The building that housed the Bureau of Indian Affairs hospital was destroyed in World War II. Photo from Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
The Qawalangin Tribe of Alaska is seeking to replace a hospital that was bombed by the Japanese during World War II. The facility could cost up to $100 million:
For most locals, the idea of a full-size hospital in Unalaska has always been little more than a pipe dream. But not for Tom Robinson of the Qawalangin Tribe. He’s been trying to make the hospital happen for more than five years. “We noticed that we really needed a medical facility in Unalaska,” Robinson says. “And with the course of events of losing some of our elder a couple years ago, the [Qawalangin] tribe really pressed the issue.” They teamed up with their tribal health provider, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, to put new energy into lobbying for a hospital. Now, the APIA’s primary care services administrator, Jessica Mata-Rukovishnikoff, says that work is paying off. “It is definitely the closest we’ve been in all the years since we first started the project in 2008,” she says. That’s thanks in part to Alaska Sen. Mark Begich. He’s lobbying for up to about $100 million in federal funds for the project. Mata-Rukovishnikoff says the APIA would be happy to see even part of that sum, and they’re asking local groups to chip in, too.Get the Story:
Lobbying Efforts Galvanize Unalaska Hospital Project (KUCB 6/24)
Join the Conversation