Alaska derived its name from “Alyeska,”an Aleut native term which means "The Great Land." In 1867, Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million, but it was not until 1959 when this "Land of the Midnight Sun" covered with forests and glaciers became the 49th state. Alaska is the largest state and covers 571,951 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 710,231 people – 231,829 living in rural Alaska (USDA-ERS). Juneau, the capital, is located in the southeastern coastal region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 66.7% of the state’s population is white, 14.8% is Alaskan Native/American Indian, 5.4% is Asian, 3.3% is African-American/Black, and 5.5% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 22 hospitals in Alaska, 17 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 13 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept., 2010). There are 2 Rural Health Clinics in Alaska (Kaiser, 2011), and 25 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 164 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). Most Alaskans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 19.0% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Alaskans in 2009 was $43,212, although rural per-capita income lagged at $40,106. 2010 estimates indicate that a poverty rate of 13.6% exists in rural Alaska, compared to a 9.8% level in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 12.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 7.9% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Alaska is at 9.4%, while in urban Alaska it is at 7.3% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Adult Learning Programs of Alaska
National organization
Operates REAL:Rural Education for Adult Learners GED Program. Consists of a non-profit educational organization that provides adult basic education services to Fairbanks, the North Star Borough, and underserved populations in Alaska.
Alaska Center for Rural Health (ARH)
State/regional organization
Works to improve the distribution, supply, quantity, and efficiency of health care personnel serving rural Alaskans.
Alaska Center for Rural Health - Alaska's AHEC (ACRH-AHEC)
State/regional organization
Helps strengthen systems to deliver comprehensive and culturally relevant health care to rural Alaskans.
Alaska Child Support Division
State government
Ensures that more children receive financial support from both parents.
Alaska Commerce, Community and Economic Development
State government
The state agency that promotes economic development and strong communities.
Alaska Department of Education: Special Education
State government
Promotes and supports specially designed instruction and related services for children and youth with disabilities.
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (H&SS)
State government
Promotes and protects the well being of Alaskans.
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
State government
Agency provides safe and legal working conditions and advancing opportunities for employment.
Alaska Division of Behavior Health
State government
Ensures that all Alaskans are provided behavioral health services for mental health needs, substance abuse disorders or both.
Alaska Division of Public Health
State government
Sets public health policy and works to ensure provision of services which guarantee the health of all Alaskans, so that they can live full lives with optimum well being.
Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
State government
Assists individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain employment.
Alaska eHealth Network (AeHN)
State/regional organization
Alaska State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Alaska FESC Consortium
State/regional organization
Works to demonstrate the operational viability and financial sustainability of a Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) model in Alaska.
Alaska Health and Social Services: Developmental Disabilities Program (DD)
State government
Maintains and promotes developmental disabilities public policy; makes best use and accounts for public funds; develops provider capacity to include people with developmental disabilities in their communities; sets and monitors standards for individualized community-based services; and
resolve disputes.
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC)
State/regional organization
A self-supporting public corporation with offices in 16 communities throughout Alaska. Mission is to provide Alaskans access to safe, quality, affordable housing.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
Tribal organization
Works to provide the highest quality health services for all Alaska Natives. A Native American Research Center on Health.
Alaska Office of Rural Health
State government
Collects and disseminates rural health care information and data; is engaged in health care provider recruitment and retention; provides technical assistance to rural providers, hospital and communities; and coordinates rural health policy analysis.
Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA)
State/regional organization
Works to promote, expand, and optimize access to primary care in the state of Alaska, particularly for the underserved.
Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA)
State/regional organization
Provides legislative and regulatory advocacy at all levels of government; acts as a steward of resources by supporting fiscally responsible initiatives; provides health information to members and the public; promotes opportunities for networking among our members; works to improve the health status of all Alaskans; and remains committed to advancing knowledge about health through education and training.
American Indian & Alaska Native (AI/AN) Epidemiology Centers
Federal government
Works to improve the health and well-being of AI/AN populations through a variety of activities including surveillance for disease conditions, epidemiological analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data, investigation of disease outbreaks, and more. Supported by an Indian Health Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnership.
AoA Native Americans, Native Alaskans, & Hawaiian Natives Program
Federal government
Coordinates federal activities, administers grants, and collects and disseminates information related to the problems of older Native Americans. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Administration on Aging (AoA) program.
