health

Unalaska’s clinic will soon become the first community health center in Alaska to implement an eICU program.  

That's a type of telemedicine technology that will connect health care providers at Iliuliuk Family and Health Services with intensive care providers in Anchorage.

Officially, the local clinic is a community health center, which means it’s only supposed to provide primary care and some urgent care. But the reality in Unalaska is a little different.

Starting next month, Unalaskans with CIGNA health insurance will get better reimbursement rates when they visit the clinic.

Executive Director Eileen Conlon Scott said Iliuliuk Family and Health Services has renegotiated its contract with one the biggest insurers on the island. That means 20 percent of clinic patients will save more money — including all city and school district employees.

"CIGNA agreed last week to pay 90 percent of all charges, which is probably one of the best contracts you can ever get in the medical insurance world," said Scott.

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is visiting Unalaska next week to help families register for the federal nutrition initiative.

"We serve pregnant women, new moms, and children up until age 5," said Krista Jordan, a WIC dietitian for the State of Alaska.

Jordan said WIC can provide families with health screenings, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education.

With the clinic's leader stepping down soon, Iliuliuk Family Health Services has named an interim executive director: longtime board member Michelle Cochran.

Cochran will take over for outgoing director Eileen Conlon Scott, who resigned last month for personal reasons.

In the search for Scott's temporary replacement, the clinic's board of directors considered candidates across Alaska.