Health clinic in Tok provides improved health care to Upper Tanana area

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - In Tok, a high level of medical care is being provided in a new state of the art facility, The Upper Tanana Health Center.

Chief PJ Simon, Chairman with the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) told us, “On November 16th 2020 The Upper Tanana Valley Health Center opened a 16,000 square foot health center for the Upper Tanana, which was envisioned decades ago by Upper Tanana Leadership. So Tanana Chiefs conference jumped on the support of Upper Tanana getting their facility,” said Chief Simon

Prior to the opening, TCC offered Upper Tanana residents most emergency and primary care services, but they were spread across three separate smaller locations, making it difficult to treat larger groups of people. The new Health Center provides urgent care, primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, radiology, as well as dental and medical services all in one location.

Chief Simon continued, “The Upper Tanana Health Center currently employs about between 40 and 50 employees. Not only is it an economic driver for the upper Tanana region. but also it provides better healthcare. So the executive board of Tanana Chiefs, the leadership of the region, all supported this project to enhance the healthcare in the upper Tanana.”

The new location makes it so elders and children do not have to travel all the way from Upper Tanana to the chief Andrew Isaac health center here in Fairbanks. The executive board of Tanana Chiefs and the leadership of the region all supported this project to enhance the healthcare available in the upper Tanana.

“It’s been such a wonderful new facility and leadership in the upper Tanana praises the work of the executive board, [and] the chiefs of the region who supported this overall project. It’s been a big win, it’s a win-win. Native healthcare is public healthcare. Tanana Chiefs Conference provides health for the interior of Alaska,” Chief Simon said.