Today, we’re heading to Alaska to meet April Kyle, the CEO of Southcentral Foundation, one of the nation’s leading native-owned healthcare organizations.
April Kyle’s story is deeply intertwined with her Alaskan heritage and the rich tapestry of her family’s history. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, with ancestral roots linked to the Danina Athabascan tribe, April was heavily influenced by her family’s strong matriarchal structure.
April joined Southcentral Foundation in 2003, working as a recruiter in Human Resources. She earned her master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Before stepping into the CEO role of Southscentral Foundation, she served as vice president of Behavioural services.
As CEO, April is part of a leadership team that continues to pioneer a relationship-based approach to health care, reshaping what care looks like for the 70,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people it serves.
In this episode, we dive into the pivotal choices, cultural grounding, and bold steps that brought April to where she is today. Let’s dive in.
Key moments in the podcast:
00:00 Introduction to the Forks in the Road Podcast
01:03 Meet April Kyle: CEO of South Central Foundation
02:27 April’s Alaskan Heritage and Family Background
05:44 April’s Leadership Philosophy and Community Focus
07:25 The Evolution of South Central Foundation
09:55 Challenges and Successes in Transforming Healthcare
11:48 April’s Career Journey and Leadership Development
15:34 Building a Relationship-Based Healthcare System
22:54 The Importance of Community and Cultural Values
30:42 April’s Mentors and Support System
34:31 Awards and Recognitions
42:53 Final Thoughts and Leadership Advice
44:32 Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview
Here is what stays with us from this conversation:
Leadership is the Art of Being a Good Ancestor
Every choice and action today impacts the path of future generations.
The leader’s job is not to know what’s best, but to listen to families.
Suspend assumptions and truly acknowledge the truth in someone’s voice.
The work is driven by the desire of the community, not a distant corporate or government structure.
Relationship and Story are the Core of Systemic Design
The quality of relationship is the foundation of success at both macro (system-to-community) and micro (care team-to-family) levels.
Story is the essence of relationship, requiring people to show up as their authentic selves.
A positive impact on someone’s story is their journey to wellness, which defines the goal of the system.
Intentional design is required to create a relationship-based culture; it does not happen by accident.
Community Ownership Drives True Generational Change
Viewing the community as customer-owners rather than passive patients or consumers breaks hierarchy.
The transition from a government-delivered system to a self-determination model is a “grand experiment” in community leadership and ownership.
Achieving trust and change requires decades, especially when counteracting survival mechanisms like being suspect of institutions.
Organizational success is about a community’s vision, not individual achievement.
Culture is Built from the Inside Out
Hiring must focus on fit with culture (alignment with the relationship-based idea) over just skill or experience.
Developing people requires investment in them through career ladders, succession planning, and strength-based mentorship.
Training must be continuous (like the multi-day “Core Concepts” model) so that shared language and tools become integrated and teachable.
The workforce must transition from old habits (a hierarchical model) to one of shared responsibility and partnership.
Connect with April Kyle
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This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will Find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland
Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior.
Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music.
Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and
Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with.
