Category: Press Release

  • MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED TO SUPPORT HEALTH IN THE MAT-SU

    Wasilla, AK— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently awarded five Healthy Impact Grants totaling $1,077,800 to support projects that improve the health and wellness of local residents. The grant recipients are: Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Agency of Alaska; Mat-Su Health Services; Meadow Lakes Community Development; Student Conservation Association; and, Sunshine Community Health Center.

    “As stewards of one of the Mat-Su’s greatest assets, we strive to impact the community’s health across the vast geography of the borough,” said MSHF Executive Director Elizabeth Ripley. “We encourage grant applications that are collaborative in nature and offer creative ways to enhance the health and wellness of people in the Mat-Su.”

    Healthy Impact Grants are awarded twice annually. This round of grant recipients and brief descriptions of their awards follows:

    • Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Agency of Alaska was awarded $405,000 over three years to provide chore services in-home for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia disorders and respite for the family members who care for them.
    • Mat-Su Health Services provides primary and behavioral health services to local residents who are uninsured and underinsured. A grant of $330,300 over two years will help the organization migrate its community behavioral health center program away from its current limited billing system and paper-based medical records onto the electronic health record system it uses for its primary care services.
    • A grant of $96,500 to Meadow Lakes Community Development will help this all-volunteer organization construct a portion of the final phase of a six-phase master-planned community park/center. The funding will go towards construction of a softball field and tennis courts.
    • Student Conservation Association was awarded $110,000 over two years to support a Mat-Su Youth Trail Crew to expand access to the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge. Student Conservation Association provides young people service opportunities across the nation, and has recently focused on the Mat-Su; the 16 youth who serve on this crew will be local residents.
    • A grant of $136,000 to Sunshine Community Health Center will support the community health center with purchase and installation of new IT infrastructure to replace and supplement old and over-used equipment that supports its electronic health record system.

    Healthy Impact grants are available to fund projects over $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough. The application period for the next round of these grants will open on November 17, 2014. Applications for the Target Wellness grant program (grants $15,000 and under) are accepted and awarded year-round. Full details about all of the foundation’s grant programs can be found at www.healthymatsu.org/

  • MSHF LAUNCHES SEARCHABLE GRANTS DATABASE, OPENS NEW APPLICATION CYCLE FOR HEALTHY IMPACT GRANTS

    Wasilla, AK— The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently added a searchable grants database to its website, www.healthymatsu.org/. The database allows potential grantees, current grantees, and the general public to review grants and scholarships awarded by the MSHF from 2009 through the end of 2014. It will be updated at regular intervals to keep the information as current as possible.

    “The new searchable grants database offers an easy, efficient way for people to learn about the organizations the Mat-Su Health Foundation has funded,” said MSHF Executive Director Elizabeth Ripley. “Non-profits interested in applying for funding will be able to view details about programs previously awarded grants, and this may help them develop their own proposals for funding.”

    In addition to launching the new grants database, the Healthy Impact grant program was opened today for new grant applications. Healthy Impact grants fund projects over $15,000 that improve the health and wellness of people living in the Mat-Su Borough. The application process begins with a Project Pitch that is submitted online at www.healthymatsu.org/ and is due by 4 pm on Friday, May 29, 2015.

    Included in the new database is information about the most recent round of the foundation’s Healthy Impact grants, which totaled $1,960,000 to six organizations:

  • Blood Bank of Alaska: $329,000 for two purposes. $300,000 is designated for furniture, fixtures and equipment for a new 50,000 square foot facility currently under construction in Anchorage. The remaining $29,000 will go towards replacement of HemoFlow devices used in blood collection, and for the purchase of a van to transport blood products to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC). Twenty percent of the blood products gathered through the Blood Bank of Alaska are utilized in the Valley by MSRMC.

  • Chickaloon Native Village: $525,000 to aid in construction of an 8,000 square foot federally-qualified community health and wellness center that will be available to both tribal and non-tribal users. Total cost of the project is $4,880,000; the MSHF grant will be released when all funds necessary to complete the project are secured by Chickaloon Native Village.