Center for Children with Special Needs (CSHCN)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on improving care for children with special needs by providing information to families and health care professionals throughout the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho). Focuses on children who have chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions such as asthma, cancer, autism, or cerebral palsy.
Denali Commission
Federal government
An independent federal agency that provides financial assistance to improve the quality of life in rural Alaska. The commission partners with federal, tribal, state, local and private organizations to provide basic community infrastructure, job training and economic development services.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Alaska
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Institute of Translational Health Science (ITHS)
Academic/Research
Supports translational research - research that improves human health by leading to discoveries that will eliminate human disease.
Mountain Pacific Quality Health Foundation
State/regional organization
A Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) working to improve the health of people Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region (NN/LM-PNR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among regional libraries and information centers in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center (NRTRC)
State/regional organization
One of five telehealth resource centers. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU)
State government
Educates and trains health professionals in allied health and osteopathic medicine. Focuses on increasing access to primary health care services to rural communities in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
Qualis Health
State/regional organization
Serves as the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Idaho and Washington. Also provides service to Alaska.
Rural Alaska Community Action Program
State/regional organization
A private, statewide, nonprofit organization working to improve the quality of life for low-income Alaskans. Provides resources and services to enhance child and family development, improve housing, save energy, develop leadership, promote environmental conservation, prevent substance abuse, and foster independent living.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to improve community infrastructure. Offers numerous services including loans for housing and environment.
State of Alaska: Adult Protective Services
State government
Helps to prevent or stop harm from occurring to vulnerable adults.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Alaska (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Alaska State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Western Rural Development Center (WRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional development centers in the nation. Participates in rural development research and extension (outreach) projects cooperatively with universities in the West. Serves a 13 state area in the Western region and 4 U.S. Pacific Territories, which includes WA, UT, WY, NV, ID, HI, CA, AZ, AK, OR, NM, MT, and CO.
WWAMI Area Health Education Center Network (WWAMI AHEC)
State/regional organization
WWAMI AHEC Program consists of the program office, and six independent AHEC Centers in the five WWAMI states: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Works to alleviate shortages of health care personnel in medically underserved rural and urban areas.
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center (WWAMI RHRC)
Academic/Research
One of nine Rural Health Research Centers currently funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. Focuses on training and supply of rural health care providers, availability and quality of care for rural women and children, and access to high-quality care for vulnerable and minority rural populations. Based in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Tools
Alaska Community Health Aide Program
Web site
Network of Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) in over 170 rural Alaska villages that works within the guidelines of the 2006 Alaska Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual (CHAM). Manual outlines assessment and treatment protocols and is available from CHA/P.
Alaska Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Alaska KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Alaska QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to borough-level data.
Alaska State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Data and Links
Database
Provides statistical information and data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations, including population characteristics, economic data, American Community Surveys, and maps.
American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center
Technical assistance
Provides information and technical assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages that helps their members with disabilities live healthy, integrated lives within their communities.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Alaska
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Get Connected: Promoting Telephone Subscribership in Indian Country
Web site
The Lifeline Assistance program enables participants living on tribal lands to receive basic monthly telephone service at their primary residence for as little as one dollar a month. The Link-Up America program provides a discount on the initial installation of a traditional, wireline telephone or activation of a wireless telephone for a primary residence.
IHS Fact Sheets
Web site
Offers information on specific healthcare topics concerning American Indian and Alaska Natives. Covers health disparities, treaties and laws, statistics and more.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Alaska
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
National Resource Center for American Indian, Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Elders
Web site
Incorporate Native communities by listening to elders to obtain their wishes and expectations for services and care that are consistent with traditional community heritages, Tribal values, and customs; and provide technical information to promote culturally sensitive and functionally appropriate services to maintain the social well-being of Alaska Natives based on "best, promising and emerging practices."
NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region: Alaska Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Alaska.
WWAMI Center for Health Workforce Studies Regional Information Center
Web site
Provides access to health workforce information for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho. Content is available by state and by profession.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2009 Alaska Health Workforce Vacancy Study
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Center for Rural Health
An assessment of health manpower shortage based on budgeted staff positions and their vacancies in organizations throughout the state.
