Staff

Empowering Healthcare Heroes: The Dedication and Training of Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Outpatient Clinic and Community Health Aide Program Teams

The outpatient clinic staff at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel, Alaska is a highly skilled and dedicated team of healthcare professionals. The clinic led by Outpatient Services Chief, Kevin Krenek, is staffed by a team of experienced physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses who work together to provide high-quality care to patients of all ages.

In addition to the medical staff, the clinic also employs a team of administrative and support staff who work tirelessly to ensure that patients receive timely and efficient care. The support staff includes case managers, medical assistants, receptionists, medical records specialists, and insurance specialists, who assist patients with scheduling appointments, checking in for appointments, and navigating insurance and payment issues. 

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation’s (YKHC) Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) is a pivotal initiative that aims to equip community health aides (CHAs) with the requisite skills and knowledge to provide crucial healthcare services within the YK Delta. At the heart of CHAP is the Community Health Aide Training (CHAT) Center located in Bethel, which takes on the significant task of training a majority of CHAs who serve in the 42 village clinics and 5 sub-regional clinics scattered across the YK Delta. Beyond Bethel, there are three additional CHA training centers situated in Nome, Anchorage, and Fairbanks. Among these, Bethel stands out for training the highest number of health aides and hosting the largest roster of health aides in any tribal health corporation within Alaska.

The training curriculum for CHAs is structured into four progressive sessions, which are ideally designed to be completed within a two-year timeframe, although some trainees might take longer to progress through the sessions. The curriculum is meticulous, demanding a minimum of an eighth-grade proficiency in reading and math for admission, alongside a requisite Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) training. Each training session spans four to five weeks, blending didactic learning with clinical practice, all in adherence to the statewide curriculum and the Community Health Aide Program Certification Board Standards. Upon successful completion of a session, a CHA is granted certification at the state level, which remains valid for two years. To maintain their certification, CHAs are required to accrue 48 continuing education credits before re-certification.