Andy Teuber beat a hasty retreat from his mega job leading Alaska’s largest Native health organization, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
Little is known about why he quit the organization, which he has led since 2008, or why he also suddenly resigned from the University of Alaska Board of Regents, all at the same time, without reason. The mainstream media has not revealed the cause for Teuber’s unexpected departure.
Teuber may be the highest paid health administrator in the state. In 2017, the latest MRAK could determine, he was awarded a $1.2 million salary and benefits package from ANTHC.
In 2019, the organization had 3,485 employees, $707 million in revenue, and $949 million in assets, much of it the sprawling medical campus in east Anchorage.
Teuber is also the CEO of the Kodiak Area Native Association. At last discovery, he was earning $540,000 a year at KANA, a salary that was, like his salary at ANTHC, largely paid for by tax dollars.
KANA, which is a Native health organization, has revenues of $35,067,111 and expenses of about $30 million.
Between the two organizations, Teuber was pulling down nearly $2 million a year running Medicaid programs for Alaska Natives. He didn’t make nearly as much until Gov. Bill Walker delivered Medicaid expansion to Native health groups in Alaska.
Although no further information has been released officially from the ANTHC organization, sources say there are computer hard drives that may have been physically destroyed at the ANTHC, and they may be related to Teuber’s departure.
The new CEO for ANTHC is Garvin Federenko, who was chief financial officer of the organization and who has been with ANTHC since 1998. The fact that the organization quickly promoted Federenko indicates the scandal may not be related to Medicaid fiscal malpractice.
In fact, there may be very little need for Medicaid fraud, since Medicaid money is flowing so freely there’s hardly a need for fraud. Native health organizations bill both Indian Health Service and Medicaid, but Medicaid is billed more freely, as there is no cap on spending.
Others who are on the executive team at ANTHC include former Commissioner of Health and Social Services Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson, who is also is president of Alaska Pacific University. Davidson, who pushed for Medicaid expansion under Gov. Walker, oversees the ANTHC educational programs, including the Community Health Aide program, the Dental Health Aide Therapy program and the Behavioral Health Aide program. Davidson briefly became lieutenant governor in late 2018 after the scandalous resignation of Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott.
Ethan Schutt is also one of the high-profile executives at ANTHC. Schutt served in leadership positions with Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI) in Anchorage, Tanana Chiefs Conference in Fairbanks, and on the Doyon, Limited board of directors from 2003 to 2006. He serves on a number of local boards, including the boards of Covenant House, Alaska and the Resource Development Council.
Just six months ago, Roald Helgesen left ANTHC, where he had headed up the Alaska Native Medical Center. He has moved on to become chief operating officer for Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska.
Unrelated to troubles at ANTHC, Katherine Gottlieb left as the CEO of Southcentral Foundation in August, after her husband was fired from the organization. The two of them had worked at the foundation for over 30 years.
Teuber was also on one of the regional boards of Alaska Airlines. He resigned from that as well.
This is where our tax money goes! Anyone who can claim to be a minority, and at the end of the day that is really anyone who wants to do so, can obtain at least a strong six figure salary for that franchise. People still claiming to be what are a little slow. Does this fellow have the appearance of being a minority? Of course not. And lots of Alaska liberals see this as just payback for colonialism, the American Civil War (with Lincoln now being as culpable as Jefferson Davis in the eyes of AOC, Bernie and Biden), cheering John Wayne characters in movies, and voting Republican. Does government have any moral right to tell us right from wrong when it acts like this?
That’s amazing. I worked there, and ‘claim’ to be a minority, yet never managed to ‘obtain at least a strong six figure salary’, despite a masters degree. I guess I was just unlucky! Truth is, though, that kind of salary was the exception rather than rule unless you were an executive or a provider, who made up the majority of 100K+ salaries.
“In fact, there may be very little need for Medicaid fraud, since Medicaid money is flowing so freely there’s hardly a need for fraud.” -SD
Pretty much sums it up…add a few extra bengies for the covid stamp and you can see the cash cow that the federal gov created for the healthcare industry. All at the expense of our GDP & national debt.
