Anchorage Service Unit
The Anchorage Service Unit (ASU) refers to the large geographical area served by Southcentral Foundation. Extending nearly 108,000 square miles across southern Alaska, from the Canadian border to the end of the Aleutian Islands, the ASU is home to some 10,000 Alaska Native and American Indian customers. Within this region, 18 tribal health organizations represent some 90 villages, 51 of which have their own village health clinics.
The Operational Support Team (OST) for the tribal health organizations is headquartered at SCF's Anchorage Native Primary Care Center. It reports to the Village Service Management Team and the ASU Tribal Health Council. Responsibilities of the OST include the development of protocols and standards, maintenance of quality assurance and process improvement, definition of roles and responsibilities of clinical staff (including community health aides), medication management, customer service, and overall problem solving for rural primary care issues.
ASU village health clinics are staffed with Community Health Aides. The 16 larger village clinics, called subregional clinics, are also staffed with mid-level health care providers, either Advanced Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants. Many clinics are provided with telemedicine and telepharmacy services from the Anchorage hub.
Health care providers (physicians, mid-levels, dentists, optometrists) from the Anchorage SCF clinics often travel to ASU villages to provide services, usually out of the subregional clinics. In addition, any ASU village beneficiary can become empanelled with a health care provider at the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center, Family Medicine Clinic, and then may see that provider whenever they come to Anchorage.