Date: 12 / 2009
2012 WICHE Workplan: It's All About Outcomes
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Discusses WICHE's focus in 2012 which includes finance, access and success, workforce and society, technology and innovation, and accountability. Highlights students exchange programs in rural and underserved areas, rural healthcare initiatives, and rural primary care clinics.
Date: 09 / 2011
Alaska ChartLink: Connecting Far-Flung Providers
Author(s): Chuck Appleby
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Describes the work of Alaska ChartLink, an Anchorage-based non-profit initiative to build a statewide health information exchange. Discusses the importance of interconnectivity in developing the system.
Journal citation: H&HN's Most Wired Magazine
Date: 07 / 2007
Alaska Code Blue Project
Author(s): Matt Anderson
Sponsoring organization: Technical Assistance and Services Center
Describes a project in Alaska to identify, prioritize and secure funding for essential rural Emergency Medical Services equipment for prehospital providers. Presented at the 2003 Office of Rural Health Policy All Programs Meeting Flex Day.
Date: 08 / 2003
Alaska Dental Health Aides
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses the Alaska Dental Health Aide Program, a first in the nation, which allows dental health aides to fill cavities and extract teeth.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2007
Alaskan Core Competencies for Direct Care Workers in Health & Human Services
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
Identifies ten broad core competencies categories designed to guide skill development with direct care workers in Alaska, referred to as direct support workers, direct support professionals, paraprofessionals, or technicians.
Date: 01 / 2010
American Indians/Alaska Natives and Cardiovascular Diseases
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
Reports, through graphs and bulleted statements, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Date: 2011
Around the Country: Frontier Extended Stay Clinics Provide Acute Care in Remote Areas
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Describes a new type of clinic which provides care for seriously or critically ill
patients in Alaska and other frontier areas until they can be transferred to a hospital.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Issue Spring
Date: 05 / 2008
Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development.
Date: 2008
College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) Program, 2011
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Describes practices and lessons learned in Alaska, Nevada, North Dakota, and Washington during the second year of the federal College Access Challenge Grant program. Includes rural locations.
Date: 02 / 2011
Community Health Aide Program: Overview 2007
Provides a detailed overview of Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) including the history, current practice, training, field supervision, and quality assurance of this unique program that facilitates health care services in Alaska's remote villages.
Date: 03 / 2007
Compendium of Best Practices/Models That Work in Rural Workforce Development
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Developed by NRHA's National Rural Task Force. Highlights rural workforce programs in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
Date: 09 / 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: Alaska
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographics, economics, and research on Alaska. Includes statistics, data, maps, charts, and graphs.
Date: 01 / 2009
Dental Health Professionals in Rural Communities
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Policy statement from the National Rural Health Association endorsing the provision of oral health care via dental health aides and therapists in small, frontier communities in Alaska. Includes information on the need for dental services in rural Alaska.
Date: 06 / 2006
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development.
Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data.
Date: 2008
Enduring Ties to Community and Nature: Charting an Alternative Future for Southeast Alaska
Author(s): Jessica D. Ulrich, Thomas G. Safford
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Examining the challenges faced by Southeast Alaska, this brief discusses ways to encourage community groups and governmental agencies to work collaboratively to craft a robust economic future for the region.
Date: 02 / 2011
Evaluation of the Dental Health Aide Therapist Workforce Model in Alaska
Author(s): Scott Wetterhall, James D. Bader, Barri B. Burrus, Jessica Y. Lee, Daniel A. Shugars
Describes findings from an evaluation showing that dental therapists provide safe and appropriate care for underserved and rural populations.
Date: 10 / 2010
Evolution & Summative Evaluation of the Alaska Federal Health Care Access Network Telemedicine Project
A report that evaluates an Alaskan statewide telemedicine project.
Date: 11 / 2004
Examples of Community Based EMS Use in Alaska
Author(s): Matt Anderson
Sponsoring organization: Technical Assistance and Services Center
Discusses Emergency Medical Services (EMS) issues in Alaska. Includes description of the Community Health Aide/Practitioner program and transportation issues. Presented at the 2003 Office of Rural Health Policy All Programs Meeting Flex Day.
Date: 08 / 2003
FastStats: Health of American Indian or Alaska Native Population
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
Contains health-related statistics for the American Indian or Alaska Native population. Statistics include: population, live births, health status, health risk factors, access to health care, mortality rates, and more.
