Category: Press Release

Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently made 13 additional grant awards totaling $380,174 to local nonprofit service providers for coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response. This is in addition to 20 previously awarded grants awarded under the Coronavirus Prevention and Response (CPR) grant program launched by the foundation in March. The total awarded in CPR grants is now $1,118,402.

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

• Alaska Coalition for Veterans & Military Families: $12,065 to provide technology their clients need to continue accessing behavioral health services.
• Alaska Pacific University: $50,000 to expand the Alaska Tilth program by purchasing produce from Mat-Su farmers at fair market rate and distributing it to local hunger-focused organizations in need.
• Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC): $50,000 to support the CITC Emergency Assistance Program for Mat-Su Residents which will provide financial assistance to participants to meet immediate emergency needs and support mobile case management.
• Faith Bible Fellowship Church of Big Lake: $15,000 to support weekly food distribution to those in need.
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church: $20,000 to supplement its kitchen ministry’s food budget, pay wages for the kitchen manager and purchase two reach-in freezers.
• Hope Community Resources Inc.: $10,000 to assist with the expenses incurred for supplying Hope-assisted living homes in the Mat-Su Valley with PPE and technology for remote connectivity.
• Kabayan Incorporated: $5,000 to make cloth face masks.
• Mat-Su Services for Children & Adults,: $50,000 to cover agency expenses incurred in the early stages of the pandemic.
• Mat Su Youth Housing: $50,000 to support procedures and resources for COVID-19 response services for homeless youth.
• Palmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc: $50,000 to support a coordinated effort to supply a biweekly food box to seniors (age 50 and above) and physically disabled persons in need, as well as medication delivery.
• Talkeetna Community Radio Inc: $6,320 to support informing residents of the upper Susitna Valley about COVID-19’s community impacts and how to prevent the virus from spreading.
• United Methodist Church Alaska: $21,789 to provide families in Willow and Houston basic food and personal care items, as well as improve cleanliness and safety at the pantry.
• Wasilla Youth Soccer Association: $40,000 to support the sustainability of programming to provide services during and after COVID-19 restrictions.

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 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. The CPR grants program has also recently been expanded to offer funding to local nonprofit organizations that are providing childcare and early learning services, or supporting social connections and positive support activities for youth.

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 nonprofit 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 nonprofit organizations that are working to secure basic needs for all residents (i.e. food banks, homeless prevention program utility and rent payments).

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for licensed nonprofit organizations that are providing childcare and early learning services.

• Operational funding, supplies, equipment and other program costs for nonprofit organizations supporting social connections and positive support activities for youth.

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 welcomed four new members to its Board of Directors: Raelynn Danielowksi, Greg Jones, Philip Licht and Lisa Smayda.

Danielowski is a lifelong Alaskan with 23 years in the Mat-Su. She has a wealth of finance experience in the energy sector and currently works as the assistant financial controller at Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA). She is a current member of the MTA Investment Committee. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance.

Jones’ previous work experience has ranged across entrepreneurship, organization building, management of both large and small organizations, and public policy. More recently, Greg served as the interim CEO for the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and was subsequently appointed a trustee. Greg is currently a member of the Connect Mat-Su Steering Committee and has previously served on the boards of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission, Anchorage Board of Examiners and Appeals, Special Olympics of Alaska, Alaska Academic Decathlon, Anchorage Home Builders Association, Great Land Trust and the Covenant House Site Selection Committee. He attended the University of Alaska for a time and graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1970.

Smayda has lived in Alaska since 1978 and became a resident of the Mat-Su in 1991. The majority of her 44-year career was spent working in the medical field as a registered nurse in the Mat-Su and rural Alaska. Lisa is on the Mat-Su Senior Services Board of Directors and previously served on the board for the Denali Kid Care pilot program, as well as on the advisory boards for Holy Family Catholic Church and Saint Michael’s Catholic Church. Lisa earned a nursing diploma in 1976 from the Charity Hospital School of Nursing in New Orleans and went on to complete a Pastoral Leadership Program at Gonzaga University in 1997.