?
Well, every once in awhile you have to throw somebody under the “Gravy Train”
Throwing one under the “Gravy Train” was a classic comment. I think I’ll steal it. Best laugh of the afternoon!
Agree. I thought the same thing! Perfect!
If they are paying those kind of high wages they should not be getting preferential treatment on government contracts
What government contracts? Are you talking about for-profit 8a contracts? I think you’re talking about completely separate things. It is amazing to me that people have such strong opinions about things they know so little about.
Is it SOA Medicaid or Federal Medicaid.
Walker screwed Alaska with his acceptance of Obama Care.
Walker s statement regarding the match SOA has to the Obama formula,
“ The SOA will participate until we cannot afford to pay”.
Look at the SOA HHS budget, and the rate of growth.
With people knocking down those salaries small wonder the SOA is going bankrupt.
These Executive positions across the state are pitiful. What a waste for one family to rake in and hoard so much mone. millions could be spend creating more professional entry level jobs for increasing wealth for more families by having relatives receiving a job. You know, Alaskans need more work opportunities and paid employment training with training hours respecting someone’s family and work needs according to what each individual can do. While Alaska’s Exuctives are buying useless real estate and their kids are growing up as drunkards. Mind you, I ain’t agianst wealth. Too much money it owns you! Comes to a point of ridiculous. And they turns one as the rich man to Lazarus.
Well with those kind of crazy incomes, he probably was able to retire early. That’s almost better than being a trust fund baby. I always wanted to grow up and be a trust fund baby, unfortunately I’m still over here working. ~sigh~……maybe one day…
The native health Care is open to corruption, in the past before the hospital was turned over to the unqualified the services were excellent and managed by the Navy I believe. Today it’s in trouble.
Uhh, no. It wasn’t run by the navy. It was run by BIA, and had a fraction of services that the tribes now offer. Despite Andy Teuber and some of the morally suspect at the top, the tribal health system is a testament to how well self determination works.
No, before the tribes assumed control of the system, it was run by BIA, not the Navy. The number of people served and services provided expanded under tribal self governance and the system is known internationally as an example of best practices.
The system is great- it is a huge part of why we have such high covid immunizations, that Native kids have high overall immunization rates, and that colorectal cancer screenings are initiated earlier, as AKN have higher colorectal cancer rates.
There are a few bad apples at the top, but by and large the system is extraordinary and an example of why self determination for tribes- where we decide what our priorities are- results in better treatment for patients.
Excessive executive pay is an example of why we really need boards to function properly and not be swayed by perqs. The regions should be holding their own directors accountable- not the good people working in the system.
Commission Corp and IHS ran ANMC not the navy.
So, just to add my two cents.
Roald was the CEO of ANTHC -and resigned.
Andy Tueber was the ANTHC President of the Board of Directors of ANTHC and concurrently the CEO of KANA.
The special set-asides for SBA 8(a) goverment contracting is separate from ANTHC. It is not an entitlement just for existing.
If ANTHC wanted to, likely they could apply for – and IF they met the requirements – could be granted certification into the SBA 8(a) program.
The dollar amount on this article that was “awarded” Tueber resulted from a contract support cost lawsuit that Lloyd Miller argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.
It was not derived from Medicaid reimbursement dollars, from what I understand.
Valerie Davidson is an Alaska Native woman and a professional.
I do not know that the Alaska Pacific University operates the training programs referenced in this article.
The last I recall, as the former President/CEO of the Alaska Native Health Board – and who executed the legislative strategy for the authorization of what is now the Dental Health Aide Therapist mid-level practitioner – it has been the University of Alaska that was eventually granted authorization to host that educational curriculum.
Prior to UAA, we sent students to New Zealand.
I encourage this news site to avoid the trappings and just simply do better than the others.
I think you’re right-I don’t think those programs are at APU under Val, where on earth did they get that idea?
