“Fifty years ago, in a small Southeast Alaska village, a group of tribal leaders gathered around a shared vision: to take back control of their community’s health. What followed changed the future of Southeast Alaska.
At the time, the health care system wasn’t built for Native people. Even in the 1950s, Alaska Native infants were dying at 10 times the rate of non-Natives, and the average life expectancy was just 47. Care was often miles and flights away, and even when it arrived, it was rarely rooted in the culture or values of the people it was meant to serve. Something had to change, and our communities knew it wouldn’t come from outside.” Juneau Empire Article
Read the full feature by SEARHC CEO, Charles Clement, in the Juneau Empire here.