A Year in Review 2018
» Download 2018 Annual Report [PDF]

2018 ANTHC Annual Report

When pursuing a vision as great as the Consortium’s, we require the broadest view of health possible. ANTHC is connecting improvements in Alaska Native health to other health factors in the lives of the people we serve. ANTHC makes connections between our medical care, our homes, our environments, our education and our Alaska Native lifestyles and traditions. Specialty medical care at ANMC connects the Tribal health network across the state. Community health programs connect us to wellness resources. Environmental health and engineering connect utilities and community health infrastructure. Training and education opportunities connect effective solutions to the needs of the Tribal health system.

Across the state, ANTHC connects many partners to achieve our vision. ANTHC makes connections between all of these factors to improve Alaska Native health.

This year’s annual report recognizes achievements from 2018, building on our previous successes – accomplished through our Tribal leadership and work to connect the Tribal health system – for the health of our people.

Our Top Stories of 2018

Throughout the year, ANTHC provides regular updates on our work and services. Our top stories from 2018 provide more information on stories from our annual report.

To stay up to date in the coming year, read the ANTHC news blog, follow us on social media or subscribe to the ANTHC Health Beat e-newsletter.

» View All News Stories
61,893
Emergency department visits in FY 2018.

Emergency Department ImprovementsConnecting patients to care when every minute matters

Since 2011, the ANMC Emergency Department (ED) has lowered the amount of time patients wait to see a provider from the time they enter the door.

  • With the addition of “Nurse First” patients are now immediately greeted by a nurse, which makes triage faster
  • The ED implemented a practice called “Pull to Full”, meaning if there is bed space in the ED, a patient is immediately brought into an exam room, instead of staying in the waiting area
  • The ED now has a Customer Experience professional to assist people with non-medical inquiries

Access to CareImproving access to care through service expansion initiatives

As our Alaska Native population continues to grow, demand for specialty health services at ANMC also increases.

  • ANTHC is focusing on improving access to care for our people, while also enhancing the quality and experience of the care we provide.
  • ANTHC is improving access by creating additional clinical space.
  • ANTHC is also a world leader in telehealth services, which allows our people to receive specialty care without the hassle of traveling to Anchorage.
ANTHC strives to provide the right care at the right time in the right place.
The Walk-in Clinic is an alternative to the Emergency Department for patients with low acuity injuries and illnesses.

Walk-In ClinicCreating new solutions to address the urgent care needs of our people

This year, ANTHC opened ANMC’s 25th specialty clinic, the Walk-in Clinic.

  • The Walk-in Clinic is for patients of all ages who have an illness or injury that needs immediate care but are not experiencing a medical emergency.
  • The Walk-in Clinic is located on campus, at 3900 Ambassador Drive. Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • The Walk-in Clinic offers vaccinations, medication refills, physicals and more.

CAMPUS EXPANSION OF SERVICESExpanding services to meet the needs of our people

ANTHC has invested in growth and improvements at ANMC by both renovating existing spaces and building new clinical areas. In 2018:

  • ANTHC funded construction to create six new rooms in the Critical Care Unit to expand care options for ANMC patients with the most serious medical needs.
  • ANTHC opened ANMC's 25th specialty clinic, the Walk-in Clinic
  • ANTHC expanded access to sleep studies and services for our people by opening an 8-bed Sleep Center, providing comprehensive sleep medicine services to our people.
Our people are livinglonger and healthier lives, and ANTHC has played a significant role by expanding our specialty services.
91%=
Projected increase for ANMC specialty clinic visits.

SPECIALTY CLINIC CONTINUED GROWTHConnecting our people to specialty medical services

Over the last eight years, medical specialists at ANMC have seen more patients and increased access to care, with specialty clinic visits increasing by 80 percent.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPANSIONProviding culturally relevant training and education for village-based behavioral health counselors.

Behavioral and mental wellness are crucial to individual and community health in rural Alaska. ANTHC Behavioral Health Aide Program improvements include:

  • Partnership with Iļisaġvik College on an academic program to grow a community behavioral health workforce
  • ANTHC, the State of Alaska, and the U.S. Department of Labor developed the Behavioral Health Aide Apprenticeship, combining on-the-job learning with classroom instruction
  • Behavioral Health Aide Manual is now available electronically to provide fundamental information and best practices
In 2018, the BHA Program welcomed the second cohort of students into the ANTHC-Ilisaġvik College degree program
The ANTHC Tribal Community Health Providers Program earned Harvard Honoring Nations' Highest Honors at the 2018 National Congress of American Indians conference.

TRIBAL COMMUNITY HEALTH PROVIDERS PROGRAMThe frontline of health care in our rural Alaska communities

ANTHC’s three health aide training programs are collectively the Tribal Community Health Provider Programs.

  • Dedicated to expanding culturally appropriate health care – addressing rural Alaska communities' medical, dental and behavioral health needs within their unique settings.
  • In 2018, the Community Health Aide Program celebrated its 50th year.
  • In 2001, ANTHC established the Dental Health Aide Program – the first of its kind in the country – and in 2008 responded to a growing need with the Behavioral Health Aide Program.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTConnecting effective solutions to the needs of the Alaska Tribal Health System

4 new degree programs with Alaska Pacific University partnership

  • Nursing
  • Community health
  • Rural managemen
  • Redesigned programs in counseling psychology

Well-trained community providers for care closer to home

  • 7 new Behavioral Health Aide Training Program participants from: Copper River Native Association, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Maniilaq Association, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
  • 5 new Dental Health Aide Training Program participants from: Marshall, Kotlik, Golovin, Tulalip, Washington and a Canadian student from the Fishing Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan, Canada
The ANTHC-APU strategic partnership is ensuring that the next generation of Tribal health leaders will be ready to advance Alaska Native health.
This year, the Environmentally Threatened Communities grant center secured more than $2 million in funding to assist communities.

ENVIRONMENTALLY THREATENED COMMUNITIESConnecting at risk communities to funding resources

31 Alaska communities are considered environmentally threatened.

ANTHC Environmental Health and Engineering helps communities that are most threatened by a changing Arctic. Community project highlights:

  • Newtok to Mertarvik relocation
  • Oscarville community planning
  • Multiple community infrastructure adaptation projects

Environmentally Threatened Communities Grant Center

  • To assist environmentally threatened communities, the Denali Commission contracted with ANTHC Grants to create the Environmentally Threatened Communities Grant Center.

PORTABLE ALTERNATIVE SANITATION SYSTEMConnecting in-home sanitation systems where it was impossible before

4 new degree programs with Alaska Pacific University partnership

  • Installed PASS units in the regions of Maniilaq Association, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.
  • PASS was designed by ANTHC to support sanitation health needs where piped service is not feasible due to cost, community size or climate change.
17
Portable Alternative Sanitation System (PASS) units installed in homes across Alaska
HANF is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thank you to our generous donors and volunteers. Learn more at inspiringgoodhealth.org.

HEALTHY ALASKA NATIVES FOUNDATIONConnecting funding with unmet needs

Healthy Communities

  • Youth Environmental Summit in Copper Center region
  • Dental Health Aide Therapy Program Distance Learning

Healthy Kids

  • Imagination Library at ANMC
  • Toy purchases, pediatric patient fun supplies

Patient Care

  • Clothing for Emergency Department patient
  • Patient travel/support for Palliative Care