I know the accreditation of these programs took years, and transferring anything to APU would be a process. My understanding was that the ultimate goal was to be able to offer university credit for people who received the training. As a tribal college, they’d be able to offer academic credit for many of the medical programs that are needed to staff all of the med tech fields. I think that’s a great idea, and great opportunity for people to get recognition for the complexity of work they’re already doing. WTH does that have to do with Medicare, other than bringing down the cost of service because of efficiencies?
If you look at the web page for DHAT, it says its offering credit through Iḷisaġvik Tribal College in Barrow, not APU. This is the crappy thing about acknowledging drama in the organizations- everyone tries to attack the system.
It is a real disincentive to address bad behavior internally because the ultimate damage wrought when outsiders have strong opinions about something they know so little about spurred by fear and envy ultimately harms the system and casts aspersions on the majority of people working for them who do a great fricking job and improve the quality of life of the people they serve. Sad.
So much of the info written here is irrelevant to the abrupt resignation of ANTHC’s top exec – the reasoning will be made known eventually… it always is.
Agreed with Trudy – Roald’s departure is of a completely different and normal nature.
But to clarify, you must understand that Ms. Davidson is an ANTHC employee operating in the capacity of President of APU, much like Dr. Onders did before her. As such, she has oversight of facets of ANTHC as well (training programs included). They are not currently credit-bearing courses that you would find in a student catalog at APU, so unless you’re familiar with the programs you wouldn’t see the connection.
And I would absolutely agree with you, Lee, that so many within the organization are doing incredible work, day-by-day, for the benefit of the people they serve. To try and drag an entire organization through the mud, or attempt to cast suspicion on the system, based on one man’s actions (presumably bad choices) is fruitless.
What did Andy do? There is obviously more to the story.
The Alaska Tribal Health System was operated by the Indian Health Service, not the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Self – Determination and Self – Governance are conservative ideologies, which I support wholeheartedly.
I do not have any comment or insight to the backstory of why Mr. Tueber resigned.
I just caution folks from making uninformed judgements without facts.
There are a wide variety of ways to hold leaders accountable.
Perhaps he wants to spend his time focusing on other priorities. Maybe he fell ill. Maybe he is simply burnt out. Maybe he wants to sail the world. Or travel to Mars.
I do not know, and neither does anyone else at this point in time.
I’m sorry but there is no self-determination and no self-governance when the US taxpayer is footing the bill! The is the dole for the BMW set.
Another young girl attempted suicide in Nome yesterday. I wonder if the practice of dowery in Western Alaska contributes to the Bohem, Allen, Stevens, Tyree child sex traffic cover-up! Way to go piscoya/NSHC!
And now Teuber is……..missing?……….
All I am aware of by personal experience more Native people die because of unacknowledged patterned abuse that occurs in families and Native owned employment from individuals lack of personal accountability for their behavior and communication.
So before Nome goes along carrying on grieving another young death, this is another opportunity for Nome to look into the woman’s family life and bring to light abuse patterns needing correcting before that family loses another life sometime down their road. When one family has a suicide, there will be another one until the family corrects themselves.
In theory, the tribal system works, but practice is a different story. All tribal hospital are corrupted!! Their CEO’s and their boards, and that is why they get away with everything. Under their sovereignty they think they can bypass the law, and for the most part they do. The attorneys that work for them know it and are getting fat rich from them. The government needs to start auditing all board minutes and practices from all the villages, specially the North slope, and Dillingham.
Seems that the whole tribal health system these days are to accommodate the privileged in order to get a free trip to Anchorage to go shopping. I realize that many people don’t abuse the system, but many do. Perhaps some people just have had enough of it and no longer wish to be a part of it. At any salary. Truth hurts. Until we can provide real jobs for the native Alaskans, this will continue to be a mess. All of these programs mean nothing. They have no self worth when the government is the provider. Many Alaska Natives desire the opportunity to work for a living, but there are few opportunities, and less in the future.
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