Juneau's JAMHI clinic gets $938,000 in congressionally directed funds to replace failing HVAC

Juneau has no road to anywhere else. If the clinic that holds both a resident's primary care and their behavioral health care has a mechanical failure, there is nowhere to drive. That clinic is getting $938,000 in federal money to replace failing systems.

Most of it, $880,000, goes to the building: replacing failing legacy HVAC components with a high-efficiency air-to-water heat pump, updating ventilation and air filtration throughout the 12,200-square-foot clinic, and installing modern fire suppression. The remaining $58,000 buys 20 secure clinician workstations for the organization's recent move to the Epic electronic health records system.

JAMHI Health & Wellness operates both as a Federally Qualified Health Center and a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, a safety-net designation for organizations that keep primary care and behavioral health under the same roof. The award record notes that Juneau's lack of road access to outside health networks leaves residents relying on JAMHI for integrated care.

Kodiak is in the same federal package. The Kodiak Island Health Care Foundation gets $300,000 for a dedicated rooftop HVAC system at the Kodiak Community Health Center, which serves more than 4,500 patients and currently shares an aging air handling system with Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. That work is expected to take nine to 12 months.

Both are congressionally directed spending, also called community project funding. JAMHI requested its award. The period starts Sept. 30.

Alaska was selected for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid demonstration program, with JAMHI and Alaska Behavioral Health in Fairbanks certified first during the planning phase. JAMHI began as a mental-health advocacy group in 1985 and added primary care in 2015.