A severe cold snap in January wreaked havoc on several water systems around the state. In the community of Koyuk, water plant operators discovered a frozen raw water line and an underground leak that nearly drained their water storage tank. Their quick action and assistance from ANTHC’s Tribal Utility Support staff helped maintain the system and avoid costly repairs. The frozen line and water leak impeded water flow through the system. Without adequate water circulating through the system, the other ...

Indian Health Service leaders and Tribal partners met for the Facilities Appropriation Advisory Board (FAAB) Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the IHS office in Rockville, Maryland. Lincoln Bean, Sr., FAAB Vice-Chair, attended and represented Alaska. The committee is comprised of one primary representative from each of the 12 areas of the IHS, as well as two IHS representatives. The primary purpose is to seek consensus, exchange views, share information, and provide advice and/or recommendations to the IHS Director on ...

ANTHC’s work in promoting healthy homes and communities involves many aspects of public health infrastructure that support the health of our people. Our Environmental Health and Engineering work began with health prevention through access to water and sewer, and has evolved to understand the complete needs for community wellness. This progress with our community partners has adapted over the years to include a new approach to project planning. ANTHC, along with funding and agency partners, is in development of a ...

On Jan. 25, board members from the Maniilaq Association and Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA) conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of an innovative energy project constructed in cooperation with ANTHC. The Maniilaq Health Center, located in Kotzebue and the region’s only hospital, is now experiencing the cost- and energy-saving benefits of its new wind-to-heat energy system. The new system utilizes excess wind energy from KEA’s 3-megawatt wind turbine farm and directs this extra energy to a 450-kilowatt ...

ANTHC’s Rural Energy Initiative was recently awarded a National Director’s award from the Indian Health Service for its energy efficiency project work to improve the sustainability and reduce operating costs of rural sanitation systems and health care facilities across Alaska. The program was recognized for its accomplishments in identifying and implementing energy efficiency and renewable solutions through partnerships with rural communities, funding agencies and utility companies. The Rural Energy Initiative brings substantial benefit to the IHS portfolio of public health ...

To address the unique issues of brownfields that our Tribes face, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, in partnership with Kansas State University (KSU), will lead an effort in providing specialized Technical Assistance to Tribal Communities Addressing Brownfields. Brownfields are properties with hazardous substances, pollutants or other contaminants present. As the recipients of this five-year, $2 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-funded award, the project team of prominent Tribal organizations and experts, under the mentorship of KSU, will provide Tribal solutions ...