Article courtesy of Southcentral Foundation
Health care leaders from around the world gathered June 17-21 in Anchorage to attend Southcentral Foundation’s (SCF) ninth annual Nuka System of Care Conference. This year’s theme was Connect— Share—Continue the Journey.
The Nuka System of Care is the name given to the health care system created, managed and owned by Alaska Native people to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Nuka is an Alaska Native word used for strong, giant structures and living things.
The conference, held on the Alaska Native Health campus, featured sessions on customer-ownership, relationship-based health care, SCF’s Core Concepts, integrated health care teams, strategic planning, improvement processes, facility design and an in-depth look at SCF’s Nuka System of Care. SCF President/CEO Katherine Gottlieb and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement President/CEO Derek Feeley served as keynote speakers.
Conference attendees discovered methods to reduce health care costs and improve health outcomes; increase customer-owner satisfaction; and gain knowledge and best practices to help them transform their current system. Attendees also attended a cultural reception held at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Southcentral Foundation is a CIRI-affiliated nonprofit organization established in 1982 to serve Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Southcentral Alaska. Its relationship-based Nuka System of Care is comprised of organizational strategies and processes; medical, behavioral dental, and traditional practices; and supporting infrastructure that work together to support wellness. The Nuka System of Care has won national and international recognition for its sustained success over the course of three decades, including the distinction of being the only health care organization to twice receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (2011 and 2017).
For more information, visit www.southcentralfoundation.com.
