Koyukuk celebrates newly constructed community clinic
June 5, 2015Categories:
The Community of Koyukuk held a grand opening for their recently constructed clinic on May 29. Attendees included community members and representatives from ANTHC, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and the State of Alaska. During the opening ceremonies, former health aides and other long-time residents expressed their appreciation for the progressive improvements in local health care, culminating in their new facility. The newly opened clinic features several important upgrades from the original facility, with the most significant improvement being a sewer system and running water. Numerous energy saving features such as super-insulated construction, a supplementary biomass heating system, Ventilation Heat Recovery, and LED lighting, make the clinic highly energy-efficient. The Koyukuk clinic serves approximately 100 residents and supports numerous services including local community health aides, a medical lab, pharmacy, trauma treatment, optometry, behavioral health, telemedicine, housing for visiting medical staff and a dental operatory. The operatory includes an oral x-ray unit and built-in dental vacuum and air systems. Construction of the clinic was funded through a grant from the Denali Commission and matching funds provided by the IHS, the State of Alaska, the City of Koyukuk, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Doyon. The clinic was completed in February 2015 and placed into service on March 31. The project was a collaborative effort between ANTHC staff, local workers, and Watermark Construction.