Your generosity is improving the health of our community
You’re transforming lives in Alaska
As you read this report, I hope you’ll see how much your support matters to people all across Alaska who Providence reaches through programs, treatments and innovations that you make possible.
Serving on the Providence Alaska Foundation Board of Directors has given me an inside look at the extraordinary work of Providence caregivers and a deep appreciation for you – the donors who fuel this essential work.
As part of Spark Design, a partner in designing Q’et’en Qenq’a –Providence House, I’ve seen the impact of your generosity firsthand. It has been an honor to watch the initial design concept come to life for a program that is now celebrating its first year of supporting Alaska seniors who went from experiencing homelessness to experiencing community and connection. It has reinforced something I see again and again at Providence: When committed donors join compassionate caregivers, transformation happens. That’s just one of many amazing things you’ll read about in this report.
Through your giving, you’re making a difference for Alaskans every day. Your generosity brings healing, comfort and hope to those who need it most. On behalf of the Providence Alaska Foundation Board, thank you for your trust, your partnership and all that you do.
Deanna Nafzger Board Chair, Providence Alaska Foundation
“I want to
thank everyone in your facility. The care was great. I had a fractured hip and was more than 3,000 miles from home. The surgeon was outstanding as were the doctors, nurses and support staff.”
— A grateful patient
2025 by the numbers
Car seats provided to safely transport infants home from the hospital and through their first months of life
made in treatments, technology and services for women and children 143 10,256 $2.9M
Prescriptions filled for patients who couldn’t afford them without your help
Because of you, healing looks like child’s play
A hospital can feel big and scary through a child’s eyes. Loud alarms. Strange machines. New faces. But because of you, children at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital don’t have to face it alone. A team of certified child life specialists with training and tools help pediatric patients cope with whatever comes their way. Philanthropy provides vital funding for the Child Life program, putting child life specialists at bedsides and in hallways and equipping them with everything from books to bubbles to birthday decorations to minimize anxiety and fear.
Translating care for little ears
Child life specialists explain what’s happening in kid language. They help children and families navigate what could otherwise be complex and confusing medical journeys. They stay with children through procedures. They coach parents in the moment. They help kids build coping skills they can take with them long after they leave the hospital.
And, they do it in the most kid way possible: through play. Play is not a pause from careit’s an integral part of it. “Play is how kids master their environment,” says child life specialist Bonnie Hiers. “Sometimes it really helps kids process some of the traumatic events that they have to endure.”
When laughter really is the best medicine
Weaving play into a hospital stay can help distract, explain or soften a treatment or procedure. When hospitalization threatens to cause a developmental delay or regression, play helps children keep learning and developing. It can also give young patients a way to deal with hard things that can happen in a hospital.
So, your generosity shows up as bubble blowing during a procedure, a little hallway silliness to get a kid moving again or a milestone birthday celebrated when life feels anything but normal. Sometimes a specialist brings in a familiar character to normalize the unfamiliar. If a stuffed Aladdin can get an NG tube inserted, a child believes they can too.
“It’s so important for a children’s hospital, and for kids in the state of Alaska, that donors can support a kid coming into the hospital being treated as a kid and being able to leave the hospital as a kid.”
-- Nicki Thurwanger, child life services manager, Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital
Child Life also supports siblings and surrounds families with comfort, including grief and bereavement care when needed.
You make this important work possible
None of this would be possible without ongoing support through Providence Alaska Foundation. From individual donors to corporate partners, such as Spirit of Children, Costco Wholesale, Walmart, Panda Restaurant Group, Ace Hardware and Kendall Auto Group of Alaska, you are easing the way for little ones across Alaska when they come to Providence.
Thank you for bringing comfort – even laughter –into the most challenging medical moments. Your support helps kids do what they came here to do: get better and get back to being kids.
You’re making these moments happen
In every smile, every cuddly toy and every bubble blown - your generosity is here. Child life specialists use simple tools and human connection to ease fear and build trust so children can move through hard moments with courage. You’re bringing comfort into the room and turning uncertainty into something a child and their family can face.
You helped build a place to heal and call home
Your generosity is giving Anchorage’s most vulnerable neighbors stability, dignity and a chance to lead healthy lives.
When Providence set out to open Q’et’en Qenq’a - Providence House in Anchorage, the goal was to create a safe place for older adults experiencing homelessness to heal and thrive. With your generosity, that’s now a reality.
Residents are welcomed with dignity
Thanks to Wells Fargo and individual donors, new residents are given welcome baskets with essentials, such as cleaning supplies and paper products. Most residents had few, if any, household items to help them care for themselves and their new home. These baskets provide dignity and a fresh start.
“Residents usually come empty-handed, with maybe a plastic bag or backpack of belongings. Because of donor support, we welcome them with baskets that meet basic needs and show them they are valued.”
-- Mary Abraham, housing director, Q’et’en Qenq’a - Providence House
45
Permanent supportive housing studio apartments house residents at Q’et’en Qenq’a - Providence House.
