JUNEAU, ALASKA — SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) President/CEO Roald Helgesen has announced he is leaving SEARHC to assume the CEO position at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC).

A transition plan is moving forward as SEARHC launches a nationwide search to replace Helgesen, whose last day with SEARHC will be in the middle of December. At ANTHC, he will run Alaska’s largest tribal health organization, one that provides services to Alaska Natives from every region in the state, including SEARHC.

“We are sad that Roald has decided to leave SEARHC and we look forward to working with him at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium level,” said Jolene Edenshaw, Chair of the SEARHC Board of Directors.

At SEARHC, Helgesen leads a non-profit tribal health consortium of 18 Native communities that provides medical, dental, behavioral health, substance abuse treatment and wellness services to Tlingít, Haida, Tsimshian and other Native people in Southeast Alaska. Established in 1975 under the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination Act, SEARHC is one of the oldest and largest Native-run health organizations in the country. It is the largest private employer in Southeast Alaska with about 1,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $115 million.

ANTHC was created in December 1997 to manage statewide health services for Alaska Native people. All Alaska Natives, through their tribal governments and through their regional nonprofit organizations, own the consortium. ANTHC employs approximately 2,000 people and operates under a half-billion-dollar operating budget. ANTHC provides statewide services in specialty medical care; construction of water, sanitation and health facilities; community health and research; information technology and professional recruiting.

“It was a tough decision to leave SEARHC as I have worked with a very supportive board, living among family, friends and wonderful communities,” Helgesen said. “It is an honor to be able to work toward SEARHC’s mission of providing the highest quality health services in partnership with Native people. I look forward to continuing my work with SEARHC and Alaska’s other regional health organizations to improve the delivery of health services to Native people throughout the state.”