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.
Out of that frustration and fierce love for their communities, SEARHC was born. Not in a boardroom, but in a borrowed office in downtown Juneau led by what co-founder Ethel Lund lovingly called a group of “little old ladies from the villages.” Their vision was revolutionary: that Alaska Native people should direct their own health care, grounded in local values and self-determination.
Today, SEARHC is one of the largest Native-run health organizations in the country, serving more than 26 communities across Southeast Alaska. But our mission remains rooted in that original spirit: community-led, culturally grounded, and fiercely committed to the health of our people.
The last five decades have demonstrated that when health care is local, culturally grounded and community-led, lives change for the better. From Sitka to Klawock, Hydaburg to Haines, SEARHC has invested in people, places and programs that meet real needs, support families and strengthen the wellbeing of future generations.
Over the years, SEARHC has tackled complex challenges — from chronic disease to behavioral health — by building local capacity and delivering care that reflects our communities’ values.
We’ve expanded access to primary care, opened new specialty services, added local behavioral health teams and helped thousands of patients manage conditions like diabetes, heart disease and addiction.
At the same time, we’ve worked to improve the foundations of health itself. Through partnerships with tribes, schools and nonprofits, we’ve supported nutrition and fitness programs, promoted youth mental health, and helped elders age safely in their communities. We’ve trained local health aides, supported the careers of Native providers and opened doors for hundreds of Alaska Native people pursuing careers in health care. We’ve provided mothers in Sitka with personalized nutrition counseling to help them heal and thrive postpartum. We’ve flown medical teams into remote villages during storms, sat with elders during the toughest moments of their care, and trained local youth to become the next generation of providers. Because to us, healthcare isn’t just about treating illness, it’s about honoring the lives, cultures and futures of the people we serve.
Our impact extends beyond clinics and hospitals. Today, SEARHC is a major economic engine in Southeast Alaska, employing more than 1,700 people and contributing millions to the regional economy. With every new facility we build, job we create or partnership we forge, we are reaffirming our long-term commitment to the region. That commitment drives us to ensure we consistently progress in our efforts to provide nothing less than best-in-class healthcare right here in Southeast Alaska.
And while much has changed over 50 years, one thing remains constant: our belief that the health of our people is tied to the strength of our communities. We believe we that as Southeast Alaskans, we are stronger together. We are the communities we serve, and they are us. And together, we are committed to doing what must be done to ensure the health and wellness of Southeast Alaska for the next 50 years and beyond.
The work ahead — reducing disparities, improving access and building culturally informed systems of care — requires us to keep listening, keep learning and keep building together. And as our fellow Southeast Alaskans continue to give their all to these communities we call home, we’ll remain committed to serving them with the best care available, as close to home as possible.
We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together — but more than that, we are proud of the communities that have made this work possible. SEARHC exists because of the strength, vision and resilience of Southeast Alaska’s tribal leaders and partners. This anniversary belongs to all of us.
To our patients, caregivers, partners and neighbors: thank you for trusting us with your care. Thank you for walking alongside us for 50 years. We are honored to serve you—and we’re just getting started.
Charles Clement is president and CEO, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC).
