Rural Health

Alaska health news that specifically deals with health in rural Alaska. (This category is broken out because it is a grant requirement. These stories should also be categorized as “health.)

a sign

2 Alaska seafood processors to pay $2.1M in wage lawsuit settlement

Workers at OBI Seafoods and Ocean Beauty Seafoods had sued the companies over wage violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alaska’s foster care shortage | Talk of Alaska

A new campaign seeks to raise awareness and recruit new foster care families. We learn more on this Talk of Alaska.
Juneau

Southeast Alaska set to lose nearly a fifth of its population by 2050, report says

The state document bases the projection on a mixture of increased outmigration and deaths outnumbering births in the region.
Sitka

Renewed Southeast Alaska wastewater discharge permits require better bacteria controls

The six affected communities have exemptions allowing them to perform only rudimentary "primary" wastewater treatment.
water

Kiana in Northwest Alaska has been without running water for days

With temperatures falling into the minus-30s, local crews are scrambling to thaw the city’s water system. 
A person wearing blue gloves draws liquid from a vial into a syringe

What happens when preventative health goes right | Line One

Earthquake-resistant buildings can protect us in a disaster, just like strong preventative health measures can keep our health systems resilient.
a plant

How a hydroponic garden at Angoon’s high school is cultivating food sovereignty

The facility is a way for the community to have more control over its food, much of which is barged or flown in.
Newtok

Newtok shuts down its critical infrastructure

On Sunday, local tribal leadership decided to shut down the power and water plants in the tiny Bering Sea coastal community.
a care facility

Recently unionized home care workers in Alaska approve first contracts

Home care workers, whose services are needed more as Alaska's population ages, have negotiated for better pay and other benefits.
alcohol pads, tourniquets and cookers

Alaska crests fourth wave of opioid epidemic as more people combine methamphetamine with opioids

The rate of methamphetamine found in tests with fentanyl has increased seven fold in the Pacific region since 2015, which worries experts in the field.
Donald Trump

Trump’s promise to fix the fentanyl crisis appealed to voters and alarmed experts

Donald Trump has promised a crackdown that could include military strikes in Mexico. Many experts worry his plan will do harm than good.

Co-occurring mental disorders | Line One

We discuss the challenges of diagnosing and treating individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions.
the outside of a multi-story building at night.

Anchorage water utility asks thousands of residents to check pipes for possible lead

About 20,000 customers are being asked to check water intake pipes, in a survey required under federal regulations.
a road

‘Enough is enough’: King Cove officials hail Biden Administration backing for Izembek road

While residents call the road a matter of life and death, environmental advocates say it could threaten vital wildlife habitat.
a family

Make-A-Wish sends Shishmaref boy’s family to Disney World

Ten-year-old Owen Ningeulook suffers from aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that results in low red blood cell counts.
a poster

Sexually transmitted infections top Alaska’s annual disease list, reflecting high rates

Alaska has some of the nation's highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the state's annual infectious disease report.
A trail covered in snow. The foreground is darkened while lights illuminate the trail further ahead.

Dealing with the dark | Talk of Alaska Rewind

On this Talk of Alaska, we revisit our 2023 discussion on darkness, and finding ways to enjoy the short days of winter.
a clinic

Anchor Point man arrested after shots fired at Homer health nonprofits

Police say Josiah Kelly, 30, confessed to shooting at a clinic for people recovering from addiction and substance use disorder.
Cars on a highway with snow

Percentage of Alaska high schoolers texting while driving jumps to a new high

Last year over 40% of high school drivers reported that they texted or emailed while on the road.
A lawn with an elevated pedestrian walkway over it.

UAA launches Alaska’s first in-state training program for school psychologists

University officials say they hope the master’s degree program will boost the number of school psychologists who understand the needs of Alaska schools.