Alaska Resources

Data, Capacity-Building, and Training Needs to Address Rural Health Inequities in the Northwest United States: A Qualitative Study
Describes the results of 28 interviews with rural local health department staff in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to examine their training needs and capacity to access and use data to better understand public health issues and allocate resources. Includes interview subjects' employment information and quotes highlighting the challenges to accessing or using data to monitor rural health issues.
Author(s): Betty Bekemeier, Seungeun Park, Uba Backonja, India Ornelas, Anne M. Turner
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 825-834
Date: 04/2019
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Promising Practice: Community Cafes in Alaska Give People a Say in Their Health Care
Provides an overview of the first community cafe sponsored by the Petersburg Medical Center (PMC) in Petersburg, Alaska, and facilitated by the Alaska State Office of Rural Health (AK-SORH). Covers the thought process behind the AK-SORH's idea to facilitate community cafes across the state. Describes the goals of community cafes: to educate and receive feedback on a topic chosen by the community, and learn more about the community's health needs.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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AKVDRS Suicide Death Update - Alaska, 2012-2017
Details a study on the suicide death rate in Alaska from 2012-2017. Features rates for American Indian and Alaska Native, by substance use, and by region.
Author(s): Deborah Hull-Jilly, Scott Saxon
Citation: State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin, 1
Date: 01/2019
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A Holistic Definition of Healthy Traditional Harvest Practices for Rural Indigenous Communities in Interior Alaska
Explores the ways in which sharing of wild resources is important for food security, wellness, and cultural identity in Indigenous Alaska communities. Discusses how environmental changes are affecting Alaskans' way of life and challenging access to foods needed for nutrition and cultural preservation.
Author(s): Krista M. Heeringa, Orville Huntington, Brooke Woods, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(2, Suppl. 2), 115–129.
Date: 2019
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Hearing Norton Sound: A Community Randomised Trial Protocol to Address Childhood Hearing Loss in Rural Alaska
Profiles a study evaluating a school hearing screening and referral process to determine if it helped to improve the treatment of childhood hearing loss in rural Alaska.
Author(s): Susan D. Emmett, Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Nae-Yuh Wang, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 9(1), e023078
Date: 2019
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Disparities in Social Determinants of Health Outcomes and Behaviours Between Older Adults in Alaska and the Contiguous US: Evidence from a National Survey
Examines sociodemographic factors, rural versus urban residence, health outcomes, and behaviors among adults aged 65 years and older living in Alaska to those living in the contiguous 48 states. Assesses if residence, living in Alaska versus the lower 48 states, is associated with the social determinants of health and health outcomes.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Ana X. Talamas, Natalie J. Sabik
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 78(1)
Date: 12/2018
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Case Study: How Alaska Addresses Its Health Care Workforce Challenges
Reviews how state agencies and organizations in Alaska have collaborated to address health workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas of the state. Highlights the state's apprenticeship program, workforce coalition, use of Medicaid to pay nontraditional healthcare workers, and more.
Author(s): Rachel Donlon, Natalie Williams
Date: 11/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Dental Health Aides in Alaska: A Qualitative Assessment to Improve Pediatric Oral Health in Remote Rural Villages
Evaluates the response to oral health disparities and access issues in remote Alaska Native villages by pediatric dental health aides. Draws data from interviews with patient focus groups, providers, and individual community members. Discusses barriers and strengths for pediatric dental health aides, including cultural competency, program sustainability, and expanded access to preventative oral health services.
Author(s): Kirsten Senturia, Louis Fiset, Kim Hort, et al.
Citation: Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 46(4), 416-424
Date: 08/2018
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Culturally-Relevant Online Education Improves Health Workers' Capacity and Intent to Address Cancer
Discusses the findings of a survey of Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) in rural Alaska regarding their participation in culturally-relevant online learning modules developed to increase their knowledge about cancer and improve their capacity to interact with patients about cancer.
Author(s): Katie Cueva, Melany Cueva, Laura Revels, Mark Dignan
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 43(4), 660–666
Date: 08/2018
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Health Impacts of Opioid Misuse in Alaska
Report details the health outcomes of the opioid crisis in Alaska. Discusses patterns of use, morbidity, mortality, and treatment. Breaks down data by sex, type of opioid, and region.
Author(s): Jessica Filley, Deborah Hull-Jilly
Citation: State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin, 20(3)
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
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