ABOUT NSHC

Who We Are

Norton Sound Health Corporation is a non-profit tribal health consortium of 20 Native communities. Our board of directors is composed entirely of consumers, the majority of whom are chosen by the 20 tribal governments in the region. The board also includes Nome representatives.

NSHC was founded in 1970 to address the health care needs of Native people of the region. At the time, this population was being served mainly by the Indian Health Service hospital in a neighboring region. Nome's hospital, Maynard McDougall Memorial, was being run by an arm of the Methodist Church.

Initial funding for NSHC came from a grant from the federal Office of Economic Opportunity. NSHC was a demonstration project to study the viability of consumer-directed health care delivery and to develop indigenous health care providers.

In the early days, NSHC focused on bringing behavioral health services, dental care, eye care and emergency medical services to people in the region's villages. In 1977, with its purchase and expansion of the hospital in Nome, NSHC became the primary source of continuous medical care for all in the region. Services have continued to expand over the years.