ANCHORAGE — Thomas James, at his routine school physical, is immersed in a long conversation with a doctor and counselor who check more than just his vital signs.

The lean, bushy-haired 13-year-old recently arrived to live with his aunt and uncle, Linda and Don Starbard, following the death of his father.

“It’s nice to meet another Starbard relative,” says Dr. Laurie Zimmer, his aunt’s physician for nine years.

James has stumbled into the primary care center of one of the most effective and innovative health systems in the nation. Southcentral Foundation, run by and for Alaska Natives, assumes it improves health only by developing relationships with patients.

It has dramatically reduced health disparities that persist among Native Americans and across the country, including the Portland area. The nonprofit has attracted health leaders from all over the world, including Oregon, which drew on Southcentral’s design in making coordinated care teams the centerpiece of state health reform.

If the nation adopted the Southcentral model, “we would see huge changes,” says Katherine Gottlieb, president and chief executive officer.

Read the entire article at oregonlive.com