  • Frontline Mission $130,000 in matching funds over five years to assist the organization in expanding its community meal program. The program is currently run by volunteers. The grant will allow Frontline to build the sustainability with the hiring a meal coordinator and a cook. The grant funds are being committed by MSHF in a matching fashion; Frontline will be responsible for raising funds to support the program, and MSHF will provide a match up to $40,000 the first year; 30,000 the second year; and $20,000 in the third, fourth and fifth years.

  • Mid-Valley Seniors, Inc.: $330,000 to fund capital improvements to the Mid-Valley Seniors facility located in Houston. The 11,225 square foot facility is 28 years old and in need of significant updates to enable it to continue offering services to seniors. A portion of the grant is designated to Mat-Su Senior Services to provide management of the project.

  • Upper Susitna Seniors: $250,000 to assist with the construction of an addition to the organization’s facility. The addition will include rental space, a community wellness center, a heated garage, and storage space. The project also includes remodeling of the existing facility. Total project cost is $3,239,871. The portion committed by MSHF will be released when all needed funds are secured by Upper Susitna Seniors.

  • Valley Residential Services: $396,000 for two projects. $300,000 is to purchase a 3.16 parcel of land adjacent to the Mat-Su Senior Services complex for the purpose of constructing subsidized senior housing and/or assisted living housing. $96,000 is to assist with the purchase of a 6,600 square foot 10-unit apartment complex in Palmer, which will help to diversify Valley Residential’s housing portfolio. The total cost of the apartment complex is $600,000; the MSHF grant will be released when Valley Residential has secured all funds needed to complete the purchase.

    • 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/.

  • NEW BERT HALL AWARD FOR COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY PRESENTED

    Wasilla, Alaska— Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) has announced the new Bert Hall Award for Commitment to the Health of the Community. The award will be presented annually to an individual who has consistently exemplified commitment to improving the health and wellness of people in the Mat-Su Borough. MSHF presented the first award – to Bert Hall, of course – at its annual membership meeting on June 10, 2013.

    “Solving complex community health problems doesn’t just happen with one organization, doesn’t just happen in a board room, and doesn’t just happen with talented people with extensive expertise,” said Elizabeth Ripley, Mat-Su Health Foundation Executive Director. “It takes community partners. Sometimes these partners are organizations; other times, they are individuals. We are honored to recognize one such individual with the new Bert Hall Award for Commitment to the Health of the Community.”

    Bert has made remarkable contributions to the health of Alaskans. He helped – and continues to help – position Mat-Su Health Foundation and Mat-Su Regional Medical Center for success. He has served Alaska in many capacities—as 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 for more than 10 years, and as the Alaska liaison to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Bert also served as a 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. He helped put together the Valley Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, and he currently serves as a Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Trustee

    Bert has been a mentor and friend to many people in the Valley. He has committed much of his life to making improvements in health and human services and the quality of life for veterans, for Mat-Su residents and for all Alaskans. He’s a tireless advocate for the people of Mat-Su and Alaska. For these reason, Mat-Su Health Foundation salutes Bert Hall with an award named in his honor that will be presented annually to a member of the community who lives up to his example.

  • RICHARD PORTER JOINS MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Wasilla, Alaska—Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Richard Porter to its board of directors. Porter is the executive director of the Knik Tribe in Wasilla and has spent the last 20 years in the areas of environmental health and tribal work. He worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a senior Tribal Coordinator, and Department of Defense (DOD) as a program manager mitigating environmental impacts on lands due to the DOD.

    Porter also serves on the Alaska Forum on the Environment, Mat-Su Council on Aging, Alaska Native Brother Hood Camp 89, Yak-tat Kwaan and The South Central Foundation’s Valley Native Primary Care Center Joint Operating Board. He graduated from Yakutat High School 1992, earned several certificates in the area of environmental health, and attended the University of Arizona to study environmental sciences.

    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 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/.

  • TALIS COLBERG JOINS MSHF BOARD; SCOTT JOHANNES ELECTED TO MSRMC BOARD

    Wasilla, Alaska—Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Talis Colberg to its board of directors. Colberg, a third generation Alaskan, also serves the community as director of Mat-Su College, a position he has held since 2010.

