New Stuyahok sits on the quiet, rolling hills above the Nushagak River in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska. Like many rural areas in the state, New Stuyahok residents rely on skiffs, snowmachines and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for their subsistence hunts and day-to-day travel within the community. There are trucks in New Stuyahok, but they are about as rare as tall trees on the tundra. As the hunting seasons change, so too do the ways residents reach these lands. ...

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s largest division, the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), was recently deemed “Meritorious” for outstanding quality scores in eight surgical care outcome areas. Nationwide, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) recognized 88 of the 592 eligible hospitals participating in the adult program this year. ANMC was the only hospital recognized in Alaska. ACS NSQIP participating hospitals are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in ...

ANMC’s Anesthesia department has grown significantly, recently expanding services and access for our patients. The complexity of surgical cases being seen at ANMC called for innovation in services provided, as well as continued coordination and communication among health care providers. The ANMC Anesthesiology department has nine physician anesthesiologists and 45 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) – three of our anesthesiologists and two CRNAs are Tribal members. In addition to anesthesia services for surgical procedures, the department cares for obstetrics patients ...

Bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death after injury. In an emergency, someone can bleed to death in as little as three minutes before help arrives. Due to the vast geography of our state and our penchant for outdoor activities, Alaskans tend to live pretty adventurous lives – which puts us at a higher risk for injury. Unfortunately, we also live in a world where mass shootings and terrorist attacks are real threats to us all. Why not be ...

Missed appointments increase costs and delays for the Alaska Tribal Health System. We all make our medical appointments for health care with the best intentions to be there on time. But sometimes things come up, and we skip our appointment or show up late. No harm done, right? Unfortunately, missed appointments or late arrivals have a broader reach than just one appointment and your own health care needs. Missed and late appointments also harm our health system, fellow community members ...

ANMC’s nurses provide culturally appropriate, family-centered care in a unique hospital environment, and they are constantly seeking ways to improve the services and care we provide. In an effort to further recognize our nurses for their outstanding work, ANMC partnered with the DAISY Award, an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day. Congratulations to DAISY Award honoree, Barbara Christensen, an RN on ANMC’s Critical Care Unit, who was recognized ...