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.
Three Anchorage teens head to North Carolina to present anti-bullying lessons
West High junior Edison Wallace Moyer says youth have unique insight on bullying "just by virtue of they're the ones being bullied."
What to know about the new COVID, flu and RSV shots in Alaska this fall
Alaskans will soon be able to get the new COVID vaccine, with a new respiratory syncytial virus immunization for infants already available.
From advertising to art: A cancer diagnosis prompts a meaningful journey for one Alaskan
Jim Coe has worked in advertising for many years, so he decided early on in his treatment that he wanted to get the word out about the importance of early cancer detection.
Classes help Alaska’s growing number of refugees navigate baffling U.S. health care system
“That's the thing that I try to teach my clients: you have voice, you have rights," said Lilian Montoya with Catholic Social Services.
Good Medicine exhibit at Anchorage Museum features Indigenous healers and medicine people
Good Medicine includes paintings, illustrations, a medicine wheel, a women’s house and a men’s house – which are traditionally used for healing, teaching and meetings.
Providence breaks ground on behavioral health crisis center in Anchorage that aims to keep people out of emergency room
The center will have space for 24 people who need mental health and substance-use stabilization.
A Bethel social worker rewrites their own story as they help queer youth find peace and belonging
LGBTQ+ youth face high rates of suicide, self-harm and housing instability. But an organization in Alaska called Choosing Our Roots is helping them find safe homes.
Thousands of Alaskans may lose their Medicaid benefits this year, but not because they don’t qualify
Thousands of Alaskans are at risk of losing their Medicaid benefits this year – many because of paperwork issues.
New drug use and HIV harm reduction center opens in the Mat-Su Borough
The center serves people looking to reduce HIV and Hepatitis transmission and to reduce opioid overdoses.
Leaders in Huslia aim to convince residents to stay with affordable housing
The lack of affordable housing is a crisis across Alaska. It’s one of the reasons the state is losing working-age people every year.
U.S. assistant health secretary visits Alaska to talk with tribal leaders
Adm. Rachel Levine met with Tribal Health Organizations to learn more about the state's unique public health challenges.
A grieving father helped develop a new Anchorage curriculum on the dangers of opioids
Kellsie struggled with her addiction, but she dreamed of a life beyond it. She told her dad she wanted to write a book and visit schools to tell her story after her recovery.
Alaska veteran hopes his struggle with mental health convinces others to seek care earlier
Veteran James Phelps dealt with PTSD from his service and from losing a friend to suicide. He hopes his story will convince other veterans to reach out for help.
Health experts warn of rising rates of syphilis in pregnant women and babies in Alaska
Congenital syphilis can lead to serious complications like premature birth, stillbirth or a baby born with blindness or deformed bones.
Kake resident finds healing by crafting traditional Lingít cedar roses
Frank Hughes has made thousands of roses over the years. And he’s discovered that for him, they have a unique healing effect.
Mat-Su Borough passes resolution to allocate $2.3M of opioid distribution settlement funds
The Mat-Su Borough Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to begin allocating the funds on July 18.
$100K of specialty cycling equipment stolen from Challenge Alaska in Anchorage
The stolen equipment was a mix of standard bicycles and specially-made cycles for people with disabilities.
Alaska attorney general wants access to medical information about out-of-state-abortions and gender-affirming care
The letter is a response to the Biden administration’s proposed protections of patient privacy when crossing state lines for medical care.
Alaska’s Army division is combatting high suicide rates with mandatory wellness counseling
The military in Alaska has long struggled with high rates of suicide. A year and a half ago, one Army division started a program to combat the crisis.
Opioid reversal drugs save lives in Alaska. But people are often skipping a crucial step
Use of the opioid reversal drug Naloxone is increasing in Alaska. Naloxone is safe and easy to administer, but public health professionals say it’s essential to get people to the emergency room after using it. In practice, though, people often aren’t calling 9-1-1. And that’s concerning to public health experts.