Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program - The Copper River Native Association (CRNA) proposes the Urgent/Emergent Care Program to improve healthcare access and outcomes for underserved populations in the Ahtna region of rural Alaska. This program addresses critical healthcare gaps caused by geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and high rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and substance use disorders. The project will expand local urgent care capacity, reduce reliance on costly medevacs, and improve chronic disease management, focusing on Alaska Native and non-Native residents in Gakona, Gulkana, Tazlina, Kluti Kaah, and surrounding communities. CRNA will implement an evidence-informed urgent care model integrated with behavioral health services and telehealth to overcome barriers to access. The program includes culturally tailored educational initiatives and services targeting chronic disease prevention and management. By enabling timely stabilization services locally, the program will reduce preventable emergency room visits and increase enrollment in primary and behavioral health care programs. CRNA is supported by a consortium including tribal councils from Gakona, Gulkana, Tazlina, and Kluti Kaah Villages, and the Division of Public Health Alaska. Consortium members will assist with community engagement, local needs assessments, and program oversight. Sustainability will be ensured by leveraging Medicare billing codes, participation in value-based payment models, and reinvesting cost savings from reduced emergency transports. This program will reduce medevacs by 50%, increase local stabilization access by 75%, and improve health outcomes through better chronic disease management and behavioral health integration. The project will create a replicable, sustainable model for enhancing healthcare delivery in rural Alaska.