Date: 2007
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines health and longevity for states in the western region.
Date: 2008
Health Care Challenges Abundant in the Alaskan Frontier
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses health care workforce shortages in Alaska’s Wrangell and Petersburg frontier communities. Highlights Alaska’s Community Health Aide Program (CHAP), which serves the state’s Native population, using more than 550 Community Health Aides/Practitioners, employed by 27 tribal health organizations, who practice in more than 180 rural villages in the state’s most remote areas known as the bush.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2007
Health Disparities Experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Issue describes disparities in health
for certain preventable health conditions (diabetes, cancer, bronchiolitis, and injuries) among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs).
Journal citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Volume 52 Issue 30
Date: 08 / 2003
HIV/STD Prevention Guidelines for Native American Communities: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Provides a framework to create HIV/STD prevention programs tailored to Native Americans, reflecting the unique culture of Native communities and a starting point for program development at the local level.
Date: 2004
Jobs, Natural Resources, and Community Resilience: A Survey of Southeast Alaskans about Social and Environmental Change
Author(s): Megan Henly, Thomas G. Safford, Jessica D. Ulrich
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Report from a survey of 1,541 residents of the ten boroughs and unincorporated census areas in Southeast Alaska regarding the social and environmental change in the region and their implications for Alaskan community and families.
Date: 09 / 2011
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines land use and resources in the western states.
Date: 2008
Legal and Historical Roots of Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S.
Author(s): Brett Lee Shelton
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Discusses the history of health care provision to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Includes a timeline of legislative and historical events as well as detailed overview of the laws, federal agencies, and issues involved. Also includes a brief section on current issues in AI/AN health care.
Date: 02 / 2004
Native American Lands
Describes issues faced by people living on American Indian Area, Alaska Native Area, Hawaiian Homeland Area (AIANHH) lands, such as poverty, housing deficiencies, and social and health-related problems. Information is based on the 2000 Census.
Promoting Rural Health Care Quality Through Health Disparities Collaboratives: Alaska Tribal Health System
Author(s): Thomas D. Rowley
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Describes the use of Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) to provide
primary care in more than 170 rural Alaskan villages, with support from the world's
largest telemedicine system, the Alaska Federal
Health Care Access Network (AFHCAN), which links over 230 clinics and hospitals across the state.
Date: 12 / 2005
Recruiting Local People to Fill Health Care Needs
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses how frontier and rural health care providers looking for innovative ways to solve increasing workforce shortages, are recruiting and training local people to be health care professionals in their communities. Highlights programs in Nevada, Maryland, and Alaska.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2007
Review of the Quality of Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Author(s): Yvette Roubideaux
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Documents health care disparities for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and reports on progress made in the last five years to reduce or eliminate gaps in care. Discusses changes to the AI/AN health care infrastructure and new quality initiatives.
Date: 09 / 2004
Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use among American Indian or Alaska Native Youths
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Compares the risk and protective factors for substance abuse of American Indian or Alaska Native youths with youths from other racial/ethnic groups.
Date: 09 / 2004
Small Business Profile: Alaska
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
State of Alaska: Population Brief
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Access baseline information for the advancement of rural development that examines population changes and characteristics within Alaska. Files are available for each county or as a statewide overview.
Date: 2008
Student Exchange Programs: Statistical Report, Academic Year 2011-12
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Discusses WICHE's three student exchange programs: Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). Covers Fall 2011 enrollment, discusses health workforce shortages, and the funds that flow between students' home states and the enrolling institutions in these programs.
Date: 01 / 2012
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Alaska - Alaska Rural Health Notes
Published three times per year. Provides information, coordination, and technical assistance to health providers and systems in rural Alaska.
Success Stories
Angel Flight West: A Higher Level of Kindness
Angel Flight West provides free, private air transportation for people with medical and other needs.
EMS Live @ Nite
EMS Live @ Nite is an interactive video conferencing program to help educate volunteer emergency medical services personnel who don’t have easy access to training sites.
Alaska-Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc.
This project would serve this population, including both tribal and non-tribal
members, who reside within the Eastern Aleutians Tribes and Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
service area by providing hospice care in their community so they can stay connected to their homes and
families for as long as possible.
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