Today, the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), which accredits all U.S. education programs for dentists and dental hygienists, granted accreditation to a dental therapy education program for the first time, acknowledging the successful program at Iḷisaġvik College in Utqiaġvik. This is a victory for community-driven and equity-focused health policy, which instead of imposing solutions on communities, lifts up the solutions communities devise for themselves. Dental therapists are now working or authorized in at least some settings in ...

Thank you to ANTHC staff member Danielle Larsen for sharing her first-hand experience with COVID-19. The story below is shared with her permission to help raise awareness about how easily this virus can be spread and precautions she recommends our community members take. Let me first tell you, I always wore a mask when I left my house and religiously used hand sanitizer. I work in health care and knew all the precautions to take after months of creating materials ...

Missing out on regular activities is a common story across Alaska. As we begin to put dates back on our calendars, remember to put your health care appointments back in too. Chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure don’t take a break during a pandemic. Children still need their well-child visits and immunizations to be protected from diseases. Cancer can still spread undetected and heart attacks can still strike. Your health is important. Protect it now and in the ...

Intro note: As we begin to put dates back on our calendars, remember to put your health care appointments and preventive screenings back in too. ANMC has safely reopened its specialty care clinics for cancer screenings and other health care needs difficult to complete over telehealth video appointments. Call your provider about options available and learn about what we’re doing to keep patients and staff safe during COVID-19. This story shares the importance of early colorectal cancer screening for Alaska ...

Thanks to the generous support of NANA, Akima and the Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation (HANF), the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) Community Health Aide Program secured supplies and equipment to make 1,000 Elder Self Care Kits to distribute to Alaska Native Elders throughout the state. Each kit contains a small vinyl bag and includes a pulse oximeter to assess oxygen saturation and pulse; a thermometer to assess temperature; a small Vital Signs Card; an Individual Monitoring Log; a mask ...

Washing your hands and physical distancing are helping us prevent COVID-19 spread, just like keeping up on immunizations helps prevent many other dangerous illnesses. Immunizations are key to maintaining children’s health. From babies to teenagers, if your child is scheduled for a routine vaccination, don’t wait! Well-child visits and routine immunizations are important, especially now. Children keep growing and it’s important that they stay on track with checkups and vaccinations. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and clinics have taken ...

ANTHC recognizes that people who are experiencing violence in their families and relationships may also be experiencing increased isolation and danger during the COVID-19 health mandates, which require all Alaskans, except critical and essential workers, to remain in their place of residence as much as possible and practice social distancing. Survivors often have specific needs around safety, health, and confidentiality, which are becoming harder to access due to the need for social distancing. However, it is important for all victims ...

It has been almost one month since the Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation made the hard and right decision to cancel their 2020 Raven’s Ball fundraising event. The annual gala raises awareness and funding for health initiatives that further the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s vision that Alaska Native people are the healthiest people in the world. Funds generated by the Raven’s Ball provide support across the Alaska Tribal Health System for healthy patients, healthy kids and healthy communities. During this ...