History & Services
History
Mountain View Health Services, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, was established in August of 2020 by Jonathan and Andrea Van Ravenswaay, Jan Ilutsik, Heather Smith, Brant Smith, and Jessica Cabrera to serve the health and medical needs of Mountain View. Jim Posey joined in 2021 and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Board.
In 2009, while Dr. Van Ravenswaay was in his first year of medical school in Anchorage, he saw a “Medical Space for Lease” sign on a Mountain View strip mall and toured the space. A vision for a local community clinic was born. Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center had moved out a few years earlier, leaving the space built out as a clinic. A few years later, Hospital Corporation of America briefly opened a community clinic in Mountain View which closed in June 2017. After hearing of the closure, Dr. Van Ravenswaay made plans to open a clinic in Mountain View, and one year later Mountain View Urgent Care opened its doors to the community at the present location.
In 2021 Dr. Van Ravenswaay transferred Mountain View Urgent Care to Mountain View Health Services for the purpose of making it a permanent non-profit community health clinic and expand vital health services including primary care and behavioral health.
Services
MVHS operates a non-profit community health clinic in Mountain View, Alaska offering high quality and convenient primary care, urgent care, and counseling services to residents. Fully licensed and credentialed medical professionals provide the services. A licensed physician serves as the executive director and medical director and the clinic is staffed by licensed medical support and billing staff. Mountain View Health Services collaborates with other local agencies to develop programs to promote community and family wellness.
Purpose and General Objective
MVHS is organized exclusively for charitable purposes under the Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The general objectives of the corporation are the furtherance and promotion of the following: to operate a non-profit community health clinic; to provide space and services for the general health and welfare of individuals; families and organizations located in South-Central Alaska; and, for other exempt charitable purposes under 501(c)(3).
Governing Body
The corporation is governed by the Board of Directors: Brant Smith, president; Heather Smith, Registered Nurse, Vice-president and Secretary; and, Jan Ilutsik, Registered Nurse, Treasurer. Jim Posey serves as Senior Advisor.
Expansion Plan
MVHS will initially offer urgent care, behavioral health, and primary care. We will continually seek to expand the services offered. We intend to offer chronic wound care services, diabetes clinic, orthopedic clinic and other specialty medical services. We will improve our radiology services and add ultrasonography. MVHS will also fully develop its child and adult vaccination program to better serve the community. Developing a substance abuse treatment and recovery program is also a top priority. Addressing the social determinants of health will be a goal as well as we gain increased capacity. MVHS will also seek to develop an academic affiliation with Alaska’s medical school so that MVHS can attract health resources to the community.