Licht is a lifelong Mat-Su resident who has devoted his life and skills toward improving the health and wellness within the community for the past 20 years and presently works as the executive director of Set Free Alaska. Licht currently serves on the steering committee for ROCK Mat-Su, as well as the board of Recover Alaska and Governor Dunleavy’s Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. In the past, he has served on the boards of Thrive Mat-Su, Mat-Su Agency Partnership, Northgate Alaska and Mat-Su Health and Social Services. He holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Villanova University, and is a licensed and ordained minister.

At the same board meeting where the new members were elected, board officers were named. Lebron McPhail was chosen as chair and Mary Olson as vice-chair. Ken Kincaid was selected to continue in his role of secretary-treasurer.

Service on the Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors is on a volunteer basis. Interested Mat-Su residents may apply through a process that includes a written application and interview. Board members serve an initial three-year term, and each term may be renewed for two additional three-year terms. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/about/board-of-directors.

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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 promoted Heather Merry to executive assistant and board liaison. In her new role, Merry is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO and for serving as the primary administrative liaison with members of the Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors.

Merry joined the MSHF in 2013 in the role of administrative assistant. In the years since then she has taken on additional duties at various times, including assisting with scholarship applications and backfilling for the previous executive assistant while that person was acting in an interim position elsewhere in the organization. She came to the MSHF with a proven background in administrative support. She previously worked as a senior clerical specialist for a telecommunications company and as a secretary for an aviation firm. Merry attended the University of Alaska Anchorage and graduated from Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

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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 – Executive Director of Sunshine Transit, Kim Schlosser, 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 award presented to an individual who consistently exemplifies commitment to working at the systems level to improve the health and wellness of Mat-Su residents. Schlosser was chosen for this honor because of her work to leverage transportation services in the Upper Su region of Mat-Su, resulting in improvements to health and wellbeing of community members.

“We are proud to honor Kim Schlosser and her incredible dedication to keeping inclusivity and equity at the forefront of her work in the Mat-Su,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “Under her leadership there has been significant expansion in Sunshine Transit’s services, leading to improved access to healthcare, afterschool programs, food security, senior services, social connections, and other safety net services.”

Schlosser has been an active participant in the Mat-Su Central Dispatch pilot project with an interest in not only increasing efficiency, but also providing the best possible experience for riders. Routes are now aligned so that Upper Su residents can seamlessly use public transportation to access services in Mat-Su’s core area and Anchorage, and the transit is a certified Medicaid route provider. Schlosser has also led Sunshine Transit to assist nonprofits with safe shuttle options during vital fundraisers, accommodate delivery of groceries and supplies to residents sheltering in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, and temporarily repurpose its fleet of vehicles to transport first responder hotshot crews to wildfires.

Prior to working with Sunshine Transit, Schlosser’s varied background included time in the veterinary, machine and tool, and aerospace industries. She earned associate degrees at Northcentral Technical College and Argosy University and has completed The Foraker Group’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Catalyst for Nonprofit Excellence courses, as well as the Triple Impact Leadership program. She serves on the board of directors of Upper Susitna Seniors, Inc.

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 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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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 – Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) employee Amy Gorn has been selected for a fellowship in the Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy. The institute is conducted by Grantmakers In Health (GIH) to nurture the next generation of health grantmaking leaders and further their professional development. Gorn serves as MSHF’s program officer in the Healthy Families focus area and will continue in this role concurrently with the fellowship.

The Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy focuses on leadership development, exploration of critical issues facing philanthropy, and building collegial connections that can endure throughout fellows’ careers, using a retreat-like format that includes a mix of structured discussions and unstructured networking. To support ongoing professional connections among the fellows, GIH provides additional opportunities for them to connect with and learn from one another throughout the year.

“Under Amy’s leadership in the Healthy Families focus area, the foundation has made several significant investments in systems improvements and granting to support community connections, early childhood learning, and prevention,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley, “We’re excited for her.”

In her role as a program officer, Gorn works toward making sure all families in the Mat-Su are well-cared for, protected, thriving and successful. She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and communication from College of Saint Benedict/St. John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and graduated as a White-Riley-Peterson Fellow for afterschool policy through Furman University in 2019. Prior to moving to Wasilla, she lived and worked in rural Alaska and spent several years supporting tribal communities with the non-profit RurAL CAP. In addition, Gorn is chair of the Governor-appointed Alaska Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee and sits on the Board of Directors for the KNOM Radio Mission in Nome, Alaska.

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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 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 .