Celebrating 25 years of family wellness Volume 9, Number 1 • January/February 2007 Anchorage Native News Celebrating 25 years of family wellness The Gathering Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. th Egan Civic & Convention Center 25 Anniversary Everyone is invited to attend and it’s free! Explore services available in the Anchorage community •Information booths and displays •Purchase Native arts and crafts •Free refreshments Families are invited to participate in these special activities •Face painting •Horse-drawn carriage rides •Anchorage Fire Department fire trucks While at the Gathering, enter drawings to win •iPod •Southcentral Foundation jackets •Native art Southcentral 1982-2007 Foundation Southcentral Foundation Non-Profit Org. 4501 Diplomacy Drive US Postage CONTENTS Anchorage, AK 99508 PAID Anchorage, AK Permit No. 1022 Forwarding Service Requested TRADITIONAL HEALING 6 ELDER DRUM 7 th SCF PHOTO ALBUM 8-9 25 Anniversary HEAD START 10 Anchorage Native News January/February 2007 SCF Vision/Mission Page 2 Southcentral Foundation celebrates 25 years of family wellness nonprofits, employing more than 1,300 changes in the philosophy, structure and people in over 65 programs. delivery of the direct services offered to its The organization has developed and customer/owners. implemented comprehensive health- In January 1999, SCF and the Alaska Native related services to meet changing Tribal Health Consortium signed an agreement needs, enhance culture, and empower for co-management of Indian Health Service individuals and families to take charge programs on the Alaska Native Health Campus, of their lives. the location of the ANMC, the PCC, SCF's main Currently, SCF serves over 46,800 administration building and several other Alaska Native and American Indian facilities. people in the Anchorage Service Unit. Continued on page 11 SCF's first contract with the Alaska Area Native Health Service began in The administrative offices of Southcentral Foundation 1982 under the Indian Self- are located on the Alaska Native Medical Center Determination and Educational campus. Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638). In celebrating 25 years of family wellness, With this contract, SCF began Southcentral Foundation (SCF) will be providing dentistry, optometry, community publishing a series of articles throughout 2007 health representatives and injury control detailing the growth of SCF from its beginnings services. A funding request to expand programs in 1982 to its current operation in 2007, and provide substance abuse treatment service describing important phases and including was added in 1987. In addition, SCF contracted interviews from a few of the individuals who for a portion of psychiatric services in 1993, as have influenced and ensured that this growth well as pediatrics, family medicine, women’s continues to meet the needs of its clinic and social services in 1994. customer/owners. Gradually, SCF increased its contracting Southcentral Foundation (SCF) is an Alaska capacity within the Anchorage Service Unit. In Native-owned and operated healthcare 1998, SCF obtained ownership and organization serving Alaska Native and management of programs located in the American Indian people living in Anchorage, Anchorage Native Primary Care Center (PCC) Southcentral Foundation’s Anchorage Native the Mat-Su Valley and 55 rural villages in the at the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), Primary Care Center is the largest primary which serves the entire Native population of the care system in Alaska, serving more than Anchorage Service Unit. Incorporated in 1982 45,000 Alaska Native and American Indian under the tribal authority of Cook Inlet Region, state – an estimated 125,000 people. people. Inc. (CIRI), SCF is the largest of the CIRI Since then, SCF has instituted profound Vision Statement Southcentral A Native Community that enjoys physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Foundation Board of Directors Mission Statement Working together with the Native Community to achieve wellness through health and related services. James Segura Chairman Key Points Charles G. Anderson Shared Responsibility Vice-Chairman • We value working together with the individual, the family and the community. • We strive to honor the dignity of every individual. B. Agnes Brown • We see the journey to wellness being traveled in shared responsibility and partnership with those for Secretary/Treasurer whom we provide services. Commitment to Quality Karen Caindec • We strive to provide the best services for the Native Community. Director • We employ fully qualified staff in all positions, and we commit ourselves to recruiting and training Native staff to meet this need. Sophia Chase • We structure our organization to optimize the skills and contributions of our staff. Director Family Wellness Dr. Terry Simpson • We value the family as the heart of the Native Community. Director • We work to promote wellness that goes beyond absence of illness and prevention