$7,539
This is the average annual household income of residents at Q’et’en Qenq’aProvidence House.
65
Residents were connected with mental and behavioral health support.
To mark the one-year anniversary, residents and staff held a touching tree-painting ceremony to symbolize community, gratitude and growth.
Stability grows with additional support
Through a partnership with Southcentral Foundation, Q’et’en Qenq’a - Providence House residents can access behavioral health support, peer activities and life skills workshops. These services help them adjust to independent living, build stability and regain confidence.
The transition wasn’t easy for everyone. After navigating life in shelters or on the streets, some residents discovered they needed different levels of care. Compassionate transitions ensured they were matched to environments that suit their needs. For most, Q’et’en Qenq’a has become a place to flourishresidents are caring for their apartments and embracing new opportunities with pride.
Thank you for helping bring Q’et’en Qenq’aProvidence House to life. Health for a better world starts right here at home – and in just one year, you’ve already changed the world for so many.
Top: To celebrate growth and community in year one, residents created a hand-print tree.
Bottom: Donors and volunteers assembled welcome baskets for new residents.
6 1 100%
All residents were welcomed with donor-funded welcome baskets of essentials and cleaning supplies.
Short-stay recuperative care apartments help patients discharged from Providence Alaska Medical Center safely heal.
A full year of operation was celebrated in 2025 by residents and caregivers at Q’et’en Qenq’aProvidence House.
Your generosity is driving access to lifesaving screenings
A new, donor-funded mobile mammography coach is bringing advanced breast cancer detection to more communities.
Because of you, advanced breast cancer screening reached communities all across southcentral Alaska in 2025. Donor generosity funded Providence Alaska’s newest mobile mammography coach, bringing the latest 3D mammography technology directly to people who might otherwise face long travel or delayed care.
This road show delivers high-quality care
This new coach is equipped with the same imaging technology used at Providence Imaging Center, ensuring the quality of detection on the road is just as good as in the clinic. When breast cancer is found early, the five-year survival rate is 99%. Yes, 99%. Now, you’re making this lifesaving early detection available at even more workplaces and communities across Alaska.
“Stories of patients who discovered breast cancer early after visiting the unit drives home the importance of making mobile screenings available.”
-- Caleb Terpstra, former director of diagnostic imaging at Providence Alaska Medical Center
Advanced imaging is now closer to home for more women across Alaska.
Each day the new coach can serve up to 18 patients with screening mammograms. Appointments take about 20 minutes, and no referral is needed. Most importantly, no one is turned away due to inability to pay. Uninsured patients are first connected to state assistance programs. When needed, donor-funded support through Providence Alaska Foundation helps ensure they get their screening. Your generosity is removing barrier after barrier to that 99% survival rate.
This is the fifth coach in the 40-year history of Providence Alaska’s mobile mammography program. And, it’s on the road because of you. Thank you for fueling this lifesaving care.
Left: Because of you, this mobile coach is bringing lifesaving screenings to women where they live, work and gather. You’re helping make early detection more accessible than ever.
For this couple, there’s “always room to give”
to Providence
Top: Dave and DeAnne Rand give to Providence with their time, treasure and talent.
Bottom: The Rands invested in construction of the future Crisis Stabilization Center.
Dave and DeAnne Rand express generosity in many ways: For them, time, talent and treasure weave together a safety net of care and compassion for local patients and families.
In 2025, the Rands made a leadership gift to support construction of Providence’s Crisis Stabilization Center, a facility for patients experiencing a mental health crisis. It will offer three levels of care - from a behavioral health walk-in clinic to a 12-bed unit for those who need to stay for a few days. This latest investment in advancing local health care builds on a history of giving that began long ago.
Seeds of generosity first planted in time of need
While backpacking abroad after college, Dave developed appendicitis. He didn’t know the language and had no money, but a Catholic hospital in Rome cared for him with compassion. Dave decided that one day he would pay that kindness forward. “In my time of need, that hospital took care of me,” says Dave.
In the years since, Dave and DeAnne have relied on Providence Alaska Medical Center for care. Both of their boys were born here. Providence has seen many of their friends and family members through various health journeys. The gratitude for compassionate care that Dave first felt across the globe took root and began to grow at home.
Giving the gift of time
DeAnne’s first step was giving her time and talent as a volunteer. After retiring from teaching, she began cuddling babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital. Her love of babies and children then took her to the pediatric intensive care unit and the pediatric infusion center at the cancer center where she read books, sang songs and sat with kids who needed a calm presence during long hours of treatment.
As DeAnne spent more time at the infusion center, she noticed something others might miss. Teenagers receiving treatment felt out of place surrounded by younger kids and an environment that was designed for little ones. They needed a space that felt like theirs. DeAnne and Dave helped fund and furnish a dedicated teen room in the infusion center, complete with video gaming systems, comfy chairs and neon signs. Now, teens and young adults can receive chemotherapy and other infusion treatments in a space that’s all their own.
