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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Alaska

Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries in Five States: An Update
Describes the provider mix caring for rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries in Alaska, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington, using 2014 data. Examines the quality of care, number of annual visits, and the distances traveled for treatment of several conditions. Compares 2014 data with estimates from 1998, to assess the changes in geographical access to care. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural locations.
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Alaska COVID-19 Information Hub
Presents regularly updated data on the COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska. Features reports, FAQs, and interactive maps detailing COVID-19 data.
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
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Cancer In Alaska Native People 1969–2018: The 50-Year Report
Provides cancer data on Alaskan Natives including leading cancers, incidence and trends by cancer site, cancer mortality and trends by cause, and information specific to Alaskan regions. Includes data breakdowns according to sex.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Garrett Zimpelman, Keri Miller, Donna Carlo, et al.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Chickaloon Native Village Preserves Sovereignty and Culture for an Expansive Vision of Health
Highlights the work of the Chickaloon Native Village in Alaska, a recipient of the 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize, to provide education and health services through a tribally owned school and various initiatives that support families and population health.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Bright Spots: Case Studies in Innovative Rural Healthcare
Profiles 8 rural healthcare facilities and communities that successfully addressed issues regarding access to healthcare and explores commonalities across the case studies. Describes how these initiatives optimize leadership, cultural transformation, data utilization, rural maternity care, and external partnerships.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: A&M Rural and Community Health Institute
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Strengthening the Entry-Level Health Care Workforce: Finding a Path
Examines gaps in the existing healthcare workforce, challenges facing entry-level healthcare workers (EHCW), current EHCW training programs and contexts where training programs are used effectively, and strategies and policy opportunities to strengthen the EHCW. Includes rural references throughout and case studies for programs in rural Alaska and Washington. Provides an interactive inventory of existing policies and programs that support EHCW training, recruitment, and retention.
Additional links: Entry-Level Health Care Workforce: Information and Programs Visualization Tool
Author(s): Shira H. Fischer, Ryan K. McBain, Laura J. Faherty, et al.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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HIV Update - Alaska, 2019
Report on HIV and AIDS throughout the state of Alaska in 2019. Discusses the impact of HIV on rural Alaska communities.
Citation: State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin,14
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
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Hearing Norton Sound: Community Involvement in the Design of a Mixed Methods Community Randomized Trial in 15 Alaska Native Communities
Describes a community-based research project examining a telemedicine cell-phone based screening process to improve early detection and treatment of childhood hearing loss in rural Alaska. Community stakeholders assisted in shaping the research question, measurable outcomes, and project procedures. Serves as a model for community-based research in rural communities.
Author(s): Samantha Kleindienst Robler, S. Meade Inglis, Joseph J. Gallo, et al.
Citation: Research Involvement and Engagement, 6(67)
Date: 11/2020
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Rapid Detection of Tuberculosis in Remote Alaska
Study of a rapid testing method for active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) administered in a remote area of western Alaska. Discusses challenges of diagnosing and treating TB in a timely manner in remote areas, and describes the process of creating and implementing a rapid testing program in partnership with healthcare organizations. Presents data from 223 patients who received the rapid test over 3 years, including positivity rates, test sensitivity and specificity, and effectiveness of the testing method.
Author(s): Ronald J. Bowerman
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 79(1), 1827786
Date: 10/2020
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Recruitment Best Practices of a Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Randomised Control Trial in Rural Alaska Native Communities
Describes the research methods of the Healthy and Empowering Alaskan Lives Towards Healthy Hearts (HEALTHH) project, which recruited participants from the 16 communities that make up the rural Norton Sound region of Alaska to study smoking behavior and chronic disease prevention efforts among Alaska Native populations. Explores special considerations for research involving remote tribal communities and analyzes data related to recruitment best practices, staffing issues, and barriers to enrolling study participants.
Author(s): Mariah Knox, Jordan Skan, Neal L. Benowitz, Matthew Schnellbaecher, Judith J. Prochaska
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 79(1), 1806639
Date: 08/2020
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