YKHC receives Indian Health Service Joint Venture Construction Program award to expand YK Elders Home

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) announced it has been selected by the Indian Health Service (IHS) to participate in the IHS Joint Venture Construction Program (JVCP) to expand the YK Elders Home, the region's only long-term care facility.

Through this project, YKHC will have the opportunity to enlarge and update the YK Elders Home in Bethel from 18 to 36 beds, allowing twice as many elders who need skilled nursing care to remain in their home region.

"With alternative long-term care services hundreds of miles away and virtually inaccessible to both elders and their family members, this project is a top priority for YKHC," said Darren Cleveland, Chairman of YKHC's Board of Directors. "This expansion will benefit our entire region and make it easier for elders to stay connected to their traditional ways of life and to their families, friends, and communities."

"We are grateful YKHC emerged from this national, competitive process as one of the top applicants, and we look forward to partnering with the IHS on this important and much needed initiative. This project will expand access for our elders to the culturally-relevant support they deserve, as close to home as possible," said Patty Smith, YKHC's Interim President and CEO. "I would like to thank our Board of Directors for their leadership and commitment to this endeavor. This is a perfect example of what our mission looks like in action, 'Working together to achieve excellent health.'"

The cost for the project is currently estimated to be approximately $66 million and is anticipated to add 30,000 square feet to the current 49,000-square-foot facility. Consistent with the process that governs projects of this type, the projected timeframe for groundbreaking is two to five years.

"Having the YK Elders Home expansion project selected is an honor," said Deanna Latham, Vice President of Support Services. "We are grateful to everyone involved, including the IHS and our teams at YKHC, Bettisworth North and Forvis Mazars (formerly known as The Innova Group)."

Under a JVCP agreement, a federally recognized Tribe or Tribal Organization funds the acquisition or construction of a healthcare facility that meets IHS standards. In exchange, the IHS will request that Congress fund a portion of the staffing and operations of the health care facility. In 2016, YKHC reached a JVCP agreement to build the new Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital, which was completed on time and under budget in 2021.

The YK Elders Home has a proven record of providing high quality care over the past 12 years, having received a four star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five Star Quality Rating System and being recognized with statewide quality awards.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation is a Tribal Organization that administers a comprehensive healthcare delivery system for 58 rural communities in southwest Alaska.