TCC splits health services leadership into two executive roles

Tanana Chiefs Conference has split its health services leadership into two executive roles, naming Jacqueline Bergstrom and Marilyn Anden to lead separate tracks covering administrative strategy and clinical operations.

"As health services at Tanana Chiefs Conference continues to grow and evolve, so does the need for our leadership structure that supports our strategic priorities and the healthcare needs of our communities. To strengthen leadership capacity and position health services for continued success, TCC has implemented a leadership realignment and appointed two experienced leaders to new executive roles," said Bev Krupa, Community Health Aide Program Administrator at the CHAP Training Center, in the June 22 announcement.

Bergstrom has been named Executive Director of Health Administrative Services. She will focus on healthcare advocacy, strategic partnerships, administrative leadership, and health finance strategy. Anden has been named Executive Director of Clinical Health Services. "She will oversee the day-to-day operations of health services and continue leading efforts to enhance patient care and service delivery," Krupa said. Both appointments took effect immediately.

The realignment creates two distinct executive tracks, one focused on administrative and financial strategy and the other on clinical operations and patient care, reflecting the expanding scope of TCC's health services across the region.

In other news from the organization's weekly roundup, TCC celebrated the completion of a Community Health Aide training program. Graduates include Lauren Thomas of Tetlin, Chance Schenck of Dot Lake, and Carissa McCarty, a Kat G itinerant. Community Health Aides serve as a first point of contact for patients in their communities across the region.

TCC administrative offices and Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center will be closed Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day. Urgent Care will remain open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and patient shuttle services will operate from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular business hours resume Monday, July 6. Triage nurses remain available after hours and on weekends at 907-451-6682.

A new community health vending machine is now available in Building A at Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The machine offers free items including naloxone kits, hygiene products, wound care kits, drug testing kits, and safer sex supplies. Visitors complete a short survey, select the item they need, and receive their product without an appointment. For more information, contact the Prevention Program at 907-451-6682, extension 2011, or [email protected].

At the National Congress of American Indians Mid-Year Convention in Memphis, Alaska Native leaders from Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Association of Village Council Presidents, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and the Alaska Federation of Natives delivered a unified message: protecting salmon requires collective action. Representatives described how declining salmon populations are affecting food security, cultural traditions, and Indigenous ways of life across Alaska. They called on tribal nations across the country to stand with Alaska in supporting tribal stewardship, strengthening co-management efforts, protecting subsistence rights, and ensuring healthy salmon populations for future generations.