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.)

Work begins on new site for village of Newtok

The Air Force and the Marines started work on Tuesday, helping to construct the new site for the village of Newtok.

Could Arctic warming be behind gray whale deaths in Alaska, and elsewhere? Here’s why scientists are asking.

Scientists aren't calling climate change or declining sea ice the smoking gun yet. But they’ve seen enough other events that have come along with Arctic warming, like sea bird die-offs, that they’re asking questions.

Budget deadlock could delay Medicaid payments to health care providers

Health care advocates said nursing homes and behavioral health providers are among those who may not have large cash reserves to cover costs during a delay.

In a rainforest, Southeast Alaska towns face extreme drought

Believe it or not… one of the worst droughts in the nation is in Southeast Alaska. That’s according to federal meteorologists.

Governor’s top staff directed Alaska’s rollback of PFAS regulations

The Dunleavy administration’s decision to defer to the EPA over safe levels of PFAS chemicals in drinking water came at the direction of the governor’s top aides. That’s according to dozens of redacted emails released following records requests.

Ground broken at soon-to-be SEARHC hospital in Wrangell

Work has started on Wrangell’s new hospital. A tribal nonprofit health consortium is replacing the city-owned medical center that had been struggling financially.

Attorney General Barr says ‘very basics of public safety are lacking in the villages’

The visit to Western Alaska continues Barr's tour of the state, meeting with public officials and Alaska Native leaders to discuss public safety, the lack of law enforcement in rural communities and how the federal government can help.

As sea ice melts, fish are showing up farther north off Alaska. A federal fishing trip will investigate if they’re sticking around.

Two summers ago, federal scientists discovered something shocking: The Northern Bering Sea was teeming with cod and pollock. Those two commercially valuable species had never been found in such large huge numbers that far north.

Can ‘Indian country’ powers combat violence in rural Alaska? Sullivan says he’ll discuss it with AG Barr.

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is coming to Alaska this week. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he will focus on rural law enforcement, particularly for the more than 70 Alaska villages that have no police officers.

Marine Highway cuts could mean trouble for aspiring Susitna Valley ranchers

In the Northern Susitna Valley, things like the Alaska Marine Highway System don’t often come high on the priority list, but for one family, cuts to the state’s ferry system could have a significant impact on their new business.

Using local foods, a Juneau middle school teacher demystifies cooking for kids

For kids who’ve never cooked, smoking their own salmon might seem out of reach. But a Juneau teacher believes it’s just another life skill his students can master — and he shows them how to do it.

To get a count on bowhead whales, North Slope scientists head out onto the sea ice

“They’re just so graceful and beautiful. Every time I see a whale I get excited,” said biologist Craig George. “I’ve seen thousands and thousands. It’s always like seeing a bowhead for the first time.”

Climate change looks different in Southeast Alaska. Here’s how tribes are planning for that.

The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has a climate change adaptation plan. It wants the region to be included in the climate change discussion.

If you’ve reported a sexual assault to Alaska State Troopers, a UAA researcher wants to hear from you

Alaska has one of the nation’s highest rates of sexual assault, and the state wants to improve how it responds to people who report these crimes to state troopers. A researcher leading a study on the topic is asking for help.

Yakutat officials in the dark over PFAS contamination

State officials say they’ll soon begin shipping water to Yakutat after PFAS contamination was found in wells near the Southeast city’s state-owned airport. But local...

Aspiring to have a ‘live city again,’ Solomon moves forward on path to renewable energy

What used to be a fast-growing community during the gold rush in the early 1900s, the Village of Solomon is now only inhabited seasonally with no year-round residents. Located about 30 miles east of Nome, this community now seeks to return to its former status as a city.

In Utqiaġvik, learning about climate change includes studying your backyard

In Alaska’s northernmost town, eighth grade students study climate change in a way that encompasses the global picture, but pays particular attention to what’s going on in their own backyard.

What the healthcare overhaul at VA means for Alaska vets

The MISSION Act goes into effect on June 6th, and is intended to modernize veteran healthcare as a wave of younger vets are beginning to access services.

Annual volunteer effort to clean up Anchorage waterways commences

Anchorage's citywide creek cleanup started Thursday as volunteers began picking up what - each year - amounts to hundreds of pounds of often muddy and wet trash from waterways.

Dissent at DEC emerges over roll-back of PFAS regulations

The Dunleavy administration’s decision to redefine PFAS levels considered safe in drinking water has caused dissension among a senior staffer working on contaminated sites. Lawmakers are scheduled to hold a hearing on the issue later this week.