Rachel Cassandra, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Rachel Cassandra covers health and wellness for Alaska Public Media. Reach her at rcassandra@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Rachel here.
Anchorage therapist suggests how to survive the holidays when feeling sad
For Alaskans who have recently experienced tragedy or loss, the holidays can be especially hard. An Anchorage therapist has advice about how to make them manageable.
Alaska’s Public Guardians are overloaded with cases, but a new court order mandates they must take on more
Alaska's Supreme Court has ordered the Office of Public Advocacy to begin assigning public guardians for patients again.
Alaska organizations teach kids how to avoid online predators
Adult predators are finding new ways to message kids online and manipulate them. So, the FBI and other organizations in Alaska are teaching kids how to stay safe when they’re spending time online.
Girdwood doula helps people plan, prepare for and celebrate death
Julie Raymond-Yakoubian guides people through both spiritual and pragmatic arrangements surrounding end-of-life care and death.
Healthcare professionals consider Alaska’s potential for psychedelic therapies
Most psychedelic therapy is not legal in Alaska, except for ketamine therapy. But a panel of professionals discussed its future.
Abortions in Alaska can only be performed by doctors. Is that about to change?
Only doctors can perform abortions in Alaska, according to a 50-year-old law. Planned Parenthood’s Alaska chapter argues that this limits access to abortion. So, the chapter filed a lawsuit against the state.
Anchorage storms make transportation tricky for all, and worse for people with disabilities
Anchorage residents have faced a series of snow storms this week, and being a pedestrian in the city has been challenging, if not impossible.
Trust land auctions fund mental health care in Alaska
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is selling some of the 1 million acres of federal land it received under the Mental Health Act of 1956.
PrEP prevents HIV transmission and it’s free. Why can’t some Alaskans get it?
Robin Lutz, executive director at the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, or 4-As, said the organization has been talking with people newly diagnosed with HIV. She said Alaskans face many barriers to accessing PrEP.
Why are more Alaskans in the Interior contracting HIV?
Health officials are working to better understand why Fairbanks and the Interior have seen a cluster of new HIV cases over the past two years.
Wait for food stamps continues, but could prompt legislative changes
The state is working through a backlog of thousands of applications for SNAP benefits, after Alaskans waited months for help buying food.
Día de los Muertos celebration offers comfort and community connection
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican and Mexican-diaspora celebration of people who have died and Anchorage is celebrating it for the 19th year.
Birth and death rates fell in Alaska last year; rates of death from alcohol and overdose remain high
The report also shows that deaths from tobacco use and rates of pregnant women using tobacco declined, as did the teen birth rate.
Alaska sees fast increase in early flu cases; experts urge vaccination
Alaska’s chief medical officer, Anne Zink, is urging people to get the flu vaccine this month to protect themselves against an early season.
Alaska Native youth preserve traditions by preserving traditional food at Elders and Youth Conference
Young people from around the state learned how to filet and prepare salmon at the conference in Anchorage on Tuesday.
The wait for food stamps in Alaska is improving, but applicants still face long delays
Many applicants still have to wait for up to three months to receive benefits.
Alaska health department changes Medicaid renewal process to keep thousands covered
About 37% of Alaska’s Medicaid recipients were procedurally disenrolled in the first four months following a pause during the pandemic.
A new app is helping Alaskans with disabilities and memory loss become more independent
For lots of families in Alaska, MapHabit could become indispensable. The state has a shortage of care workers and many families are stretched thin.
Physician assistants say proposed rules could spell disaster for rural Alaska health care
Those speaking out against the regulations include PAs, physician, and health care administrators.
Opioid overdose reversal drugs are now available over-the-counter in Alaska
The opioid overdose treatment Narcan became available over the counter in pharmacies throughout Alaska last week. The treatments will cost $45 for a box of two.