Maniilaq Association
{{Short description|Northwest Alaska nonprofit}}
{{Primary sources|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Maniilaq Association
|logo = Maniilaq Association logo.png
|map = Maniilaq Service Area.png
|map_caption = Communities served by Maniilaq
|formation = {{start date and age|1966|07|06}}
|region_served = Northwest Arctic Borough
Point Hope
|headquarters = 733 2nd Ave, Kotzeube, Alaska
|leader_title = President
|leader_name = Tim Gilbert
|leader_title2 = Board Chair
|leader_name2 = Floyd Ticket
|board_of_directors = [https://www.maniilaq.org/board/ Board]
|affiliations = Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
|ror_id = [https://ror.org/04syg1z63 04syg1z63]
|website = [http://maniilaq.org maniilaq.org]
|formerly = Northwest Alaska Native Association
}}
The Maniilaq Association is a tribally-operated health and social services organization serving the Northwest Arctic Borough and the North Slope community of Point Hope. Maniilaq has over 500 employees and is the largest employer in the region.{{Cite web |title=Maniilaq Association |url=https://www.nwarctic.org/parents___students/regional_resources/maniilaq_association |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209114557/https://www.nwarctic.org/parents___students/regional_resources/maniilaq_association |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |access-date=April 17, 2024 |website=Northwest Arctic Borough School District}}
Etymology
"Maniiḷaq" is a word in the Iñupiaq language meaning "without money", reflecting the organization's nonprofit status. It is also the name of an early nineteenth century prophet who lived in the region.{{Cite book |last=Hensley |first=William L. |author-link=Willie Hensley |title=Fifty Miles from Tomorrow |publisher=Picador |year=2008 |isbn=9780312429362 |pages=180 |language=en}}
History
The Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA) was formed in 1966 to advocate for the land claims of the Native people of the northwest arctic.{{Cite web |last=Hensley |first=William L. |author-link=Willie Hensley |date=March 28, 2000 |title=The Founding and Formation of the Northwest Alaska Native Association |url=http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native_gov/hensley_NANA%20Formation.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225041037/http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native_gov/hensley_NANA%20Formation.html |archive-date=February 25, 2020 |website=Alaskool}} After the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971, NANA was renamed to the Mauneluk Association to avoid confusion with the new, for-profit NANA Regional Corporation. This spelling was later changed, giving the organization its current name.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.maniilaq.org/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405224959/https://www.maniilaq.org/about-us/ |archive-date=April 5, 2024 |access-date=April 17, 2024 |website=Maniilaq Association}}
In 1975, Maniilaq merged with the Kotzebue Area Health Corporation, which had been formed in 1973.
Between 1980 and 1981, Maniilaq underwent a significant expansion with the construction of a new health facility in Kotzeube. Maniilaq assumed management of the Indian Health Service's local hospital program on July 1, 1988.{{Cite web |date=2006 |title=Kotzebue Service Area Profile |url=https://www.ihs.gov/sites/alaska/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/hf/Kotz.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315194803/https://www.ihs.gov/sites/alaska/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/hf/Kotz.pdf |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |access-date=April 18, 2024 |website=Indian Health Service}}
Maniilaq Health Center
Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue is the primary health care facility for the residents of the Northwest Arctic Borough and Point Hope. The 80,000 square foot hospital houses facilities to provide primary, emergency, psychiatric, dental, and long-term care, as well as an inpatient wing with 17 beds for recovering patients.{{Cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Hailey A. |url=https://rhrc.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/UMN-Case-Study_Maniilaq-Health-Center_final.pdf |title=Maniilaq Health Center: Providing High-Quality Obstetric Care to American Indian/Alaska Native People in Rural Kotzebue, Alaska |last2=Kozhimannil |first2=Katy Backes |last3=Ibrahim |first3=Bridget Basile |date=June 2023 |publisher=University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center |pages=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607213450/https://rhrc.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/UMN-Case-Study_Maniilaq-Health-Center_final.pdf |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |url-status=live}}
Village Clinics
Maniilaq operates clinics in 11 outlying villages.{{Cite web |title=Health Services Division |url=https://www.maniilaq.org/health/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417200500/https://www.maniilaq.org/health/ |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |website=Maniilaq Association}} These villages are staffed by Community Health Aide Practitioners (CHAPs), who are trained in basic health assessment and can treat common illnesses or use the Community Health Aide Manual to determine the best course of action. For more complicated cases, the CHAPs communicate with Maniilaq Health Center medical staff.{{Cite web |title=Primary Care |url=https://www.maniilaq.org/primary-care-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002042144/https://www.maniilaq.org/primary-care-2/ |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |access-date=April 17, 2024 |website=Maniilaq Association}}