its grant guidelines and application, can be found at matsutrails.org.

     
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    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION OPENS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

    Wasilla, AK— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently opened a funding opportunity through its Healthy Impact grant program. Applications for this semi-annual program are being accepted through Friday, May 20, 2016. Healthy Impact grants fund projects over $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough.

    MSHF uses a two-part application process for Healthy Impact grants. The first phase of the process is the Project Pitch phase. The Project Pitch is completed online at www.healthymatsu.org and includes information about the organization that is applying and a description of the proposed project. The Foundation reviews all pitches and then invites projects that most closely align with the Foundation’s funding goals to move forward to the full application phase.

    Prospective grantees must provide services or benefits to Mat-Su residents and be qualified Alaska nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations classified as “not a private foundation” under section 509(a) of the Code. In select cases, MSHF may choose to fund health-related projects undertaken by religious, governmental, educational or tribal agencies seeking partners for health-related initiatives that impact the broader Mat-Su community and extend beyond the traditional purpose and functions of these organizations. All potential applicants are encouraged to visit the foundation’s website at www.healthymatsu.org to learn more about the grant process, who the foundation funds and does not fund, and to review its searchable grants database to see the types of projects that have been awarded in the past.

    Although Healthy Impact grant requests must be in excess of $15,000, smaller grant amounts are considered continuously under the Foundation’s Target Wellness grant program. As with Healthy Impact grants, Target Wellness grants are applied for online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.

     

  • ANNIE BILL AND LISA WADE ELECTED TO THE MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Wasilla, Alaska— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Annie Bill and Lisa Wade to its board of directors.

    Annie Bill has had successful careers in education and natural resources. She owns Excel Alaska, an education consulting company. Previously, Annie held positions of increasing responsibility with the Mat-Su Borough School District. She was principal at Ron Larson Elementary School, acting assistant principal at Colony Middle School, a teacher, and she served as the district’s coordinator for the Talented and Gifted and International Baccalaureate Programs. Before moving into the education field, Annie was a park ranger and interpretive specialist for the Alaska State Parks and the USDA Forrest Servicer. She earned a Master of Arts in teaching from Alaska Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in recreation & parks/environmental education from Penn State University.

    Lisa Wade became the health, education, and social services division director for Chickaloon Village Traditional Council in 2013. She previously served as the director of health and social services for 7 years. Lisa is a steering committee member of the Alaska Resilience Coalition and of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su (Raising Our Children With Kindness). She is a member of Benteh/Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center’s Joint Operating Board, and an advisory committee member of the Ahtnahwt’aene’ Nay’dini’aa den (Life House Clinic Community Health Center). Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State University. She studied Counseling Psychology at the master’s level at Saint Mary’s University and completed coursework in a PhD program in Clinical and Community Psychology with a Rural Indigenous Emphasis at the University of Alaska.

    Anne and Lisa were elected to the Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors at its April, 2017 meeting. Qualifying factors used in the board selection process include geographic representation, business experience, employee representation, community service, organization interest, health care background, and legal or financial knowledge and experience.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.

     

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION PROMOTES INGLE TO PROGRAM OFFICER

    Wasilla, Alaska –The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has promoted Vandana Ingle to program officer. Vandana oversees MSHF’s efforts in the area of workforce development. She manages the foundation’s academic and vocational scholarship programs, leading efforts to ensure that Mat-Su has the health care and nonprofit workforce it needs today and in the future. She also manages the Target Wellness grant program.

    Vandana was hired by the foundation in 2016 as a program associate. Prior to that she served as director of development and communication at Frontline Mission. She earned a master’s degree in communications media for children from SNDT College, India, a bachelor’s degree in ministry from Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, and a bachelor’s degree in commerce/banking and finance from the University of Poona, India.

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    About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

     

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION SEEKING GRANT APPLICATIONS

    Wasilla, AK— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has opened a funding opportunity through its Healthy Impact grant program. The application period for this semi-annual program goes through January 15, 2017. Healthy Impact grants fund projects over $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough.

    MSHF uses a two-part application process for Healthy Impact grants. The first phase of the process is the Project Pitch. The Project Pitch is completed online at www.healthymatsu.org and includes information about the organization that is applying and a description of the proposed project. The Foundation reviews all pitches and invites forward to full application projects that most closely align with its mission and focus areas.

    Since its inception, MSHF has awarded more than 180 Healthy Impact grants, with some awards as high as $1 million. Information about the types of projects that have been awarded in the past can be found online in the foundation’s searchable grants database, also at www.healthymatsu.org.

    Prospective grantees must provide services or benefits to Mat-Su residents and be qualified Alaska nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations classified as “not a private foundation” under section 509(a) of the Code. In select cases, MSHF may choose to fund health-related projects undertaken by religious, governmental, educational or tribal agencies seeking partners for health-related initiatives that impact the broader Mat-Su community and extend beyond the traditional purpose and functions of these organizations. All potential applicants are encouraged to visit the foundation’s website at www.healthymatsu.org to learn more about the grant process, who the foundation funds and does not fund, and to review its searchable grants database to see the types of projects that have been awarded in the past.

    Although Healthy Impact grant requests must be in excess of $15,000, smaller grant amounts are considered continuously under the Foundation’s Target Wellness grant program. As with Healthy Impact grants, Target Wellness grants are applied for online at www.healthymatsu.org/.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.