ANTHC partners with two organizations for bereavement care
May 21, 2025
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has partnered with two organizations to provide compassionate bereavement services at the Alaska Native Medical Center hospital.
ANTHC is working with Rachel’s Gift and Sweet Grace Ministries to help provide comprehensive and compassionate bereavement care and comfort items for families experiencing perinatal loss. Both organizations provide resources to assist hospital staff caring for families experiencing the loss of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death.
This collaboration allows ANTHC staff to have access to various resources and tangible items to gently guide patients and families through their time of crisis. Along with comfort baskets, comfort bags, sibling resources, gowns, cards, families served also receive supportive follow up care, support group access, and connections with local, regional, and national resources.
Rachel’s Gift recently visited ANMC for training sessions with Family Birthing Services, NICU and Emergency Services Department staff. They also trained ANTHC unit educators, who are now able to present the course to fellow staff. More than 90 staff participated in the training sessions.
“We are so excited to have these resources available to the Alaska Native families we serve,” said Morgan Kraft, ANTHC Family Birthing Services Educator. “No family should have to cope with the loss of an infant. But our collaboration with Rachel’s Gift and Sweet Grace Ministries provides staff education, keepsake boxes for patients, and additional resources to comprehensively and compassionately serve patients with the least amount of stress on staff as possible.”
About Rachel’s Gift
Rachel’s Gift, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2008. Funding is provided by community events, grants, hospital support, and generous donations from the communities served. To learn more, visit rachelsgift.org.
About Sweet Grace Ministries
Sweet Grace Ministries. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2011 and based in PA. Currently 28 hospitals in PA, NJ, MD, MT, and AK are supported in both support and resources. Funding is provided by events, business sponsors, and generous donations from the communities/families served. To learn more, visit www.sweetgraceministries.com.
