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Community Health

Prevention and Safety

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Helping keep you and yours safe and sound.

The best way to avoid injury and disease is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

ANTHC offers education, training, and preventative approaches on everything from boating safety to suicide prevention. Our goal is to reduce morbidity and mortality among Alaska Native people while also promoting a healthy lifestyle that prevents injury and disease. We work with Tribal Health Organizations to promote safe, healthy living through advocacy, education, training and technical support.

Our approach is community-minded and evidence-based and is designed to help our people thrive.

Services and Programs:

Injury Prevention Program

ANTHC’s Injury Prevention program works to reduce injuries and death among Alaska Native people. We work with Tribal Health Organizations to provide community education and training to promote safe, healthy living through advocacy, education, training, and technical support.

We focus on suicide prevention, drowning, fall, and poisoning prevention, and transportation safety.

Contact

907-729-3799
injuryprevention@anthc.org

ANTHC works with communities and Tribal Health Organizations to prevent suicide in our state.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help with thoughts of suicide, a mental health, or an emotional crisis, please call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 988 can be used by anyone, at any time when experiencing mental health-related distress.

Learn more about suicide prevention services

Even the strongest swimmers cannot fight the effects of Alaska’s cold rivers, lakes, and oceans. Cold water immersion is the leading cause of drowning injuries and deaths.

The Injury Prevention Program offers lifesaving information and resources for you, your family, and your community.

From 2012 to 2016, an average of 200 Alaska Native people were hospitalized for Traumatic Brain Injuries each year. 20 percent of those injuries involved an ATV, snowmachine, or bicycle.

The solution? Helmets on.

Biking is a fun, healthy way to get where you need to go, and a well-fitting helmet is a must for bikers at every level. Helmets help protect from serious brain or head injuries. Start every ride by putting your helmet on.

Safe riding tips:

  • Check your brakes, tire pressure, and chain before you ride.
  • Always wear a helmet, and make sure it fits properly. For more information, view NHTSA’s Fitting Your Bike Helmet Guide.
  • Be visible. Wear light and bright colors during the day and reflectors and white clothing when it is dusk or dark.
  • Use white lights in the front and red lights at the back.
  • Ride on the right side of the street.
  • Always stop and look left-right-left before turning onto a road.
  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them, even if you have the right of way.
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals.
  • Follow vehicle traffic laws when on the road. On the sidewalk follow pedestrian laws.
  • Always yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal when approaching a pedestrian
  • Use hand signals when turning or slowing down.

 

Biking safety tips and resources:

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

There are immense benefits to harvesting and consuming traditional Alaska Native foods. ANTHC’s Health Promotion program supports symposiums teaching traditional plant knowledge, ethical harvesting and hands-on activities.

The Health Promotion Program also offers educational resources, technical assistance, and training with Tribal Health Organizations. This work promotes a healthy, active lifestyle for Alaska Native people in every phase of life.

Contact

907-729-3634
healthpromotion@anthc.org

Tobacco Prevention and Control

ANTHC’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program unites with partners across the state to offer training and technical support for people in all phases of tobacco use, from prevention to dependence treatment.

ANTHC also offers a Tobacco Treatment Specialist training twice annually. Healthcare professionals will learn how to use evidence-based practices to help current smokers become future non-smokers. Please contact us for more details.

Contact

907-729-4343
tobacco@anthc.org

Complimentary tobacco cessation services are available to ANTHC and Alaska Native Medical Center employees and patients.

For more information or to enroll, please call 907-729-4343.

Counseling services are available via phone from a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist, along with instruction on nicotine replacement therapy.

For individuals outside the Alaska Native Health System, the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line dispenses tobacco cessation services, including personalized coaching and NRT. To enroll, please call 1-800-784-8669 (QUIT NOW) or visit www.alaskaquitline.com

Vaping may be a new invention, but its health effects are unfortunately similar to those associated with smoking cigarettes. Vaping exposes you and those you love to harmful chemicals and health problems.

If you or someone you care for needs help quitting, we can help.

To learn more about vaping’s risk to your or your child’s health, read the surgeon general’s advisory or visit their website.

Additional resources:

Your safety is our top priority.

Whether you are traveling, hunting, or out on the water, your safety should always be top of mind. ANTHC’s Injury Prevention Program seeks to reduce preventable injuries in Alaska Native people. Keep you and your family safer by following us on Facebook for seasonal tips on boating safety, helmet safety, fall prevention, and more.

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