In an effort to improve the patient experience, ANTHC recently added a new emergency services patient liaison position for our people and their families visiting the Alaska Native Medical Center Emergency Department (ED). This position provides support for our patients and their family members or escorts, by listening to and assessing patient needs, and taking the steps necessary to resolve any concerns or requests. The emergency services patient liaison helps facilitate interaction and communication between our patients and their family ...

Construction Update: Demolition of the ANMC hospital east side exterior octagon and canopy footings will be completed this week. To prepare for the Temporary Emergency Department space, demolition of the south entrance area parking lot began this week. For the Temporary Emergency Department space, construction crews are working on interior framing and sheetrock installation, plumbing and duct removal continues and will be followed with the installation of new, and electrical work is ongoing. On Thursday, May 23, and Friday, May ...

Public health concerns about lead in drinking water have increased due to recent reports detailing contamination of the public water supply in Flint, Michigan. Lead can enter the drinking water supply when pipelines or fixtures containing lead materials corrode. Drinking water can corrode pipes or fixtures when water in the system has high acidity or mineral content. A recent article in an Anchorage newspaper highlighted the issue in Michigan and referenced a number of locations around Alaska where testing has ...

Photo above: Stop the Bleed training attendees at Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue practice packing a wound. Bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death after injury. In an emergency, someone can bleed to death in as little as three minutes with no intervention. In rural Alaska, the reality of this hits hard, as the isolated locations and lack of medically trained first responders can be a big factor. In many rural Alaska communities, first responders are often your friends ...

In July, ANTHC’s Tobacco Prevention Program was awarded a State Partnership Initiative grant from the Office of Minority Health to reduce tobacco use among Alaska Native adults in the North Slope Borough. To accomplish the objectives in this grant, key strategies for the ANTHC Tobacco Prevention Program are working with the North Slope Borough Health Department (NSBHD) and Arctic Slope Native Association (ASNA) to: 1) integrate tobacco screening, education and treatment into routine health care practices, 2) develop two culturally ...

ANTHC’s partnership with Maniilaq Association to convert Kotzebue’s Maniilaq Health Center to a renewable energy system earned a Green Champion Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The awards honor HHS employees and Alaska Native and Native American Tribal members involved in outstanding sustainability projects and demonstrate measurable results in sustainability practices. Environmental sustainability is an important part of the work in the Alaska Tribal Health System. A healthy environment is the basis for the health ...