The Indian Health Service officially transferred ownership of the state's biggest tribal hospital, the Alaska Native Medical Center, to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, according to the consortium.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium CEO Natasha Singh said the transfer, completed August 24, is the result of decades of advocacy. Singh is also a Stevens Village tribal citizen from Fairbanks.
"This marks a historic achievement. It advances tribal self-determination in healthcare, and it's achieved through the direct advocacy by Alaska tribal leaders," Singh said.
The Indian Health Service still owns other tribal health facilities in the state, including Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham, Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue, Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center in Sitka and Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome.
Wilson Justin, a shareholder of the Ahtna Regional Corporation, has advocated for the rights of Indigenous people in the health care system since the 1990s. He said the ownership transfer is momentous.
"It's been a long wait, and I really appreciate the fact that it's finally occurring," Justin said. "We've been waiting for it for half a generation, basically."
He said he hopes that the transfer allows the hospital to strengthen healthcare for Indigenous Alaskans across the state, especially for smaller tribes.
Singh said that, beyond practical implications, the symbolism of ownership is powerful. She said it's rare that tribes truly have self-governance over something so critical to their lives.
"You don't see it in management of our traditional territories or our fish resources. You don't see it in education and public safety, but you see it in healthcare," Singh said. "Having this ability to control our future is allowing us to address the historical impacts of colonialism, and our Alaska Native people are getting some of the best care available, not only in Alaska, but in the country."
Singh said the hospital endured decades of underinvestment from the federal government, and the transfer will allow the hospital to pursue funding only available to tribally-owned facilities. She said the transfer will not change patient care or employment and will make it easier to maintain and renovate the hospital.
