Grantee: Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC)
Contact: Robert Clark, President/CEO
Address: P.O. Box 130
Dillingham, Alaska  99576
Phone: 907-842-5201
Email: rclark@bbahc.org

Project Purpose:
The overall goal of this proposed project is to meet the healthcare needs of elders so they can remain in their communities and stay connected to their homes and families for as long as possible.  There are five program goals used to describe the approach more specifically.  They are to: A) Increase access to specialized medical care for persons over the age of 62; B) Increase patient translation and advocacy services for persons over the age of 62; C) Increase provider staff knowledge of geriatrics; D) Increase public awareness and knowledge of geriatric issues; and E) Increase Medicare enrollment in the target population.

Project Service Area:
The service area of this project is the 34 rural communities within the BBAHC medical care system in Alaska. The target population is the 555 persons over the age of 62 that reside in the region.  The most significant barriers to care for the elderly are language and travel to advanced medical care.  62% of elders in the service area speak a language other than English.  Of those 9% do not speak English at all and 19% do not speak English well.