Latest news with #ANTHC
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium leader working toward hospital ownership
Natasha Singh, the president and CEO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, is on campus on March 6, 2025, with the Alaska Native Medical Center in the background. One of the top priorities for the health consortium is to get ownership of the hospital. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) With a new leader at the helm, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is working toward a long-held goal: ownership of the Anchorage hospital that it already manages. The Alaska Native Medical Center, the state's largest Native hospital, stands out as the only facility in the tribal consortium's sprawling Midtown campus that is owned by the Indian Health Service. That split between ownership and management has turned out to be burdensome, said Natasha Singh, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's newly appointed president and chief executive. The consortium's ambition is to become the hospital owner by the end of the year, she said. The desire to take ownership has become more urgent as hospital use has grown. Under Indian Health Service ownership, the building has not been expanded. And the consortium was reluctant to take on responsibility for doing so without ownership of the facility. 'But we're at a breaking point,' Singh said. 'Our patients have increased by 70,000 since the doors first opened, yet the doors haven't expanded.' That is why the ANTHC board last year decided that the space crunch had become dire enough to justify action. The board approved a $250 million expansion of the emergency department, with 18 new rooms and three new floors. That new section is considered to be Phase 1 of a hospital expansion. The 18 new rooms have just opened and are ready for service, while the rest of the expanded area is expected to open soon. Board members were 'looking out for patient safety when they approved Phase 1,' Singh said. There are plans for a Phase 2, which would add another 60 rooms over three more floors, she said. While ANTHC is the prime operator at the hospital, the Anchorage-based Southcentral Foundation also provides some services there. If the consortium owned the hospital, it would have access to private-sector funding and other tools to pay for expansions and improvements like those at the emergency department, Singh said. Making the ownership switch requires some formal steps and possibly an act of Congress, she said. But several tribal health organizations elsewhere in the state have already taken ownership of their regional clinics and hospitals, so it is a well-known process, she said. Tribal organizations that now own health facilities that they operate include the Tanana Chiefs Conference, where Singh served as lead counsel for several years. The consortium, established in 1997, is the nation's largest Native health organization. Through partnerships with more than two dozen tribal health organizations around the state, ANTHC is responsible for managing the services previously provided by the Indian Health Service. Funding agreements and other aspects of the government-to-government relationship are established through the Alaska Tribal Health Compact, which is updated periodically. The Alaska compact is unique in the nation as the only one covering multiple tribes. Through it, health care services are provided to members of all 229 federally recognized tribes in Alaska. In her position with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Singh was one of the main negotiators on behalf of ANTHC during periodic compact renewals. Singh, a Tribal member of Stevens Village in Alaska's Interior, was chosen by the board earlier this month to be the ANTHC president and chief executive. She had served for nine months as interim president and chief executive officer, and previously, she was the consortium's executive vice president and vice president for legal affairs. Along with the work toward gaining ownership, Singh and the consortium face new challenges posed by the Trump administration's deep funding cuts and cancelations of programs on which tribal members rely. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, through its environmental health program, has been a big player in programs and funding sources that are now under attack from the new administration. That includes water and wastewater improvements that have been in the works for several years but were propelled by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 It also includes projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to help communities address climate change impacts like accelerated erosion and permafrost thaw. Singh said the consortium is trying to make the case to federal agencies and to the state's congressional delegation that promises of funding to tribes, which are sovereign governments, should be honored. 'I guess I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to defend our infrastructure grants, given that the funding goes directly towards protecting our economic infrastructure across the state,' she said. Caution is key, she said, because the grants are administered on a reimbursement basis, meaning that the consortium could be on the hook for costs if funding is cut in the future, she added. In addition to expanding the hospital's emergency department and working to ensure that planned rural infrastructure projects are completed, the consortium is building a $69 million short-term skilled nursing facility on the Anchorage campus. The facility is to provide care for patients who do not need full hospitalization but are not in strong enough condition to be at home. The need for this type of care is expected to increase as Alaska's population ages. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What we know about Alaska plane crash victims, as families and colleagues remember them
