Our Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation Luminary Award winners are individuals recognized for their exceptional dedication and contributions to the Alaska Tribal Health System. Over the next few weeks, we will spotlight the winners. The President’s Legacy and Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Matthew Schnellbaecher, Cardiology Medical Director, Alaska Native Medical Center. Dr. Schnellbaecher has been a tireless advocate for expanding cardiology services in the Alaska Tribal Health System since he joined the hospital in 1996. Dr. Schnellbaecher has helped ...

This week, Aleutian Pribilof Island Association (APIA) joins ANMC and other Tribal health partners on the shared Cerner electronic health record system. Four APIA clinics went live, including their largest one in Unalaska. The shared electronic health record helps improve patient care through increased communication between our organizations and providers. An ANTHC-led team of health information technology professionals were on hand to deploy the new Cerner system and provide support to APIA staff as they continue to see patients during ...

It is with greatest sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr. Julie McNulty, our friend and longtime ANMC nursing leader. Julie had been bravely battling cancer for the past 18 months. ANMC leadership joins many across the hospital and nursing community in mourning this great loss and in offering condolences and prayers to her husband Kirk, her daughter Jessica, and her friends and family. Julie dedicated more than 20 years of service to the Alaska Tribal ...

March was Professional Social Work Month, which raised awareness about professional social workers and their commitment to improving social conditions and quality of life opportunities for everyone. Professional Social Work Month provides an opportunity to recognize ANTHC’s dedicated social workers and the valuable services they provide at the ANMC hospital. The ANMC hospital has seven medical social workers – Deanna Thomas, LCSW; Beverly Harper, MSW; and Alexandra Draper, MSW, working in the adult inpatient units; Cynthia Burton, LCSW, working in ...

ANMC’s Family Birthing Services hosted a blessing and baby shower to celebrate the newly expanded and renovated OB Triage, Labor and Delivery and Postpartum areas. The event marked the end of a multi-year remodeling project in Family Birthing Services that included adding new postpartum rooms, an expanded and improved  OB Triage area, three additional Labor and Delivery Rooms, one additional C-section operating room and an upgraded and expanded nurses’ station. The blessing and baby shower was attended by ANMC leadership, ...

Pre-moistened body and sanitary wipes are gaining popularity, which is unfortunately correlated with a rise in damage to plumbing pipes and costly repairs as a result of these wipes being flushed down toilets. Over the past year, ANMC and other regional hospitals and clinics have had several plumbing clogs, as well as sewer drain damage to village sanitation systems. The most frequent cause of the clogs has been masses of moistened “flushable” wipes. Many brands of these wipes are marketed ...