Dave has given his time in meaningful ways, too, serving multiple terms on the Providence Alaska Foundation Board, including two stints as board chair. That service has given him a frontrow seat to the power of philanthropy and the many ways it strengthens care. He also sees how critical Providence is to the health and well-being of all who call Alaska home.
“Providence’s care touches everybody. No matter what walk of life you’re from, at some point you will need a hospital, and Providence is a good one.”
-- Dave Rand, Providence Alaska Foundation donor and board chair
That’s why the Rands are so passionate about giving to Providence. From funding capital projects to quiet moments with a toddler going through treatment. And from steadfast board service to filling a shopping cart with stuffies for pediatric patients - they look around for what’s needed and find a way to give. “There’s always room to give, whether it’s your time or your money,” DeAnne says. “It’s always nice to be able to help somebody else.”
The Rands have built a life and legacy – along with a healthier community – by doing just that.
Top: The Rands helped created this special space for teens in the infusion center.
Bottom: DeAnne is known for making sure there are plenty of stuffies for pediatric patients.
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK
Donor support helps kiddos like Lucas have access to the care they need when it matters most. Lucas has shown incredible strength through his leukemia treatment - just look at that smile! As the 2025 Children’s Miracle Network champion, Lucas and his big, brave personality inspired us all.
Thanks to Lucas, our 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Champion
At just 4 years old, Lucas was called upon to show more strength than most people will ever need to summon.
As a happy, active little boy, he rarely visited the doctor until the spring of 2024 when a lingering flu began to fade.
After a week of symptoms that weren’t improving, his family took Lucas to the emergency department. Blood tests revealed dangerously low counts, and Lucas was airlifted to Anchorage for critical care at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital.
Once stabilized with blood and platelet transfusions, a bone marrow draw confirmed the diagnosis: acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment began within days.
Before his diagnosis, Lucas seemed to be a healthy, energetic child. His only symptom was joint pain, something his family attributed to his new love of hockey. No one could have known it was an early sign of something very serious and scary.
Lucas spent three days in the pediatric intensive care unit, followed by nearly two weeks on the pediatric floor. His days were filled with chemotherapy infusions, lumbar punctures, procedures and long stretches away from home. A month of oral chemotherapy followed once he was able to return home.
The road hasn’t always been easy. Lucas struggled to walk through pain, coped with extreme hunger and mood swings from steroids, and missed his dog and familiar routines. Still, his determination shines through, as does his personality and positive outlook.
“I’m kicking cancer’s hiney!”
-- Lucas, cancer survivor
Lucas has persevered through so much, but we’re thrilled to say his battle with cancer is nearly won. With his final chemotherapy infusion beginning in May, Lucas will be completely finished with his treatment in July 2026!
As the 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Champion, Lucas represented resilience, hope and the incredible strength found in children facing medical challenges. He’s definitely doing a good job at kicking cancer’s hiney.
Providence Alaska Foundation 2025 Board of Directors
Officers
Dave Rand, board chair Retired business owner
Deanna Nafzger, vice chair Spark Design LLC
Ingrid Klinkhart, secretary Yuit Communications
Shane Kanady, treasurer Koniag
Cynthia Libby, president Providence Alaska Foundation
John Hill, interim chief executive Providence Alaska
Directors
Sami Ali, M.D. Alaska Emergency Medicine Associates
Kathleen Benoit Architects Alaska
Julie Erickson RE/MAX Dynamic Properties
Marie Evans ConocoPhillips
Sezy Gerow-Hanson Cook Inlet Housing
Gianna Giusti Valdez City Schools
Doug Gray Alaska Council of School Administrators
Lindsay Huckabee, D.O. Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson
Sajani Inampudi Community leader
Morgan Neff First National Bank Alaska
Paul Peterson, M.D. Retired cardiologist
Janet Weiss Community leader
“Our otherwise healthy 12-year-old experienced a seizure on his birthday, and I was blown away by the care at Providence. The team threw my son a birthday party, complete with presents, a disco ball, singing and maybe even a dance move or two. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
-- A grateful parent
Providence’s Mission stands firm because of you
It’s easy to wonder whether one person can truly make a difference in our world. I hope the stories in this report answer that question with a resounding yes.
Because of you, lives are being changed and saved every day across Alaska.
Through giving, you are helping children cope with the stress of their care, offering comfort and hope during some of life’s most difficult moments. You’re helping Alaska elders find permanent housing, but also the support and care they need for their dignity. You’re bringing lifesaving cancer screenings to communities and people across Alaska who might otherwise go without care. You’re inspiring others to stand alongside you in building a stronger, healthier Alaska.
These stories, at their heart, are your stories. They would not be possible without your commitment to our communities, our state and the Mission of Providence. These stories are a reflection of your impact and a celebration of what we can accomplish together.
As the landscape of health care continues to shift around us, your generosity grounds us in the Mission of Providence: to remain steadfast in serving all, especially those who are poor and vulnerable.
Thank you for standing with Providence. Our Mission is possible because of you.
Cynthia Libby, MBA, CFR President and Chief Philanthropy Officer Providence Alaska Foundation