We are learning more about the 10 people who died following a commuter plane crash in Alaska, as family members share moving tributes. Rhone Baumgartner, 46, and Kameron Hartvigson, 41, boarded the flight to Nome after traveling to Unalakleet to work on a heat recovery system servicing the community's water plant, the Associated Press reported, citing the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. "They had the skills to help people across Alaska and the devotion to do so under any conditions. These two members of our team lost their lives serving others," David Beveridge, a vice president of ANTHC's Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, told KNOM radio station. "They were the best at what they did and had just flown into Unalakleet to help address heating and mechanical issues in the depths of winter," Natasha Singh, ANTHC interim president and CEO, told the media outlet. Alaska Crews Recover Remains Of All 10 Plane Crash Victims, Authorities Say The pilot killed in the crash has been identified as Chad Antill, 34, of Nome. Read On The Fox News App The other victims, according to the Anchorage Daily News, were Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla; Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome; Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla; Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River; Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage; Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet, and Carol Mooers, 48, of Unalakleet. Ryan, a former science teacher and volleyball coach, "had such a cheerful and bubbly personality, and dedicated her post-retirement life to growing new teachers and encouraging them through those first incredibly tough years," Jamie Burgess, the Superintendent for Nome Public Schools, told KNOM. Bering Air Plane Carrying 10 People Vanishes Over Alaska; Rescue Crews Responding To 'Item Of Interest' Erickson, a Bering Strait School District mechanic, was described to the local station as a "really good guy" by Nome resident Michael Nichols. Katchatag's oldest sister, AyyuSue Katchatag, said on a GoFundMe page that her brother, "known as TK by many, was such a soft spoken, wise beyond his years, very strong man." "Not only strong in stature, but in mind, and spirit. His soul was genuine, and he lived life so matter of factly. TK loved his family, his children, his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, and friends," she continued. One of San Antonio native Carol Mooers' sons said on crowdfunding website Spotfund that the Army veteran was an "educator, mentor and community leader." "She was on her way to go pick up students to take on college tours in Juneau and Anchorage," Aaron Mooers wrote, adding that "she deserves the best and she had always wanted to be buried with her fellow service members in San Antonio." Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the small commuter aircraft to go down in the icy Bering Sea. The remains of the victims have all been recovered and "officially brought home," the Nome Volunteer Fire Department wrote on Facebook over the weekend. The single-engine turboprop plane was traveling from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. The plane crash is one of the deadliest in Alaska in 25 years. Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch, Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: What we know about Alaska plane crash victims, as families and colleagues remember them
Fox News
10-02-2025
- General
- Fox News
What we know about Alaska plane crash victims, as families and colleagues remember them
We are learning more about the 10 people who died following a commuter plane crash in Alaska, as family members share moving tributes. Rhone Baumgartner, 46, and Kameron Hartvigson, 41, boarded the flight to Nome after traveling to Unalakleet to work on a heat recovery system servicing the community's water plant, the Associated Press reported, citing the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. "They had the skills to help people across Alaska and the devotion to do so under any conditions. These two members of our team lost their lives serving others," David Beveridge, a vice president of ANTHC's Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, told KNOM radio station. "They were the best at what they did and had just flown into Unalakleet to help address heating and mechanical issues in the depths of winter," Natasha Singh, ANTHC interim president and CEO, told the media outlet. The pilot killed in the crash has been identified as Chad Antill, 34, of Nome. The other victims, according to the Anchorage Daily News, were Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla; Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome; Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla; Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River; Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage; Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet, and Carol Mooers, 48, of Unalakleet. Ryan, a former science teacher and volleyball coach, "had such a cheerful and bubbly personality, and dedicated her post-retirement life to growing new teachers and encouraging them through those first incredibly tough years," Jamie Burgess, the Superintendent for Nome Public Schools, told KNOM. Erickson, a Bering Strait School District mechanic, was described to the local station as a "really good guy" by Nome resident Michael Nichols. Katchatag's oldest sister, AyyuSue Katchatag, said on a GoFundMe page that her brother, "known as TK by many, was such a soft spoken, wise beyond his years, very strong man." "Not only strong in stature, but in mind, and spirit. His soul was genuine, and he lived life so matter of factly. TK loved his family, his children, his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, and friends," she continued. One of San Antonio native Carol Mooers' sons said on crowdfunding website Spotfund that the Army veteran was an "educator, mentor and community leader." "She was on her way to go pick up students to take on college tours in Juneau and Anchorage," Aaron Mooers wrote, adding that "she deserves the best and she had always wanted to be buried with her fellow service members in San Antonio." Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the small commuter aircraft to go down in the icy Bering Sea. The remains of the victims have all been recovered and "officially brought home," the Nome Volunteer Fire Department wrote on Facebook over the weekend. The single-engine turboprop plane was traveling from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. The plane crash is one of the deadliest in Alaska in 25 years.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Investigators hunt for clues into deadly Alaska plane wreck
