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Caring for the vulnerable with no strings attached When an individual struggling with drug dependency contacts the Kodiak Community Health Center's (KCHC) Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, chemical dependency counselor Helen Shepard says the first thing their staff does is make sure the individual is safe. Second, they show the patient they are seen, that they matter. "When we have a patient who comes in or calls, we try and get them in as fast as we can, because if we don't grab them when they call, we can lose them," she said. Through Providence Alaska Foundation, Providence provided $17,500 in 2022 to support the MAT program, an evidence-based treatment that greatly increases opioid recovery rates. Shepard has spent more than 10 years working with those who struggle with substance use disorders. While she has helped hundreds of clients recover, she knows that relapse is a very real possibility. "The challenge in our community, and many small communities in Alaska, is that there is a drug problem," said family medicine specialist David Silbergeld, M.D. "There is so much stigma around substance use … It's always remarkable to see our patients motivated to get better. There is no judgment here, just help." ✝ How we invest in the health of Alaskans $8 MILLION Community health improvement and strategic partnerships $5.8 MILLION Health professionals education and research $10 MILLION Subsidized health services $18.5 MILLION Free and discounted care of the uninsured and underinsured $52.7 MILLION Unpaid cost of Medicaid and other means-tested government programs Data are consolidated based on unaudited financial reporting. The numbers include home and community care investments and joint venture by percentage ownership. As a not-for-profit organization, Providence Alaska received $17 million in federal, state and local tax exemptions in 2022. However, we provided $95 million back to the community, or $78 million in excess of our exemption. Additionally, there are taxes from which we are not exempt and must pay in the normal course of operations, just as any business in the community would. These totaled $28 million in 2022 and included taxes on non-exempt properties and payroll taxes. Valdez pregnancy care center with their baby, Auggie, meet with Melanee Tiura, DHA, FACHE, Providence Valdez Medical Center the lactation and nutrition classes at Little Sparrow Pregnancy Care Center in Valdez. Little Sparrow is parents-to-be for childbirth classes, feeding and lactation classes, and online education programs that can help expectant mothers. Providence caregivers support this program by volunteering to a teach a variety of classes. LEFT: (L-R) Jenny Keegan, Kodiak Community Health Center's grant coordinator, and Helen Shepard, chemical dependency counselor at KCHC's Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, with some of the backpacks the program provides to those in need. RIGHT: The backpacks include necessities like sweatshirts, socks, energy bars and other snacks, toothbrush, toothpaste, and Narcan nasal spray, which can save a life during a drug overdose.

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