PROGRESS: Q&A with Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley

1. What is the Mat-Su Health Foundation?

Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.

2. 2017 was a big year for the MSHF. What's been the biggest achievement from your vantage point?

Awarded over $7M in grants, scholarships and community benefit—the most ever in a single year.This included an all-time high number of scholarships with more than $700,000 awarded to local students.Saw some of the recommendations in our previously published reports come to fruition.Crisis Intervention Team launched through the leadership of Colonel Hans Brinke to train a special unit of first responders on helping someone in a mental health crisisMulti-Disciplinary Team (MDT) formed with local providers and care coordinators to create care plans for individuals with a plethora of physical and behavioral health challenges; thus far the MDT has connected 40 people to resources outside of the emergency care setting for more cost-effective care and outcomes.Through the leadership of Dr. Anne Zink, LINKS and other community partners, we launched the High Utilizer Mat-Su (HUMS) project January 1. Thus far, it has served 25 people who had five or more visits to the Mat-Su Regional Emergency Department in the previous year. In one case, the HUMS team determined that providing transportation to regularly scheduled behavioral health treatment avoided multiple 911 calls, emergency transports and emergency department visits resulting in improved health of the patient and significant cost savings for all these systems.Piloted different models of behavioral health services in five different schools in the Mat-Su Borough School District and put a plan in place to develop a tool kit for BH services in the schoolsLeveraged several million in State dollars into Mat-Su nonprofit organizations via special grant offerings designed to fill critical gaps in the continuum of care (example—Set Free Alaska’s Valley Oaks residential treatment center for women).From a hospital governance perspective, lobbied for a formal strategy to better address the behavioral health needs of patients, resulting in adding social workers seven days a week in the ED and also a plan to build a 36 bed behavioral health wing at Mat-Su RegionalWorked with local partners to develop a community resource center network (Connect Mat-Su) that will be housed in the new MSHF building opening May, 2018. Connect Mat-Su is envisioned as both a physical and virtual center that will link residents with immediate access to the information, referrals, and direct assistance that is needed for them to thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. Resources and referrals will be available in person at the foundation’s new Wasilla building opening this spring, and to residents throughout the Valley by phone and online.Published the results of the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment. This page report focused on the factors that impact health in our community. The report, “Health is Where We Live, Learn, Work and Play,” identified the top factors that affect the health of local residents: transportation; social connection and support; income; education and information; and, housing.Published the third and final report of the Behavioral Health Environmental Scan. This report, "Keeping Our Children Well-Cared-For and Safe," focuses on prevention of child maltreatment. It offers 17 recommendations to help reach the goal that all Mat-Su children should be well cared-for and safe.Published the second Senior Scan on the needs of older adults in Mat-Su

3. You're also in the process of building new headquarters. What's the name/purpose and ribbon cutting date of this enterprise?

The Mat-Su Health Foundation building is a multi-tenant facility opening in April, 2018. In addition to housing the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the project supports health in our community by devoting space to programmatic uses, including the creation of Connect Mat-Su, where Mat-Su residents can seek support, information, and referral to local services. Connect Mat-Su was born out of the 2013 and 2016 Community Health Needs Assessments and the Behavioral Health Environmental Scan. From these research projects we learned that there are more resources in the Mat-Su to help people than was previously thought, but that people did not know how to access help, and that the providers were not often working in a collaborative way. We also learned that social connection is a significant driver in each person’s health. Connect Mat-Su will help people access existing services and supports and will strive to build these social connections.

4. Challenges to health care in the Mat-Su are numerous for reasons of expense, remoteness and communication, just to name a few. How does the MSHF bridge those divides?

We feel that’s some of the most powerful work we do is policy related. Our strategic plan is centered on using data to improve health, and this often translates to policy work to address gaps identified in the data. We have engaged in legislative policy around telemedicine, transportation, health care price transparency, adequate state budget funding for behavioral health services, Medicaid expansion and reform, and opioid prescribing and treatment, as well as on many other health-related topics. We are currently engaged with a statewide group of stakeholders working to create a comprehensive plan for health care throughout the state of Alaska. In 2017, we successfully lobbied the MSB Assembly to tax e-cigarettes and lobbied for SB63, the clean indoor air or “take it outside” bill, which passed the Senate and is in the House Rules committee waiting for its final hearing.

5. What's the next big challenge awaiting health care in the Valley that people aren't really talking about yet?

Workforce development is going to become more and more important in the future, especially with the planned expansions at Mat-Su Regional of a 36 bed behavioral health wing, a 52 bed Medical-Surgical wing and expanded ancillary services and also due to the new skilled nursing facility and assisted living developments being built by Maple Springs. It has always been a challenge attracting health care providers to Mat-Su (and to Alaska in general). Our needs will continue increase because Mat-Su remains the fastest growing population in Alaska, and also has the fastest-growing population of older Alaskans. We are addressing these workforce development issues with a new program officer devoted to this area and an enhanced scholarship program to help us “grow our own” workforce of tomorrow. We also recognize that a person’s income is a major driver of their health, and that providing economic opportunity through workforce development ultimately makes the entire community healthier.

6. To what do you owe the success the MHSF has enjoyed so far?

The Mat-Su Health Foundation is truly blessed to have an active, engaged, and completely devoted Board of Directors. The success of any nonprofit is impacted by its Board, and ours has the expertise, diversity and integrity to help the foundation truly serve the health needs of the community. We also benefit from the collaboration that local nonprofit leaders engage in, and from very highly qualified staff who work well together. Lastly, the grants and scholarships we award are made possible by the work and funds generated by the doctors, nurses and staff at Mat-Su Regional who work diligently to provide the highest level of care for their patients.