    Previously, Colberg was appointed as the twentieth Attorney General for Alaska in 2006 by Governor Sarah Palin. He has also been elected two times to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly and two times as borough mayor. Colberg’s community commitments have included serving as president of both the Alaska State Fair Board and the Palmer Rotary Club, two terms as chair of the Alaska State Humanities Forum, and as a board member of the Alaska SeaLife Center. He graduated from Palmer High School in 1976, Pacific Lutheran University in 1979, and Pepperdine University School of Law in 1983. He earned a Ph.D. in Northern Political History and Culture from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2008.

    In addition to selecting Colberg as a new board member, the MSHF Board of Directors chose officers for 2014/15. Linda Conover was re-elected as the board’s chair, Randy Westbrook as vice chair, and Ken Kincaid as elected secretary/treasurer.

    The MSHF board also elected Scott Johannes to serve on the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC) Board of Directors. Johannes is in his second term on the MSHF board, and he will continue in this role while also serving on the MSRMC board. Five seats on the 10-seat MSRMC Board are filled by MSHF representatives. These “Category A” Board Members help set the mission, vision and values of the hospital. They look critically at what services are needed for the Borough’s fast-growing population and ensure that public education programs and charity care levels match community need.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR AND NEW MEMBER

    Wasilla, AK—The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently added three new members to its 14-member board of directors. Ken Kincaid, Mary Olson and Randy Westbrook were elected to three-year terms as board members. In addition, Linda Conover was elected as the board’s chair. Scott Johannes is the new vice chair, and Andy Reimer was elected to a second term as secretary/treasurer.

    Conover brings a wealth of experience to her new role as chair. She is currently serving her second term with the board. “I’m proud of the difference the Mat-Su Health Foundation has made in the Valley,” said Conover. “In addition to the work we do with grants and scholarships, we also help govern Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, helping to ensure that its charity care and public education programs meet the community’s needs.” She looks forward to using her board experience and strong business background in her new role as board chair.

    Conover has worked as a teacher, licensed insurance agent, office manager and school administrative secretary. She previously owned an educational consulting company and is currently owner/designer of a local web design business. She also volunteers in two local schools. Conover has a Master’s Degree in education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage and a Bachelor’s Degree in the same field from Western Washington University.

    Ken Kincaid has an extensive business background, having spent many years owning a successful commercial real estate appraisal company. He completed some of the most complex appraisal assignments in Alaska; the diversity of these projects helped hone Kincaid’s skill of getting up to speed on new industries quickly. Kincaid has also served on numerous boards and commissions including the Northgate Alaska Elder Board, the Mat-Su Borough Board of Equalization, the Alaska Board of Real Estate Appraisers and the board of Matanuska Susitna Christian School. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in economics at California State University, Chico. Kincaid was born in Homer and has lived in Palmer for most of his life.

    Mary Olson served as a Mat-Su Health Foundation board member from 2005-2011 and is happy to be involved again in this role. Olson worked for the Mat-Su Borough School District as a physical therapist until her retirement from the district in 2004. She currently provides physical therapy services in rural schools in Alaska and intermittent physical therapy services in the pediatric physical therapy department at Alaska Native Medical Center. Olson has been involved in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), its Alaska Chapter, and the Pediatric Section of the APTA and has served in several elected positions and on committees. She has a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Kansas, a Master of Science degree in rehabilitation medicine from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy from the University of Kansas.

    Randy Westbrook is an attorney with his own practice in Wasilla with an emphasis in real estate and business law. Westbrook previously served on the Valley Hospital board of directors. He has also served on other Mat-Su non-profit boards, including 10 years with Victory Ministries and on the original board of directors for Heartreach Center. Randy has been very active in the Wasilla Rotary club. He served as president twice, district secretary twice, and executive assistant district governor. Westbrook has a Juris Doctorate degree from Seattle University School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree from Rockford College. The 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 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 on this websiteat matsuhealthfoundation.org.

     

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEE – ROBIN MINARD

    Wasilla, AK—The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Robin Minard to its team as director of public affairs. Robin has 20+ years of relevant professional experience and has developed and implemented communications strategies for organizations large and small in the Valley, Anchorage, and the Lower 48. She holds a master’s degree in strategic communications from Seton Hall University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Trinity Washington University.

