MSHF_MinardWasilla, AK — The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently welcomed Robin Minard to its team as director of public affairs. Minard has 20-plus years of relevant professional experience and has developed and implemented communications strategies for organizations large and small in the Valley, Anchorage and the Lower 48. She holds a master’s degree in strategic communications from Seton Hall University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Trinity Washington University.

In this newly created position at MSHF, she will help to advance the mission of the foundation through strategic communications and advocacy. Whether disseminating specific health-related information to help Mat-Su residents improve the health of their families or streamlining access to local health data for Mat-Su nonprofits, Minard’s expertise will provide yet another method of creating a healthy community. Her work will support the foundation’s strategic goals, which include reducing barriers to healthcare access, making progress on Healthy Alaska 2010 goals in the Mat-Su Borough, increasing the capacity of nonprofits operating in the Borough to address the issues of health and wellness, and increasing collaborative relations with funders and stakeholders in Alaska and other states.

In addition to crafting the foundation’s strategic external communications plan, Minard will work on internal and board communications, branding, government relations and community engagement. She will also work with the foundation team to support the organization’s current effort to conduct a community health assessment that will assist in measuring the health status of Mat-Su residents over time.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight. The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.

More information is available at matsuhealthfoundation.org.