We are saddened to share the news that Kay Branch, a strong advocate for Elder care in our communities and friend of many people throughout the Tribal health system, has died. A celebration of life is planned for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the ANTHC Consortium Office Building at 4000 Ambassador Drive in Anchorage. Below is Kay’s obituary. Kay Branch, age 61, passed away on July 9, 2016 from metastatic triple negative breast cancer, surrounded by her true ...

ANTHC’s Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative (ARUC) program is one of six finalists selected to advance to the site visit round for the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Governance Honoring Nations award. From an initial field of 87 applicants, ARUC is noted for its Tribal partnerships that empower rural villages to sustainably provide safe water and sanitation services that positively impact the health of our people. The prestigious Honoring Nations Award identifies, celebrates and shares exemplary programs in Tribal ...

On June 1, the Indian Health Service (IHS) announced a comment period on a draft policy statement that, if implemented, would begin a process to expanding the use of community health aides at IHS-operated and Tribally managed facilities across the U.S. The success of the community health aide model in the Alaska Tribal Health System is noted for its role in increasing access to care at our Tribally managed hospitals and clinics. Comments from Tribes are due July 29, 2016. ...

Recently, ANTHC assisted with the inaugural health sciences STEM Career Exploration Camp for participants of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP). The camp hosted 54 middle school students, ages 12 to 14, to participate in activities with a focus on injury prevention. ANTHC Human Resources supported the camp in partnership with ANSEP and the Alaska Area Health Education Center (AHEC) to focus on health sciences and future career opportunities in Tribal health. The camp was five days long ...

ANTHC’s Rural Energy Initiative recently received its fifth consecutive Green Champion Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for its innovative work in alternative energy to replace diesel stoves with biomass boilers to heat public utilities. The awards honor HHS employees and Alaska Native and Native American Tribal members involved in outstanding sustainability projects and demonstrate measureable results in sustainability practices. The Rural Energy Initiative’s biomass boiler projects have been constructed in the communities of Hughes, ...

Routine breast cancer screening is one of the most powerful tools health care providers have to protect our people from death from the disease. Timely access to care for breast cancer treatment is another indicator that lowers the risk of death, with a nationally recommended standard of treatment starting within 60 days following a cancer diagnosis. Knowing this, researchers from ANTHC’s Cancer Program conducted a study to look into the average time it takes Alaska Native women with breast cancer ...