Category: News

  • Mat-Su Health Foundation Welcomes New CFO Bill Finley

    Mat-Su Health Foundation Welcomes New CFO Bill Finley

    Wasilla, Alaska — Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has hired William “Bill” Finley as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Bill was selected from a diverse field of candidates through a strategic and comprehensive nationwide search process. He will assume the CFO position effective May 22, 2023 and will be a critical partner to the Foundation’s CEO, executive leadership team, and board of directors.

    “Bill’s professional and lived experience combined with strong analytical skills and the ability to think strategically position him to embrace the Foundation’s vision and support our growth,” said President and CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “We are excited to have found someone who has extensive nonprofit leadership experience, financial acumen, and a leadership style that values equity and inclusion.”

    In his new role, Finley will oversee all fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities and support the organization’s finance team. He brings nonprofit leadership experience that spans 20 years across several states, including Alaska, California, and Colorado. Finley is a dedicated nonprofit executive who fosters change through innovation, collaboration, communication, and sound financial management.

    “I can’t wait to engage with the Mat-Su community and contribute to achievement of the Mat-Su Health Foundation mission,” said Finley. “My family and I are very excited to be returning to Alaska, the state we have always considered to be home. To be able to come back to serve an organization whose mission, vision and values align so closely with mine is truly a dream come true.”

    Finley most recently served as the chief financial officer for Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. Prior to that, he worked for the National Ski Patrol and the Salvation Army. He holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University and a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado Christian University in Denver, Colorado.

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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, 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.

  • Mat-Su Health Foundation Hires Ahliil Saitanan

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Ahliil Saitanan into the new role of communications manager. Saitanan reports to the foundation’s chief communications officer and will focus on supporting the organization’s mission, vision and values with strategic marketing and communications planning and implementation. She came to the foundation with extensive communication experience including social media, website user experience development, marketing and branding, public relations, journalism, and layout and graphic design. Prior to joining the foundation, Saitanan was a communications coordinator for the University of Alaska, Anchorage College of Health. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Guam and is a resident of Palmer, Alaska.

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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, 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

  • Mat-Su Health Foundation Receives Unexpected $15 Million Gift

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) today announced it received a one-time unrestricted gift in the amount of $15 million from philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott.

    “This donation came as a huge surprise since it was unsolicited,” said MSHF Board Chair, Lebron McPhail. “We are grateful for this generous gift from Ms. Scott.  It’s meaningful recognition of the work we are doing to improve the way systems work for Mat-Su residents and to eliminate the underlying causes of health inequities. We share this honor with the health and human services nonprofits in Mat-Su that continue to innovate and provide supports to Mat-Su residents and communities so they can thrive.”

    “While it’s too soon to identify specific uses for the money, we are committed to regranting these dollars in alignment with our theory of change, which calls for us to be data-driven, strategic, and community-driven,” said MSHF President and CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “The timing of this gift lines up well with the completion of the Mat-Su 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) later this year.” She went on to explain, “The CHNA is a large research project that includes significant community input to help identify and prioritize local health concerns. Our philanthropy team and Board of Directors will use data from the report to inform future spending decisions supported by this large donation.”

    In 2021, MSHF awarded $13,462,000 in grants to health and human service organizations and $2 million in academic and vocational scholarships to build Mat-Su’s future healthcare workforce. MSHF plans to award almost $17 million in grants and scholarships in 2022.  MSHF giving is concentrated in five focus areas: Healthy Aging, Healthy Families, Healthy Foundations, Healthy Futures, and Healthy Minds. MSHF also continues to grow programs like Connect Mat-Su, which provides information, referrals, and supports to individual residents, and the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su community partnership, which aims to reduce child maltreatment and promote family resilience.

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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, 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

  • Mat-Su Health Foundation Hires Three

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed three new staff members: Jessica Clarkson, Lane Gambill and Raegan Pickworth.

    Jessica Clarkson was hired to fill a new R.O.C.K. Mat-Su program manager role that will focus on community engagement. R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Children with Kindness) Mat-Su is a collaborative of community members joining together to promote family resilience and reduce child maltreatment. It was developed as a cross-sector partnership of Mat-Su agencies. The Mat-Su Health Foundation provides ongoing staff support to the collaborative. R.O.C.K. Mat-Su works to build social supports, eliminate silos, and influence systems that affect children and families throughout the borough, all in support of achieving the goal of ending child abuse in Mat-Su. In her new position Clarkson is tasked with developing and managing methods to integrate authentic community voice into the work of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su, to ensure that the collective’s strategic direction for systems change is community-informed.

