Alaska volunteers win national award for service to hospital

April 18, 2008 at 9:57AM AKST

Three Alaskans received the American Hospital Association’s Award for Volunteer Excellence, which recognizes work for the Alaska Native Medical Center, in particular gathering its museum-quality art collection.

Sen. Ted Stevens on April 8 congratulated Agnes Coyle, Jeanne Dougherty and Karin Vogeler of the Alaska Native Medical Center’s Auxiliary Heritage Collection for winning the award. Coyle and Dougherty were in Washington to receive the award at the American Hospital Association’s national conference.

The three Alaskans worked with Native artists for more than three decades. During the planning and construction phases of the new Alaska Native Medical Center, they collected hundreds of pieces of contemporary Native art and artifacts for display in the hospital.

"Agnes, Jeanne and their colleagues are doing the community a great service," the Alaska Republican said. "Not only have they established a scholarship fund that has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars for Alaska Native students over the past 33 years, the collection has been called one of the finest displays of Alaska contemporary art and artifacts in the world.

"Their concept of providing an outlet for Native culture at fair prices with proceeds going to further the education of young Alaska Natives is truly an inspiration."

The award program highlights efforts of volunteer programs and the positive impact their contributions have on communities and hospitals.

The Auxiliary Heritage Collection won this year’s award for the most outstanding In-Service Hospital Volunteer Program, beating out 88 other nominees from across the country.

Anchorage’s Alaska Native Medical Center’s Auxiliary Heritage Collection was recognized for creating a unique tribal-based approach to volunteerism. The Alaska Native Medical Center’s Auxiliary has managed a Smithsonian-quality Native arts and crafts collection, run as a gift shop in the medical center.

The collection is comprised of traditional works of art that represent all regions of the state and the various Alaska Native cultures. Most of the sale proceeds go to the Native crafters who provide the components of the collection, while a large portion of the additional proceeds are used to fund a scholarship program for Natives.'a0

The'a0displays are open to the public. Visitors may call the hospital at (907) 563-2662 for directions and for hours to tour the collection.