JUNEAU – Last week, the legislature passed Senate Bill 45, sponsored by Senator David Wilson (R-Wasilla), which seeks to reduce barriers and costs for healthcare services through direct health care agreements, typically paid through a monthly fee.  Direct health care agreements, as outlined in Senate Bill 45, establish a direct contractual relationship between healthcare providers […] The post Legislature Passes Bill Establishing Direct Health Care Agreements appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) Monday applauded the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for including Alaska salmon into more Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages. Murkowski has advocated for expanded inclusion of healthy, nutritious Alaskan salmon in WIC food packages since 2014, when the process to update WIC […] The post Murkowski-Led Update to WIC Food Package Brings Healthy Alaskan Salmon to America’s Children and Mothers appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

April is sexual assault awareness month, when the justice system, law enforcement, helpers and advocates lift the voices of victim-survivors and create a safe space for them to share their stories. It’s about a loss of innocence as happens so often with children and young adults; and it’s about stories of survival and the unrelenting […] The post StrongHearts Advocacy Critical In Indian Country appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) has launched a multi-year project to improve and expand emergency services at the largest statewide Tribal hospital in Alaska, taking a historic step toward creating a modern system of care. “We are continually working toward our vision that Alaska Native people are the healthiest people […] The post ANTHC launches $257 million project to expand emergency services at the Alaska Native Medical Center appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday a comprehensive ban on asbestos, targeting the last remaining form of the chemical still used in the United States. Although asbestos was the first chemical banned under a 2016 chemical safety law removing it from many consumer products, the cancer-causing material is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake […] The post US Bans Last Form of Asbestos in Use appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday visited a clinic that performs abortions in the Midwestern state of Minnesota in a show of Democratic support for women’s reproductive rights. Her office said it was the first time one of the top two U.S. leaders had ever visited such a medical facility. The right to abortion […] The post US VP Harris Visits Women’s Health Clinic, Stresses Importance of Abortion Rights appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

A popular exercise program for midlife and older adults is looking for people to lead classes in Alaska communities.  A workshop sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service  will train prospective community leaders in all aspects of leading StrongPeople/StrongBodies, an effective and safe resistance exercise program for midlife or older adults. Research […] The post Workshop offers training for StrongPeople exercise class appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

Seven years of culturally appropriate support and advocacy has been reached at StrongHearts Native Helpline, where advocates were brought to fruition through the hard work and sacrifice of survivors and grassroots advocates.  “March 6, 2024 marks the seventh anniversary of StrongHearts advocacy,” said CEO Lori Jump, StrongHearts Native Helpline. “It is not our way to […] The post StrongHearts Native Helpline Celebrates Seven Years of Advocacy appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

A $1.9 million federal grant will allow the University of Alaska Fairbanks to expand its suicide prevention research by partnering with the Alaska National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard. UAF’s Military Health and Readiness Consortium researches ways to improve protection against suicide while supporting an installation’s ability to execute its respective missions. The consortium is part of […] The post Initiative expands work to protect against suicide in the military appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more

A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The hack shut down the system for processing claims, billing and verifying patients’ eligibility for receiving care. […] The post Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages appeared first on Alaska Native News ..read more