    Clarkson has long been an integral part of the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su partnership. She served as the Palmer Families with Infants and Toddlers (FIT) Court program coordinator since its inception in 2017. Prior to that, Jessica’s experience includes serving as a CASA program coordinator, a clinical therapist, and social worker. As the FIT Court is an important initiative of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su, the collective will be providing transition support the FIT Court as they welcome their new program coordinator. Clarkson earned a Master of Social Work degree from Eastern Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

    Lane Gambill serves as a community resource specialist for Connect Mat-Su, an organization developed by the Mat-Su Health Foundation and community partners to be a comprehensive and innovative health and social services information and referral resource center. He works to develop and maintain a database of health and social services resources in Mat-Su and engages in outreach to develop and strengthen relationships with social service organizations, providers, and programs. He serves as the first point of contact for Connect Mat-Su consumers, assuring a quality end-to-end customer service experience. Gambill previously worked as a recreation therapist manager. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Eastern Washington University and an associate’s degree in Fire Science Technology from Spokane Community College and is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

    Raegan Pickworth’s new position is grants management specialist. In this role she supports grant applicants and grantees and works with other foundation staff to structure and complete processing of grants and grantmaking requirements and to provide grant administration. She came to the foundation with extensive administrative and customer service experience. Pickworth earned two associate’s degrees at Montana State University, one in Human Resources and the other in Business Administration. She is a graduate of Wasilla High School.

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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, 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

  • JOHN WEAVER RECOGNIZED WITH BERT HALL AWARD

    Wasilla, Alaska – John Weaver, CEO of Valley Residential Services (VRS) has been recognized with the Mat-Su Health Foundation’s Bert Hall Award for Commitment to the Health of the Community. The “Bertie” is an annual recognition presented to an individual or organization that consistently exemplifies commitment to working at the systems level to improve the health and wellness of Mat-Su residents.

    The goal of VRS is to provide safe, quality and affordable housing. John’s responsibilities include planning, developing, implementing, controlling and evaluating VRS housing and maintenance programs and operations. Under John’s leadership, VRS has grown considerably, allowing it to serve more people and families by giving them a place to call home. The organization has gone from five to more than 20 employees and the number of housing units under management has grown from 113 units to 400, with an additional 82 currently under development. VRS has overseen the construction of 310 housing units plus 40 more recently opened on the Wasilla Area Seniors (WASI) campus. This growth has led to an estimated 2,000 Alaskans having the opportunity to settle into safe, stable housing.

    “John will say that the success that VRS has is actually a team effort, and he is right, it does take a team, but a team needs a leader to give it direction, to nurture it, and to guide it along a path to success, and John is that leader,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation President and CEO Elizabeth Ripley.

    Weaver is well-respected for his ability to network and develop partnerships in order to accomplish goals. He has partnered with the private sector on many of these developments.  His main partners have been Cook Inlet Housing Authority and Pacific Companies. He has leveraged millions of federal, state, and foundation dollars into Mat-Su to complete these housing projects.  These dollars in turn create jobs and improve livelihoods across Mat-Su.

    “In addition to his paid position at VRS, John is a tireless volunteer. He has served as president of the Wasilla Area Seniors and Family Promise boards of directors for more than 10 years and been active with the Mat Su Coalition on Housing and Homelessness and State of Alaska Homeless Coalition,” said Ripley.  “John also serves as an elder and trustee for First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage, which is providing supportive housing there as well. He makes a mark on housing systems wherever he goes.  And that is the hallmark of a Bertie award winner.  They make their mark on a system.”

    Previous Bert Hall Award recipients include the Mat-Su Borough School  District Health Advisory Team (2021), Kimberly Schlosser (2020), Lt. Tom Dunn (2019), Rachel Greenberg (2018), Bill Hogan (2017), Herman Thompson (2016), Margaret Volz (2015), Craig Thorn (2014) and Bert Hall himself (2013).

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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, 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 .

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM MEMBERS

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has hired Victoria Flint as grants manager and Omari Richins as community health fellow.

    In the role of grants manager, Flint works to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of MSHF grant and scholarship programs. She updates and formalizes grant administration policies and procedures, establishes new procedures to monitor, evaluates and tracks grants and scholarships, and formalizes procedures for grant closeout and grantee reports. Flint came to the foundation from the Mat-Su Borough School District, where she served most recently as ed tech coordinator and previously as an instructional coach. She is a veteran of the United States Navy and holds two Master of Science degrees from Walden University: one in industrial and organizational psychology and one in literacy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

    Richins joined the foundation as community health fellow to assist in the areas of evaluation and research. Richins will play a key role in completing the foundation’s 2019 community health needs assessment, and he will also oversee evaluation of programs including Behavioral Health in Schools and Youth 360. He has experience as a community initiatives assistant planner with WellFlorida Council, Inc. and as a rural health advocacy and policy intern with Suwannee River Area Health Education Center. In addition, he has been a soccer official. Richins earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tampa.

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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 foundation actively participates in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important health care asset through board oversight.The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.