By Rich McKay (Reuters) - As the wreckage of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan that crashed on Thursday, killing all 10 on board, drifts on a Bering Sea ice floe, a crew of nine investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday to find out why it crashed. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the Cessna carrying nine passengers and one pilot was lost from radar contact about 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday over the Bering Sea as it headed from Unalakleet, Alaska, to an airfield in Nome, about 100 miles (161 km) south of the Arctic Circle. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The U.S. Coast Guard found the wreckage late on Friday on an ice floe about 34 miles (54 km) out to sea and drifting about 5 miles (8 km) a day, officials said. "Recovery efforts are still under way," Homendy said at a press conference on Saturday. "The priority is victim recovery. Then we will recover the wreckage." Homendy said time is a factor because "we do have a short window, bad weather is coming in" and they are operating in difficult conditions. She also expressed her "deepest condolences" to the victims' families and friends. "Please know that we will work diligently to determine how this happened," she said, adding, "It must be extremely heartbreaking for the families." On Friday, the Coast Guard put two divers in the water and they were able to see into the aircraft, but it was largely inaccessible due to the extent of the damage. Officials have not identified the victims of the crash. But in a news release late on Friday, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium said two of the passengers were their employees, Alaska Public Media reported. In a press statement received by the news agency, the ANTHC identified two passengers as Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who both worked in utility operations for the organization and had traveled to Unalakleet to service part of the community's water plant. In the statement, ANTHC's interim president and CEO, Natasha Singh, said the employees were 'passionate about the work they did, cared deeply for the communities they served, and made a lasting impact on rural communities across our state.' Neither the ANTHC nor Singh could immediately be reached by Reuters for comment. The incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of air safety in the United States. NTSB investigators are probing two deadly crashes in recent days: the midair collision of a passenger jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people, and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that killed seven.
Reuters
09-02-2025
- General
- Reuters
Alaska plane crash: investigators hunt for clues
Feb 8 (Reuters) - As the wreckage of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan that crashed on Thursday, killing all 10 on board, drifts on a Bering Sea ice floe, a crew of nine investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday to find out why it crashed. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the Cessna carrying nine passengers and one pilot was lost from radar contact about 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday over the Bering Sea as it headed from Unalakleet, Alaska, to an airfield in Nome, about 100 miles (161 km) south of the Arctic Circle. The U.S. Coast Guard found the wreckage late on Friday on an ice floe about 34 miles (54 km) out to sea and drifting about 5 miles (8 km) a day, officials said. "Recovery efforts are still under way," Homendy said at a press conference on Saturday. "The priority is victim recovery. Then we will recover the wreckage." Homendy said time is a factor because "we do have a short window, bad weather is coming in" and they are operating in difficult conditions. She also expressed her "deepest condolences" to the victims' families and friends. "Please know that we will work diligently to determine how this happened," she said, adding, "It must be extremely heartbreaking for the families." On Friday, the Coast Guard put two divers in the water and they were able to see into the aircraft, but it was largely inaccessible due to the extent of the damage. Officials have not identified the victims of the crash. But in a news release late on Friday, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium said two of the passengers were their employees, Alaska Public Media reported. In a press statement received by the news agency, the ANTHC identified two passengers as Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who both worked in utility operations for the organization and had traveled to Unalakleet to service part of the community's water plant. In the statement, ANTHC's interim president and CEO, Natasha Singh, said the employees were 'passionate about the work they did, cared deeply for the communities they served, and made a lasting impact on rural communities across our state.' Neither the ANTHC nor Singh could immediately be reached by Reuters for comment. The incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of air safety in the United States. NTSB investigators are probing two deadly crashes in recent days: the midair collision of a passenger jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people, and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that killed seven.
