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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09282026 Laydown Providence Seward - RHTP 2026 Community Care HubLaydown 9/28/26 CC Work Session Providence Health & Services Washington Seward Community Care Hub - Advancing Health Through Coordinated Social Support Services Funding Requested: Funding Year Am Year 1: $38 Year 2: $1,E Year3: $1,7 Year4: $1,8 Year5: $1,8 Serving Rural Alaskans 1,512.34 69,901.92 38,922.80 07,440.28 85,701.22 We intend to serve rural Alaskans in Seward through a coordinated social services hub. As a result, we predict the following: • Improved Access: Creates essential services (transitional housing support, food access, safety resources) in one coordinated system; reduces barriers caused by transportation, geography, and fragmented services; provides a central coordination point for vulnerable populations. • Improved Quality: Stabilizes patients before medical crises occur; enables better care coordination between Providence Seward Medical Center, behavioral health, and community partners; supports whole -person care. • Improved Sustainability: Reduces avoidable ED visits, hospitalizations, and long- term care placements; decreases strain on limited rural healthcare workforce; creates a preventative model instead of reactive care. Laydown 9/28/26 CC Work Session Other Populations Served Other Populations Served Low-income residents; unhoused residents; survivors of domestic violence; Medicaid beneficiaries. Project Overview Project Concept Opportunity Adverse social determinants of health —housing instability, food insecurity, and unsafe living conditions —are significant barriers to health outcomes, especially in remote and rural Alaska. In Seward, the emergency department often serves as the frontline of care for residents that are impacted by several of the above adverse determinants of health. Unfortunately, many of Seward's social services are not coordinated to best serve the community efficiently and effectively. This project would serve as the missing infrastructure to transform a fragmented social services landscape into a centralized hub model. Project Concept Approach Providence Seward Medical Center (PSMC) proposes to lead the development of a coordinated social services hub in Seward designed to address critical social determinants of health, including housing instability, food insecurity, and unsafe living conditions. The hub will integrate essential services such as emergency and transitional housing support, community meal and food access programs, and domestic violence prevention and response services. This model will function as a central coordination point, aligning healthcare, social services, and community -based resources to better serve vulnerable populations. This project will require strong collaboration across local and municipal government, faith -based organizations, non -profits and tribal partners, law enforcement and emergency services, state and federal funding entities, and private philanthropy. In the first year, PSMC will focus on foundational development and partnership alignment, with the following outputs: Conduct a community needs assessment and service gap analysis; Establish a multi -agency governance and leadership structure; Formalize partnership agreements (MOAs/MOUs) across key stakeholders; Identify and secure physical location(s) for hub services; Develop a phased implementation plan (transitional housing, food services, domestic violence support); Initiate pilot programs for highest Laydown 9/28/26 CC Work Session priority needs (e.g., food access or navigation services) Secure initial staffing model and workforce plan; Begin funding alignment and grant acquisition strategy. Project Concept Preliminary Outcomes Longterm expected outcomes include reduced utilization of inpatient and outpatient services at PSMC, SeaView Behavioral Health, Chugachmiut, and Seward Community Health Center. We'd also expect to see improved community social determinants of health and a positive economic impact on the Seward community. In the first year of the project, expected outcomes include: Established governance structure and formal partnerships; Identified and secured hub location(s) Launch of at least one pilot service (e.g., food access or navigation support) Increased coordination between healthcare and social service providers; Early reduction in non -medical emergency department utilization trends. Project Concept Sustainability Sustainability will be driven primarily through reductions in Medicare/Medicaid utilization. Project Concept Key Risks or Uncertainties Funding Sustainability Risk — Long-term funding for this work is uncertain, but we plan to mitigate this risk by diversifying funding streams (grants, municipal support, philanthropy) building phased implementation to scale responsibly, and demonstrating early ROI through data. Partnership Alignment Challenges Risk— Competing priorities exist across organizations, but we plan to mitigate this risk by establish clear governance structures, defining roles/responsibilities early via MOUs/MOAs, and conducting regular cross -sector coordination meetings. Workforce Limitations Risk —There exists difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff in rural settings. We plan to mitigate this risk by using hybrid staffing models, cross -training existing workforce, and exploring housing incentives and workforce support. Community Perception/Buy-In Risk— Communities can hold resistance to facilities like transitional housing. We plan to mitigate this risk through early community engagement and transparent communication, emphasizing safety, structure, and benefits. Laydown 9/28/26 CC Work Session Project Partnerships Key project partners include but are not limited to: City of Seward, Seward Community Health Center, Seaview Behavioral Health, Chugachmiut Regional Health Center, Seward Prevention Coalition, He Will Provide Food Bank, law enforcement, and local nonprofit and faith -based organizations.