Southcentral Foundation is an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization serving nearly 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and 55 rural villages in theAnchorage Service Unit.

Southcentral Foundations Vision is a Native Community that enjoys physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness; its Mission is to work together with the Native Community to achieve wellness through health and related services. The organization has developed and implemented comprehensive health-related services to meet the changing needs of the Native Community, support individuals and families on their wellness journey.

Southcentral Foundations first compact agreement under Public Law93-638 began in 1984. The compact agreement provided dentistry, optometry, community health representatives and injury control services. A funding request to provide substance abuse treatment service was added in 1987.

Gradually, Southcentral Foundation increased its compact agreementcapacity within the Anchorage Service Unit so that by late 1994 it was administering nearly half the primary care services for Alaska Native people.

The Alaska Native Medical Centeropened its doors in May 1997. Earlier that year, Congress had passed Public Law 105-83, which included a section that enabled Alaska Native people to obtain ownership and management of all Alaska Native health care services.

In 1997, Southcentral Foundation completed the assumption of ownership and management of primary care and other programs located in the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center. Since the beginning of the assumption of services, Southcentral Foundation instituted significant philosophical changes and other changes in the design and administration of these programs. Southcentral Foundation instituted a total system-widetransformation of care, increasing the quality and adaptability of programs and more importantlythe accountability of providers and customers alike. Alaska Native people are in charge of designing and delivering health care.

As the parent organizations, Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium worked together to establish a Joint Operating Board to set policy and direction for ANMC. The Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Board of Directors both appoint representatives to serve as voting members of the Joint Operating Board. Also, the Southcentral Foundation President/CEO, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium CEO, the ANMC Administrator, and the ANMC Medical Director serve as non-voting members. This approach ensures unified operation of the health care delivery system.

The mission of ANMC is working together with the Native Community to achieve wellness by providing the highest quality health services for all Alaska Nativesis unique in that it combines the mission and vision of Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Lastly, whereas most Southcentral Foundation programs are offered to residents of Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and villages within the rural Anchorage Service Unit, the jointly owned and managed Alaska Native Medical Center serves the entire Alaska Native and American Indian population of the state an estimated 108,000 people (based on U.S. Census data).

Ms. Caindec was an early scholarship recipient of The CIRI Foundation, and subsequently earned a degree from Georgetown University. She developed her financial and business acumen in marketing at Nestl Beverage and applies these key skills to her community and philanthropic work.

Early in his career, Mr. Huhndorf worked for the Alaska Federation of Natives and served as director of the Indian Health Services Community Health Aide Program. He went on to serve as a Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) incorporator and was continuously elected to the board through 1998. He also served as CIRI president and CEO for 21 years and is Chairman Emeritus.

Mr. Huhndorf is Chairman Emeritus of the Cook Inlet Region Inc. He worked for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. since 1996 and a member of its Section 29 Advisory Board. The former director of the Alaska Federation of Natives, CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation, Salamatof Native Association, and a former owner of Huhndorf Electric. He served on the Cook Inlet Tribal Council for several years.

Early in his career, Mr. Akers spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman. His post-military career has been focused primarily on business management, including 12 years as executive director of the Alaska Rural Development Council. In this position, he was involved in the precursor to what is now telemedicine.

Mr. Encelewski is the current president and chairman of Ninilchik Traditional Council and president and CEO of Ninilchik Natives Association Inc. He retired from ConocoPhillips (initially Arco) in 2009. A hunter and commercial fisherman, Mr. Encelewski helped fight for subsistence rights and was instrumental in Ninilchiks land selections under ANCSA. A member of the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, he has served as the Councils chairman since 2015. Mr. Encelewski also served in the U.S. Navy.

Ms. Haldane has dedicated her nursing career serving Indigenous families and communities. She served as an IHS congressional fellow and chief nurse of the Indian Health Service. Ms. Haldane has directed ANTHC and SCFs Maternal Child Health program, the IHS Improving Patient Care program, and served ANMC as Surgerys Chief Nurse Executive and as the administrator for Nursing Services. Ms. Haldane is currently a school nurse in Anchorage.

Dr. Marrs, a gynecologist in Seattle, is a graduate of Washingtons School of Medicine specializing in womens health. She provides person-centered, compassionate care for women with gynecologic concerns, with a focus on minimally invasive surgery including robotic assisted surgery. Dr. Marrs aligns her professional experience with her council and board service, serving organizations such as First Hill Surgery Center and Southcentral Foundation.

Dr. Simpson, a surgeon, began his career with the Indian Health Service. He is currently in private practice in Ventura, California. He continues to write books, scientific papers, and works to bring science to the people in his writings, blogs, and podcasts. He is also a former chairman and a chairman emeritus of the Cook Inlet Region, Inc. board of directors.

Ms. Wade serves many roles within her community. She is the Health and Social Services Division Director for the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, the Tribal Council Secretary, and serves as a Tribal Court Judge. She has been a partner with Southcentral Foundation for over seven years. Ms. Wades work is integral to the health and wellbeing of community Elders and the advancement of Alaska Native youth.

April Kyle, of Athabascan descent, is the President/CEO for Southcentral Foundation and its two-time Malcolm Baldrige Award-winning Nuka System of Care. SCFs Nuka System of Care is a customer-owned system that provides health care and related services for approximately 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people. A CIRI shareholder, April began her career at SCF in Human Resources in 2003 and most recently served as vice president of Behavioral Services. April received her masters degree from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received the Top 40 Under 40 award from the Alaska Journal of Commerce in 2013, and completed the Alaska Pacific University Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program in 2014. Kyle is a mother and enjoys spending time at her familys cabin in Ninilchik.

Ileen Sylvester, of Yupik, Athabascan and Aleut descent, is enrolled as a Tribal member of the Native Village of Ekwok. She has served as a Southcentral Foundation vice president since 1996. She currently oversees Tribal relations and village initiatives for health care delivery to 55 rural villages, as well as traditional healing, youth internship and Elder programming, public relations, planning and grants, and more. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in business administration.

Dr. Doug Eby has served on the leadership teams of Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and the Alaska Native Medical Center since 1995. He has played a key role in the development of SCFs innovative primary care system, and speaks, nationally and internationally, on health care system design and quality improvement. In addition to his medical degree, he holds a masters in public health.

Lee Olson has served as the Southcentral Foundation (SCF) Vice President of Finance since 1997. As the organizations chief financial officer, he plans, organizes, and coordinates its finances under the general direction of the president/CEO. Prior to his career with SCF, he worked in Bethel, Alaska. He has a bachelors in business administration and is a certified public accountant.

Michelle Tierney has worked in support of organizational change at Southcentral Foundation since 1996. She held both medical services and organizational development leadership positions within the organization before assuming her vice president role in 2009. She served for multiple years on the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program. She holds a masters degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a masters degree in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. She recently earned her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems at Fielding Graduate University.

Michelle Baker, of Yupik and Caucasian descent and a Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) shareholder, was born and raised in Koliganek, Alaska. Baker was recently named as the acting vice president of the behavioral health services division. A University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate with a bachelors and masters degree in business administration, Michelle is married with two children. She has worked in behavioral services since 2000.