    In this newly created position at MSHF, Robin will help to advance the mission of the foundation through strategic communications and advocacy. Whether disseminating specific health-related information to help Mat-Su residents improve the health of their families or streamlining access to local health data for Mat-Su nonprofits, Robin’s expertise will provide yet another method of creating a healthy community. Her work will support the Foundation’s strategic goals, which include reducing barriers to healthcare access, making progress on Healthy Alaska 2010 goals in the Mat-Su Borough, increasing the capacity of nonprofits operating in the Borough to address the issues of health and wellness, and increasing collaborative relations with funders and stakeholders in Alaska and other states.

    “Robin’s proven track record in public relations, advertising and marketing will be a real asset to the Foundation as we continue to grow in our mission to serve the Mat-Su Valley and to help it become the healthiest borough in Alaska, and, ultimately, the nation,” said Elizabeth Ripley, executive director of MSHF. “We are happy to have found someone of Robin’s experience and education to assist us in achieving our goals.”

    In addition to crafting the Foundation’s strategic external communications plan, Robin will work on internal and board communications, branding, government relations and community engagement. She will also work with the Foundation team to support the organization’s current effort to conduct a Community Health Assessment that will assist in measuring the health status of Mat-Su residents over time. The 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 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 matsuhealthfoundation.org.

  • LOCAL BUSINESSES ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN HEALTH SURVEY

    Wasilla, AK—The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) and other partners are conducting a Community Health Assessment that will identify the major health needs of Mat-Su residents and work with the community to prioritize and address those needs. One phase of the assessment is a workplace survey that is currently underway. Employers in the Mat-Su Borough are invited to complete this survey online at www.matsuhealthfoundation.org.

    The survey takes about ten minutes to complete. It is designed to be filled out by just one person from each workplace; individual residents will be surveyed separately in August.

    The survey is being fielded by McDowell Group, an Alaska research and consulting firm. The Mat-Su Community Health Assessment is sponsored by the following funding organizations: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; BP Alaska; Denali Commission; Mat-Su Agency Partnership; Mat-Su Borough; Mat-Su Coalition of Senior Centers; Mat-Su Community Health Centers; Mat-Su Health Foundation; Mat-Su Public Health/State of AK DHSS; Providence Health Systems; Rasmuson Foundation; Southcentral Foundation; and, United Way of Mat-Su.

    The 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 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 matsuhealthfoundation.org.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEE – MELISSA KEMBERLING

    Wasilla, AK—The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently welcomed Melissa Kemberling to the foundation team. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Tulane University and a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University. She spent the last six years serving as the lead epidemiologist for the Alaska Tribal Health Consortium. In this capacity, she worked with a team of epidemiologists to map the regional health status of Alaska Natives.

    In this newly created position at MSHF, Melissa will help to map the health status of Mat-Su residents, work with the board of directors to determine where an investment of MSHF resources would significantly improve health, and build evaluation into all of the grant programs and initiatives offered by MSHF. Through her expertise and analysis, MSHF will determine whether it is succeeding in reaching its goals and having the kind of impact the board envisions. Besides building an evaluation framework into the foundation’s work, she will help to create a data repository to store and access this data for public use, a theory of change for the foundation, and a strategy map to achieve a healthier community.

    Elizabeth Ripley, Executive Director of MSHF, explains, “Melissa brings a unique combination of skills to the mission of the foundation. She marries a public health science background with the social and human systems expertise to help us benchmark and measure population health and also work with community members on the human side to devise ways to improve health that we can carry through to real change. To our knowledge, there has never been an epidemiologist that has just focused on the Mat-Su Borough population. So she is a real gift to this community, and we’re thrilled to have her join our team.”

    Initially, Melissa will oversee a contract with the McDowell Group to conduct the first phase of a Community Health Assessment. This phase will determine which indicators best measure the health status of Mat-Su residents over time, include an analysis of all the secondary data available from many different sources, and begin to paint a picture of the health status of Mat-Su residents and the areas the community might focus on to improve the health of all its citizens. Melissa will work with a group of stakeholders and funders of the project that include the Mat-Su Borough, State of AK, Southcentral Foundation, Providence Hospital, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the Alaska Mental Health Trust, Denali Commission, Rasmuson Foundation, United Way of Mat-Su, Mat-Su Health Services, the Coalition of Mat-Su Senior Centers and others. The 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 institution through board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.