Tobacco and drug use among Alaska Native people have been on the decline for many years, but there continue to be challenges to motivate people to quit and remain nonusers. To promote a unified message that celebrates the healthy choices that our people make every day, ANTHC recently launched the “We Are” media campaign, targeting Alaska Native and Native American people aged 11 to 25. The campaign is based on social norms theory, which shows much of people’s behavior is ...

When Gov. Walker expanded Medicaid in Alaska last year, there was also a push to reform the program to better meet the health needs of those being served. Representatives of the Alaska Tribal Health System (ATHS) have been key partners with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to jointly develop a package of Tribal Medicaid Reform recommendations that both improve the quality of care and create efficiencies in costs of the program. The recommendations are driven by ...

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. ...

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new regulations that extend its authority to include new products that meet the definition of “tobacco products.” The new regulations now include the sales and health evaluation of e-cigarettes, cigars and hookah, among others. More information on the new regulations can be found in this article from the FDA: “Extending Authorities to All Tobacco Products, Including E-Cigarettes, Cigars, and Hookah”. These new regulations go into effect on August 8, 2016. ...

As Medicaid expansion has been implemented in Alaska and another open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act comes to a close, many questions have arisen about Alaska Native health care and additional health care coverage, such as Medicaid and insurance. The Consortium aims to share factual information with our Tribal partners, our providers and our people to dispel misunderstandings about Alaska Native health care, insurance coverage, and our Alaska Tribal Health System. Myth: If I have additional health care ...

A new public service announcement from the Healthy Futures program shows how Alaska Native role models across Alaska stay active, thanks to support from ANTHC, Skiku Nordic ski program and music group Pamyua. The video highlights the importance of daily physical activity to reduce childhood obesity and encourages participation the Healthy Futures Challenge that offers rewards and incentives for students at participating schools. The video and a list of participating schools are available at healthyfuturesak.org. Healthy Futures empowers Alaska’s youth ...