YKHC Paul John Calricaraq Clinic & Hospital Renovation

Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) serves a vast region of South West Alaska with a network of 58 villages. In order to represent the culture of the region in both the service model and the facility, the Board and Administrative Leadership turned to the teachings of the late Paul John, founding YKHC board member, story-teller, and teacher.

The wisdom of elders still familiar with Native family values had also inspired YKHC’s Behavioral Health Preventative Services to adopt the Yup’ik teachings of healthy families and communities- Calricaraq: Living in Ultimate Purity. This project now shares those important names and carries those beliefs through the design and construction. This clinic is a complete wellness center for the Yukon Kuskokwim region that accommodates every aspect of health in a welcoming environment and will go a long way toward accommodating an expansion of services to a growing population in the YKHC region.

The project required a significant planning effort directed at achieving the following project goals: minor disruption to ongoing operations, cost-effectiveness, and a resulting facility that will serve the YKHC region for decades; this project will be LEED Silver Certified. During design, the team visited villages across the YKHC region to gain an important perspective on the region, the land, and the people. Johnpaul Jones and Colleen Thorpe led cultural workshops and focus groups of elders and community leaders that resulted in a Cultural Design Document that informs all design decisions.