Last week, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation announced a salary bump for all the health aides across its network. The company also named Earlene Wise of Kalskag YKHC’s Health Aide Worker of the Year. The announcement came during YKHC’s annual Tribal Unity Gathering with Delta tribal administrations.
YKHC President and CEO Dan Winkelman says that the pay raise is an investment “worth more than $2 million,” which “impacts about 200 employees,” including Earlene Wise. The Health Aide of the Year has worked for YKHC for the past 22 years, covering both Upper and Lower Kalskag on her own for the past several years.
“These increases are intended to help improve recruitment and retention efforts for health aide positions,” said Vice President of Village Health and Workforce Development Rahnia Boyer. YKHC has found it difficult to recruit health aides in the past, having to compete with the higher rates for entry-level positions that their competitors have offered.
YKHC could not provide an exact dollar average amount per person for the increase, as it varies depending on the position, but it’s at least several more dollars an hour for each health aide.