
The Alaska Native Medical Center was recently verified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes ANMC’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured pediatric patients. “Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for Alaska Native children,” said Dr. Frank Sacco, ANMC Chief of Surgery. “As a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, ANMC ...

In just two years, the ANTHC Palliative Care Program has taken many steps to ensure that our Alaska Native people have access to resources in order to receive the care they choose. For their efforts, the program has been honored with the Indian Health Service Director’s Award for extending Advance Care Planning resources to the Alaska Tribal Health System. According to IHS, the award “recognizes service significantly advancing the IHS mission and goals through work focused on IHS priorities: People, ...

ANTHC’s pharmacists continually go above and beyond to provide the best care to our people. The ANTHC Pharmacy Team and two ANTHC pharmacists were recently recognized for their outstanding efforts by the Indian Health Service (IHS). The ANTHC Pharmacy Team won the national IHS Fostering Relationships Award for providing Nighthawk Inpatient Pharmacy Services in conjunction with Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) and SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). Through the partnership between NSHC and ANTHC pharmacies and SEARHC and ANTHC ...

May is National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month, which acknowledges hardworking critical care health care staff. Every day, our pediatric and adult Critical Care teams make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families. ANMC’s Inpatient Pediatrics has a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 12 beds, and four dedicated beds in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), which can flex up to eight beds if needed. A pediatric hospitalist and specialized nurses care ...

As community water utility systems have aged and climate change challenges have become apparent, the focus on utility sustainability and maintenance operations is an important Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative (ARUC) function. The ARUC Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from ARUC member communities, recently met in Anchorage to discuss sustainable water and sewer system operations, finances and collaborate with community and regional representatives. Arctic boxes (pictured below), which contain water service line connections to homes, were a focal point of the ...

This year, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) is recognizing ANTHC Environmental Health and Engineering’s work to improve the health of Alaska Native people with four awards. The Newtok Relocation to Mertarvik Sustainable Planning Team received an Indian Health Services (IHS) Director’s Award, which recognizes efforts beyond regular duty requirements resulting in significant benefits to IHS programs, customers, or fulfillment of the IHS mission. The project is in the early stages of helping the community of Newtok ...

This story also appears in the April – June issue of the Mukluk Telegraph available online. Since 2003, the Alaska Native Medical Center has been Alaska’s only Magnet®-recognized hospital, which acknowledges high quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Our nurses display commitment and excellence through professional development and evidence-based practice at ANMC. In addition to their work and education, many of ANMC’s nurses participate in shared governance and the Magnet journey — ANMC is currently ...

Amy Foote, ANMC Executive Chef, was recently notified that she received the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) 2018 Innovation Award for her efforts and innovation in the service of traditional Alaska Native foods on the Alaska Native Health Campus. Abigail Solazzo, ANFP Chapters and Leadership Manager, wrote in Foote’s award notification letter, “Your nomination demonstrated a wealth of meaningful accomplishments you have already achieved, along with compelling evidence to support your potential for success in leadership roles and ...
Ten reasons to Drink More Water

May 6-12 is National Drinking Water Week and to celebrate the National Tribal Water Center, a program of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, teamed with Alaska Native and American Indian celebrities for the Drink More Water campaign. Here are 10 reasons to Drink More Water! Keeps your skin looking good Skin is the largest organ of the human body and benefits from water. When the body is not getting enough water, dehydration has shown to make skin dry, tight ...

On Tuesday, April 10, more than 60 ANTHC staff participated in a community-wide earthquake disaster response drill. The purpose of the drill was to practice disaster preparedness and response with other local hospitals, the Municipality of Anchorage and the State of Alaska Emergency Response office in preparation for future emergency events. ANTHC staff working at the ANMC hospital simulated their organizational response to a scenario that involved receiving a surge of mass casualty patients, including patients who have both minor ...