of disease. • We encourage physical, mental, social, spiritual and economic wellness in the individual, the family, the Robert Singyke community and the world in which we live. Director The Anchorage Native News is published Contact us … bi-monthly by Southcentral Foundation. If you Office of Anchorage Native have questions, comments, want to submit the President Primary Care Center articles or be added to our mailing list, contact 4501 Diplomacy Drive 4320 Diplomacy Drive the editor at (907) 729-5019 or write to the Anchorage, AK 99508 Anchorage, AK 99508 address to the right. The Anchorage Native Phone (907) 729-4955 Phone (907) 729-3250 News reserves the right to edit all Toll-free (800) 478-3343 submissions for clarity, length and content. Fax (907) 729-5000 Every article will be considered for publication depending upon space available. Website www.scf.cc © 2007 Southcentral Foundation Email [email protected] Anchorage Native News January/February 2007 Page 3 Health Education Newborn hearing screening is a resounding success! work of the nurses in both the well baby and have shown that when a hearing loss is detected special needs nursery, who handle the day-to- early in life, early intervention can have a major day testing and alert Erb and Fassler to any impact. concerns. If a hard-of-hearing or deaf infant receives The screening device at ANMC, a Natus Algo hearing aids by six months of age, then often, automated brainstem response unit, uses speech and language development can specially designed earphones that fit over the eventually approach that of a normal-hearing newborn’s ears without putting pressure on the child. ears. A series of soft clicking sounds is When hearing loss is diagnosed, the baby is delivered via the earphones, and sensors taped referred to the State of Alaska Infant Learning to the newborn’s head measure its response. Program. A “pass” on the test indicates that hearing is If hearing aids are required and the Newborn hearing screening is provided to normal. A “refer,” on the other hand, does not customer/owner does not have Medicaid every baby born at the Alaska Native Medical necessarily mean there is hearing loss, but that funding, then Southcentral Foundation’s Restore Center. there is a need for further testing. Often, a Hearing Project will provide the hearing aids simple re-screening will result in a pass, but for and earmolds at no cost to the family. Did you know that since 2000, there has been those who continue to receive a “refer,” Since its inception, the Newborn Hearing hearing screening for every baby born at the diagnostic testing by the audiologist is needed. Screening Program has become a successful Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC)? The Why is it so important to test the hearing of model. In July, ANMC hosted dignitaries from program is administered by Audiologist Linda newborns? the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Erb with operations and follow-up coordinated Delays in identification and intervention of in Atlanta along with representatives from the by Audiometric Technician Mechele Fassler. hearing loss can affect a child’s language Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Critical to the success of the program is the development and progress in school. Studies Program for the State of Alaska. Healthy living habits for the colder winter months As people find themselves facing the coldest In addition, keep the windshield wiper fluid months of the year, instead of worrying about reservoir filled with wintertime mix, and getting to the store early in the morning to beat make sure studded tires have enough air the rush, they are making sure their cars are warm pressure. As always, keep emergency kits in enough to take the drive to work. Preparing one’s the trunk including blankets, booster cables home, car and family for cold weather in advance and a flashlight. can make all the difference once a cold snap hits. Keeping a family warm is simple. When To help keep heat in a home, try to keep going outside in cold weather, a good rule is to windows closed, do not open doors unless wear a hat, gloves, scarf or knit mask, water- necessary, and put blankets or towels in drafty resistant coat, boots, and layers of clothing. areas. For those living in a house, it is a good Outdoor gear should be tightly woven, wind idea to keep water running with a continuous drip resistant and waterproof. Make sure that to prevent pipes from freezing. If using a dressing in layers does not cause sweat. fireplace or wood stove, make sure they are Sweating may cause heat loss from the body. properly cleaned to avoid fire hazards. Make sure For more information on healthy living smoke detectors are working, and the batteries habits, call the Southcentral Foundation Health are no older than six months. Education Department at (907) 729-2689. Dressing warm when playing outside is one way To keep cars safe during this season, make sure Source: Extreme Cold, A Prevention Guide to be prepared for the cold weather.