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.
‘Nothing else should matter’: At Anchorage roundtable, Sullivan addresses youth mental health crisis with U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy discussed the youth mental health crisis in Alaska at a roundtable in Anchorage.
At an Anchorage oncology clinic, doctors and patients confront ‘terrifying’ chemo drug shortage
The Alaska Women’s Cancer Care in Anchorage has been forced to ration the generic drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, due to short supplies.
Alaska cancer treatment centers struggle with shortage of common chemo drugs
Two common chemotherapy drugs are in short supply in Alaska – cisplatin and carboplatin. Oncology centers across the country are struggling to keep the drugs in stock.
Counterfeit pills with fentanyl flood Alaska’s black market
Overdose deaths have been rising in Alaska for the past several years. Most of that is due to illegal fentanyl. And, it’s been showing up more and more in pills that look like prescription drugs, but are counterfeit.
Alaska teens, tweens steer peers away from vaping and smoking
Teenagers from rural Alaska were in Anchorage at the end of May, learning from other high schoolers about nicotine addiction.
Death rate from drinking nearly doubles in Alaska over 2 years
The rate of Alaska deaths due to drinking alcohol nearly doubled from 2019 to 2021, based on state Department of Health data.
New substance abuse center for active duty military and veterans opens in Wasilla
Banyan Alaska, a new residential center for substance abuse and addiction, opened last week.
New report shows Alaskans die from traumatic brain injury at twice the national average
Alaska’s death rate from traumatic brain injuries is the highest in the nation, according to a recent report from the state health department.