Rachel Cassandra
Health and Wellness ReporterRachel Cassandra is the health and wellness reporter and producer. As a reporter, she covers statewide health and mental health news. A few of her areas of focus include addiction and the opioid epidemic, food and health care insecurity, rural health care, mental health care and stories of how communities thrive. She also occasionally produces shows for LineOne: Your Health Connection. She’s worked in Alaska Public Media’s newsroom since May 2023.
Before working for AKPM, Rachel was a reporter in Petersburg for KFSK. She also interned for Sitka’s radio station, KCAW. She worked for many years as a freelance journalist, reporting for a range of publications including KQED, Mindsite News, The Atlantic, Atmos and VICE. She graduated from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
When Rachel is not reporting, she might be running, hiking, crafting, illustrating, reading, playing board games or playing with her two cats — Indigo and Persephone.
You can reach Rachel at rcassandra@alaskapublic.org.
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Marti Guzman is a family service coordinator. She helps families overcome challenges so their kids can stay in school and thrive. -
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. -
Last year over 40% of high school drivers reported that they texted or emailed while on the road. -
University officials say they hope the master’s degree program will boost the number of school psychologists who understand the needs of Alaska schools. -
Email us or fill out a form to help shape our reporting and topics for interview shows like Line One. -
It’s important to stop the spread of disease but make sure kids can be in school and parents can work. -
Combining drugs increases risk of overdose and makes withdrawal and getting medication assisted therapy more complex. -
The telenurses collaborate with bedside nurses. But a nurse union at the hospital filed an unfair labor practice charge in response. -
Fentanyl is so concentrated that it poses new trafficking challenges. But new screening tactics raise red flags with the ACLU of Alaska. -
Akiak elder Helen Ivan shares stories about learning English and tells young people to follow their dreams and avoid drugs.