     

     

  • LT. TOM DUNN RECOGNIZED WITH BERT HALL AWARD

    Wasilla, Alaska – Alaska State Trooper Lt. Tom Dunn has been recognized with the Mat-Su Health Foundation’s Bert Hall Award for Commitment to the Health of the Community. The “Bertie” is an annual recognition presented by the foundation to an individual who consistently exemplifies commitment to working at the systems level to improve the health and wellness of Mat-Su residents. Lt. Dunn was chosen for this honor because of his work with the Mat-Su Crisis Intervention Team Coalition and Mental Health First Aid training. These programs stress appropriate intervention to ensure safe and effective interactions between first responders and citizens experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

    “We’re thrilled to recognize Lt. Dunn of the Alaska State Troopers for the tremendous contributions he has made to our community with his consistent support of the Mat-Su Crisis Intervention Team Coalition and Mental Health First Aid training,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “As a direct result of Lt. Dunn’s advocacy, our first responders are better equipped to handle difficult situations, and all Alaska State Troopers assigned to Mat-Su have had the Mental Health First Aid course.”

    Lt. Dunn has over 20 years of service to the State of Alaska and the Department of Public Safety (DPS). He became a member of the Mat-Su Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coalition in 2015 along with Captain Hans Brinke and completed the 40-hour Mat-Su CIT Academy in 2018. Because of his CIT advocacy, DPS has allowed the inclusion of the CIT graduation lapel pin to be included as part of the official AST uniform. After completing the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course Dunn became interested in training his trooper staff. He was certified by the National Council for Behavioral Health as an instructor for the program in 2017 and has since trained and co-trained with local emergency medical services (EMS) instructors more than 100 first and secondary responders in Mat-Su. His reach in this effort has expanded to the DPS training academy in Sitka and the prison system in Seward. Lt. Dunn will be celebrating 25 years as a trooper with retirement in 2020

    The Bert Hall Award is named in honor of Mat-Su resident Bert Hall, who helped put together the Valley Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and has been a Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Trustee. Bert has also served Alaska in many other capacities, including as a Mat-Su Regional Medical Center board member, associate director of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services, director of Health and Social Services for the Municipality of Anchorage, and as the Alaska liaison to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Bert has been president of the Alaska Public Health Association, represented Alaska on the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association, and served on the Alaska Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

    Previous Bert Hall Award recipients include Rachel Greenberg (2018), Bill Hogan (2017), Herman Thompson (2016), Margaret Volz (2015), Craig Thorn (2014), and Bert Hall himself (2013).

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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 ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS

    Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has announced nine grant awards totaling $1,583,097 to support the health and wellness of Mat-Su residents. The funding will help local nonprofit organizations provide services in three of MSHF’s focus areas: Healthy Minds, Healthy Aging, and Healthy Families.

    • Alaska Youth and Family Network (AYFN): $371,740 to support work with vulnerable families struggling with mental health issues and trauma, substance use, lack of resources, and involvement in the legal and child-welfare systems.
    • Blood-n-Fire Ministry of Alaska: $155,000 over two years in operating support for the Knik House transitional living facility serving people facing homelessness.
    • Chickaloon Native Village: $22,500 for elder home safety and accessibility modifications.
    • Connect Palmer: $180,000 to support the Sarah’s House program offering women housing and an opportunity to redirect their lives by obtaining job-ready skills and training along with individualized supports, resources and community connections.
    • Mat-Su Senior Services: $374,644 to support the Meals on Wheels program.
    • Meadow Lakes Seniors, Inc. $5,000 for technical assistance around board training and volunteer management.
    • Upper Susitna Seniors, Inc.: $61,672 to support the Meals on Wheels program.
    • Valley Residential Services: $300,000 towards its planned 24-unit Bridgeway supportive housing project that will assist people with mental illness who want to live independently.
    • Wasilla Area Seniors (WASI): $112,541 to support the Meals on Wheels program.

    Nonprofit organizations interested in Mat-Su Health Foundation grants can learn more and apply 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 foundation actively participates in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protects the community’s interest in this important health care asset through board oversight.The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.

     

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION IMPROVES ACCESS TO GRANT PROGRAMS

    Wasilla, Alaska – Beginning January 1, 2019 the Mat-Su Health Foundation will accept applications for Healthy Impact and Discovery grants year-round. Previously, these programs accepted applications only twice annually.

    “Eliminating semi-annual grant cycles and accepting applications continuously will allow us to be more responsive to community needs,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. “Grantees won’t have to wait as long to find out if their funding request is approved, and they also won’t have to stress over application deadlines.”

    Healthy Impact grants fund projects over $15,000, which improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough. Discovery Grants fund projects over $15,000, which address recommendations found in specific MSHF-sponsored research. The goal of the Discovery grant program is to fund innovative responses to systems, programmatic and policy-level challenges in Mat-Su Health Foundation focus areas. The projects must respond to the specific recommendations in the reports.

    The Mat-Su Health Foundation also offers Target Wellness grants for requests below $15,000; that program already accepts applications year-round.

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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 foundation actively participates in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protects the community’s interest in this important health care asset through board oversight.The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/.