The Mat-Su Valley is your place for an active lifestyle and non-stop adventure. From flight-seeing Mount McKinley to rafting the Matanuska River, excitement is around every corner. Spectacular views abound, from mountains to glaciers to wildlife. Conveniently located 40 miles north of Anchorage, your Alaska experience begins when you get to the Mat-Su valley. Spend a day exploring Hatcher Pass, test your luck fishing or take advantage of the bountiful hiking. Experience world-class hiking, biking, skiing, mountain climbing, white water rafting, fishing, hunting, trail riding, snow machining and even sea kayaking. Alaska is an outdoor recreational paradise!

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center's history began in 1935 when President FDR relocated stricken farmers from Minnesota to the lush Matanuska Valley as part of his "New Deal." These "colonists" founded the "New Colony Hospital" in Palmer, AK to serve the Matanuska Colony and area Natives, miners, trappers and farmers.  The name of the facility changed to Valley Hospital in 1947, when Valley Hospital Association (VHA) was incorporated as a not-for-profit hospital. An outpatient center was added in 1989 in Wasilla, AK to accommodate space for physician practices and to provide health care services to the growing population of the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough. VHA entered into a joint venture with a for-profit partner in December 2003 in order to build a new hospital.  The new hospital was named Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and opened in January 2006. The new hospital is a state of the art 125-bed acute care hospital with a 14-bed ICU, a 22-bed Emergency Department, a 10-LDRP birthing center, 2 cardiac cath-labs, a well-equipped and fully digital OR with 4 rooms including daVinci and Hana modalities, an outpatient surgery center and three outpatient centers. The medical center has about 100-should be 125 physicians on active medical staff and a total medical staff of almost 200-should say 225 physicians. We have a robust Hospitalist and an Intensivist program. Alaska offers among the best reimbursement rates in the country, low malpractice rates and is very business friendly.     

The Palmer/Wasilla service area is a suburban community of approximately 105,000 and is the fastest growing community in the state. The area is commonly called the Mat-Su valley. According to the state Department of Labor, the Mat-Su valley is one of Alaska and the Nations most ‘robust’ economies, boasting job growth and an a steady increase in the population. Over the last decade the valley’s population increased by 42 percent and the number of jobs almost doubled. Mat-Su valley’s job growth is in diverse areas including businesses starting up and expanding, such as those in the retail and health care sectors. The economy has also grown in areas related to the oil and mining industries. We are also an attractive bed-room community for those who work in Anchorage but want to make their home close to the rich activities associated with living in the Mat-Su valley.  We are 50 minutes from downtown Anchorage boasting an international airport, over 650 restaurants, a philharmonic orchestra, Ballet Company, live theatre, and countless cultural events. Alaska is a wealthy State with no income tax and is truly America’s last frontier!